Green Bay, WI Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Green Bay, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Green Bay →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Population in Green Bay, Wisconsin runs approximately 106,846. Median household income sits at $59,174, landing below the benchmark median we track across cities (-18%).
For renters and buyers alike, Green Bay offers a median home value of $172,700 (below the tracked median, -47%) and median rent of $864 monthly. Local property taxes and current mortgage rates will shape the real cost of buying.
With home values running about 2.9× median income, Green Bay lands on the affordable side of the housing-cost spectrum. Home values near Green Bay rose a brisk 6.64% in the past year — a market moving fast enough that waiting could cost buyers. Green Bay carries a Relatively Moderate hazard rating from FEMA, on the lower end of what we track.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $864/mo in Green Bay would take 17.5% of your income.
$615/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($172,700) would take 18.7% of your income toward principal & interest.
$459/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Green Bay
Median home value is $172,700 and median gross rent is $864/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Brown rose 6.64% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,164/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Green Bay's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively Moderate. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Green Bay reported a violent crime rate of 449.7 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Green Bay
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Green Bay, WI?
- In Green Bay, the median home value is $172,700 and median rent is $864 per month, against a median household income of $59,174. These figures come from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Green Bay?
- Green Bay's median rent of $864/month works out to roughly $34,560 in annual income needed, if you're budgeting the standard 30% of gross pay toward rent. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Green Bay.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Green Bay?
- Green Bay's median rent of $864/month translates to about $34,560 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $39,513 a year for principal and interest on the $172,700 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Green Bay safe?
- Green Bay's violent crime rate, per FBI reporting for 2025, stands at 449.7 per 100,000 residents.
See the full salary breakdown for Green Bay →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Green Bay's.