Department of Numbers

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics. The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Income Index

The current price-to-income ratio for Milwaukee is 3.75 as determined by March 2010 Realtor median sales prices. The chart below shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Milwaukee HPI series.1 Median household income data for Milwaukee is from the Census American Community Survey.2

Price-to-Income: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Income Index History

Date FHFA
March 2010 119.8
December 2009 121.8
September 2009 122.1
June 2009 124.4
March 2009 127.0

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Rent Index

The current price-to-rent ratio for Milwaukee is 21.9 as determined by March 2010 Realtor median sales prices. This ratio is calculated using household size adjusted median contract rent for Milwaukee. The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Milwaukee median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Rent Index History

Date FHFA
March 2010 112.1
December 2009 113.9
September 2009 114.2
June 2009 116.3
March 2009 118.8

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage is determined by taking the median household income for Milwaukee, Wisconsin and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Date Inferred Mortgage
May 2010 $256,480
April 2010 $250,419
March 2010 $254,145
February 2010 $253,566
January 2010 $252,414
December 2009 $255,308
November 2009 $256,774
October 2009 $254,725
September 2009 $251,556
August 2009 $247,888
July 2009 $247,053
June 2009 $241,595
May 2009 $257,364

1. Specifically, FHFA data is from the non seasonally adjusted, all-transactions quarterly series.

2. Income data for the previous year is carried into the following year prior to the release of new income data.