Head-to-head
Minnesota vs Wisconsin
Wisconsin's 2024 price level is 4.526 points below Minnesota's (94.095 vs 98.621); goods (6.209 points) and rents (11.969 points) explain the gap, while utilities and other services are within a point.
Minnesota's state general sales-tax component is 6.875%; Wisconsin's state component is 5%.
Updated
| Measure | Minnesota | Wisconsin | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 98.621 | 94.095 | +4.526 points |
| Rent price level | 91.281 | 79.312 | +11.969 points |
| Home value | $329,300±$903 | $266,500±$1,051 | +$62,800 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,356±$10 | $1,106±$6 | +$250 |
| Household income | $89,062±$409 | $77,485±$455 | +$11,577 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $3,357±$10 | $3,792±$12 | −$435 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Minnesota scales to $3,816 in Wisconsin at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Minnesota vs Wisconsin sales tax
On a $100 purchase taxable under each general rate, the state portions are $6.875 and $5 before local taxes and transaction rounding. A statewide component cannot determine the full receipt: Minnesota combines applicable local and special rates; Wisconsin can add county and city taxes. Product exemptions and sourcing rules matter independently of the BEA price indices.
Check the actual transaction with Minnesota Revenue's rate guidance and Wisconsin DOR's rates and address lookup. These references were checked October 2, 2026. A purchase-tax comparison does not calculate annual household income taxes or establish the cheaper home.
Minnesota vs Wisconsin: dearer goods and rents, lighter property tax
Shopping costs more on the Minnesota side. Minnesota's goods parity is 100.519, above the national level, against Wisconsin's 94.310, one of the ten cheapest in the country. That gap matters for purchases on top of each state's sales tax, which the panel above compares. Rents add the rest: 91.281 against 79.312, and a two-bedroom gross-rent median of $1,356 against $1,106, $250 a month more in Minnesota.
Owners face a different trade. Minnesota homes are worth more, a median $329,300 against $266,500, yet Wisconsin owners pay more property tax: a median $3,792 a year against $3,357, $435 more. Even so, a mortgaged Minnesota owner spends $258 a month more at the median.
Minnesota's incomes are higher. Minnesota's income lead is $11,577 at the household median and $3,766 per person after prices. Renters spend 29.2% of income on gross rent in Minnesota and 27.2% in Wisconsin.
The state governments differ in size more than in mix. Minnesota collected $6,327 per resident in fiscal 2025 and Wisconsin $4,236. Individual income tax supplied 37.8% and 40.4% respectively, general sales 23.4% and 31.0%, and corporate income tax 16.1% against 10.8%.
Both states have grown relatively dearer since 2020: Minnesota from 97.766 and Wisconsin from 92.666. Household-income medians describe surveyed populations, not one household with offers in both states; compare real addresses in the Twin Cities or a Wisconsin destination, and treat retirement subtractions and credits as a separate tax question.
Price levels by category
| Measure | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.621 | 94.095 | +4.526 |
| Goods | 100.519 | 94.310 | +6.209 |
| Housing (rents) | 91.281 | 79.312 | +11.969 |
| Utilities | 90.836 | 89.906 | +0.930 |
| Other services | 100.213 | 99.501 | +0.712 |
| Real income per person (2017 $) | $62,039 | $58,273 | +$3,766 |
Two state tax mixes, FY2025
Minnesota: $36.89 billion, $6,327 per resident. Wisconsin: $25.30 billion, $4,236 per resident.
| Tax | MN share | WI share | MN per resident | WI per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | 37.8% | 40.4% | $2,394 | $1,711 |
| General sales | 23.4% | 31.0% | $1,478 | $1,311 |
| Property | 2.0% | 0.3% | $128 | $12 |
| Motor fuel | 2.5% | 4.7% | $159 | $198 |
| Other selective sales | 11.4% | 6.7% | $721 | $286 |
| Corporate income | 16.1% | 10.8% | $1,017 | $456 |
| Licenses | 4.9% | 5.7% | $311 | $241 |
| Severance | 0.2% | 0.0% | $11 | $0 |
| Other taxes | 1.7% | 0.5% | $108 | $21 |
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