Wisconsin tax burden — broken down.
Wisconsin’s combined tax burden (income + property + sales) lands at 14.50% on our composite — ranking #11 of 51 jurisdictions. The top marginal individual income tax rate is 7.65%.
Wisconsin burden, broken into 3 components
| Component | Wisconsin rate | National median |
|---|---|---|
| Top marginal income | 7.65% | ~5.30% |
| Effective property | 1.85% | ~1.07% |
| State sales tax | 5.00% | ~5.50% |
| Combined composite | 14.50% | ~11.87% |
National medians from CalcFi’s 51-state composite. Top marginal is the headline single-filer rate, NOT the effective rate most households actually pay.
Retirement + Social Security in Wisconsin
Wisconsin taxes most retirement income (pensions, IRA / 401(k) distributions). Social Security benefits are NOT taxed by Wisconsin. Federal taxation of these income sources is unchanged regardless of state.
How Wisconsin compares
Of all 51 US jurisdictions ranked by combined burden composite, Wisconsin sits at #11. That places Wisconsin in the middle of the pack — burden is moderate without being a particular outlier in either direction. For the live cross-state heat map, see the interactive tax burden map.
Wisconsin metros — local tax overlay
State rates are uniform across Wisconsin— but local income, property, and sales taxes vary. Click any metro to run the full income tax calculator pre-populated with that city’s local layer.
- Milwaukeeproperty 1.80% · pop 1.6Mmedian $56,400 →
- Madisonproperty 1.80% · pop 0.7Mmedian $74,200 →
- Green Bayproperty 2.00% · pop 0.3Mmedian $55,800 →
- Appletonproperty 2.00% · pop 0.2Mmedian $62,500 →
More Wisconsin metros coming as we expand city coverage.
Wisconsin tax — common questions
What is the Wisconsin top marginal income tax rate in 2025?
Wisconsin's top marginal individual income tax rate is 7.65% on the highest bracket.
What is the Wisconsin effective property tax rate?
Wisconsin's statewide effective property tax rate is 1.85% of home value (annual). On a $400,000 home that's roughly $7,400/yr. Local variation can be ±0.5pp.
Does Wisconsin tax retirement income or Social Security?
Wisconsin taxes most retirement income, and does NOT tax Social Security benefits.
Are there any Wisconsin-specific tax quirks I should know about?
Wisconsin offers a unique Manufacturing & Agriculture Credit that effectively zeros out state income tax on qualified manufacturing/ag income — 7.5% credit on a 7.65% top rate.
Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial · Source: Tax Foundation State Individual Income Tax Rates (Jan 2025). Last verified 2026-04-19. Methodology at /about/editorial.