The short version
- Social Security taxed?
- No
- Income tax
- Brackets 3.5%–7.65%
- Property tax on a $300,000 home
- ≈ $3,960 / yr ($330 / mo)
- Everyday cost index (U.S. = 100)
- 98
- January / July high
- 29°F / 82°F
- Sales tax (state + local avg)
- 5.72%
Retiring in Wisconsin
No tax on Social Security, good healthcare, and lake-country summers. Watch out: high property taxes and some of the coldest winters in America.
How Wisconsin taxes your retirement income
Social Security: not taxed at all.
Pensions: Pensions taxed; a $5,000 exclusion for some filers 65+ with lower income.
401(k) and IRA withdrawals: 401(k)/IRA withdrawals taxed as regular income.
The setup: Brackets 3.5%–7.65%.
Property tax & senior breaks
The average effective property tax rate is about 1.32% — roughly $3,960 a year ($330 a month) on a $300,000 home. Your county sets the real number.
Help for seniors: Homestead credit for lower-income homeowners; school levy credit for all owners.
Try your own home value in the Property Tax Estimator.
Everyday costs & sales tax
Overall cost of living runs about 2% below the U.S. average. The combined state and average local sales tax is 5.72%.
Weather
January days top out around 29°F and July days around 82°F, with roughly 190 sunny days a year. Watch out for: Extreme cold and lake-effect snow.
Healthcare
Strong care in Madison (UW Health) and Milwaukee (Froedtert).