WED AM News: Milwaukee’s housing price-to-income ratio highest in Midwest, data show; Applications open for next phase of EV charging expansion

May 27, 2026

— Milwaukee has the highest housing price-to-income ratio among major metropolitan areas in the Midwest, as well as one of the lowest rates of new housing development.

That’s according to Moody’s Analytics data used in a recent New York Times analysis, which illustrates housing affordability challenges across the United States. The authors argue the entire country “needs to build more housing,” noting regional variations in home prices are the widest they’ve been in decades.

Wisconsin’s largest metro area stands as an outlier for both the Midwest region and other states bordering the region, as the only city with a price-to-income ratio above 5 for hundreds of miles in every direction.

Milwaukee’s ratio of 5.2 is based on its median home price of $421,900 and median household income of $81,300. Its average rate of new housing construction starts over the last decade was 17.9 per 1,000 households, well below the other Wisconsin metro areas spotlighted in the data.

By comparison, Madison’s price-to-income ratio wasn’t far behind at 5, with a median home price of $465,400 and median income of $93,700. But its annual housing starts rate was 61.2 per 1,000 households, more than three times the rate set by Milwaukee.

The Green Bay metro had a price-to-income ratio of 4, with a median home price of $335,900 and median income of $83,700. The city’s housing starts rate was 35.4.

While other Midwest metros like Madison have price-to-income ratios at 5 or below, Milwaukee is the only one to actually break into the above-5 category. The closest metro in the same range is Washington, DC, based on the analysis.

Still, other cities elsewhere in the country eclipse Milwaukee’s ratio. New York’s price-to-income ratio was 9.5; Kahului and Honolulu in Hawaii were at 11.7 and 10.8, respectively; and San Francisco was the highest in the country with a ratio of 12.4.

The latest monthly figures from the Wisconsin Realtors Association reinforce Milwaukee’s housing challenge, noting the state’s larger metro areas have the “tightest supply” of new homes at just 3.4 months.

But southeastern Wisconsin made up the largest share of Wisconsin home sales in April with 2,110, about 38% of the total for the month.

See the data here.

— State officials have started taking applications for the next phase of expanding the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure with federal funding.

The state Department of Transportation yesterday announced the open application period, which comes after Wisconsin was apportioned $79 million under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program in 2021. The state DOT has awarded about $37 million for 78 projects at fuel retailers, grocery stores, hotels and restaurants, and 21 of those charging stations are now online. Wisconsin currently has about $40 million in unobligated funding for the program.

Kristina Boardman, the state’s transportation secretary, notes more than 40,000 electric vehicles are now registered in Wisconsin and even more come to the state with visitor traffic. She says the agency is seeing “frequent and steady use” of the chargers that have been built already.

“Businesses throughout Wisconsin have stepped up to help us deliver a reliable network of charging options for the growing number of EV users in the state … We’re eager to find opportunities to add more convenient choices for EV drivers and bring more visitors into local communities,” she said.

The state agency issued two rounds of grant awards for the state’s Alternative Fuel Corridor system, including interstates and U.S. highways, and that network is “now considered fully built out,” according to yesterday’s release.

Looking ahead, the next round of funding through the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Connecting Corridors Program will target upgrades for nearby communities, including these eligible corridors.

Charging stations will be located within a mile of a highway intersection or interstate exit, with four charging ports. Funding from the grant program covers up to 80% of the eligible cost, while recipients have to provide at least 20% match from non-federal sources.

The state DOT is taking project proposals through July 24, after which the agency will review applications and announce awards in the fall.

See the release.

— Corn and soybean planting in Wisconsin has outpaced the five-year average after a slower start to the season, according to the latest USDA figures.

The agency’s National Agricultural Statistics Service yesterday issued a crop progress report showing corn planting was 82% finished as of Sunday — just ahead of the average of 79%.

Meanwhile, soybean planting was 75% complete, ahead of the average of 71%. And oat planting was 85% complete, falling just behind the average of 87%.

Other indicators are tracking the typical trend. Winter wheat fields were 11% headed, equal to the average. The first cutting of alfalfa hay was 13% complete, also equal to the average. And the spring tillage process was 93% complete, ahead of the average 88%.

See the report.

— Milwaukee-based personal nutrition company GenoPalate has announced a new referral agreement with Mamaya Health, a mental health provider focused on services for women.

The companies yesterday announced a new partnership aimed at bridging the gap between nutrition and mental health. Under the agreement, the organizations will offer “trusted cross-referrals” for their members, while also creating coordinated wellness programs aimed at improving women’s health.

Those could include stress management, postpartum health, the perimenopause period and “other major life stages” where mental health and nutrition play an important role, according to the announcement.

Meanwhile, therapists at Mamaya Health and GenoPalate’s registered dieticians will work together under the new agreement to identify which members are a good fit for further support.

Dr. Asif Naseem, CEO of GenoPalate, says partnering with the Tennessee-based company “can help create a more complete support model that connects nutrition, mental wellness, and expert guidance in a way that feels practical, personal, and actionable.”

Financial terms of the partnership aren’t being disclosed.

The latest partnership comes after GenoPalate earlier this month added telehealth services to its weight loss medication program through an agreement with Colorado-based Eden.

See the release.

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