State comparison
Georgia vs Wisconsin: which state is better to live in?
Georgia costs a median household about $750 a year less in state and local taxes than Wisconsin, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,754 a year against $4,304 in Wisconsin.
Georgia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 4 categories
Wisconsin
Moderate tax burden · COL index 93
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: Georgia vs Wisconsin
Georgia has a flat 5.49% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,722 a year. Wisconsin has a graduated income tax topping out at 7.65%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,349 a year. Wisconsin wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.81% of home value a year in Georgia and 1.51% in Wisconsin (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,754 against $4,304, so Georgia has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.35% in Georgia and 5.43% in Wisconsin; Wisconsin is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,120 a year in Georgia, $8,868 in Wisconsin. Georgia is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Georgia's cost of living index is 91 and Wisconsin's is 93, where 100 is the national average; Georgia is about 2% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Georgia and $285K in Wisconsin (Zillow, 2024), a $55K gap in Wisconsin's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Georgia and $1,200 in Wisconsin.
Home insurance averages $2,200 a year in Georgia and $1,100 in Wisconsin, so Wisconsin is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 295 in Wisconsin (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Wisconsin is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 69% lower. Property crime is 2,212 per 100,000 in Georgia against 1,787 in Wisconsin, again favoring Wisconsin.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.2 years in Georgia and 78.1 in Wisconsin (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.9-year edge for Wisconsin. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Georgia's health system 37th of 50 and Wisconsin's 8th, so Wisconsin scores better on care.
14.1% of Georgia residents have no health insurance against 5.7% in Wisconsin, which favors Wisconsin. Neither state has expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia's K-12 schools 32nd in the country and Wisconsin's 11th, 21 places apart in Wisconsin's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Georgia was a swing state decided by 2 points and Wisconsin was a swing state decided by 1 points.
Georgia has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Wisconsin has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Georgia and legal with limits in Wisconsin, and marijuana is medical only in Georgia and illegal in Wisconsin as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Georgia and $7.25 in Wisconsin.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Georgia (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Wisconsin (blizzard, tornado, flood), so Wisconsin is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Georgia and 34 in Wisconsin (under 50 is good), favoring Wisconsin.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
4
Georgia
10
Wisconsin
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Georgia or Wisconsin better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Georgia on taxes ($8,120 a year for a median household against $8,868); Georgia on everyday costs (index 91 against 93); Wisconsin on safety (295 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Wisconsin on schools (ranked 11th against 32nd).
Which is cheaper, Georgia or Wisconsin?
Georgia is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 93. The median home is $340K in Georgia and $285K in Wisconsin (2024). On state and local taxes Georgia saves a median household about $750 a year.
Does Georgia or Wisconsin have lower taxes?
Georgia. A household earning $74,580 pays about $8,120 a year in Georgia ($3,722 income tax, $2,754 property tax on the median home and $1,644 in sales tax) and $8,868 in Wisconsin ($3,349 income tax, $4,304 property tax on the median home and $1,215 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Georgia or Wisconsin?
Wisconsin, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 295 in Wisconsin; property crime is 2,212 against 1,787.
Which has better schools, Georgia or Wisconsin?
Wisconsin. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia 32nd of 50 for K-12 and Wisconsin 11th.
Is Georgia or Wisconsin better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Georgia does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Wisconsin does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,754 a year in Georgia and $4,304 in Wisconsin.