EQUITY & LAND USE
A fundamental goal of VISION 2050 is to ensure that all of the Region's residents have access to opportunity. With respect to land use, the plan's equity objectives include affordable housing that meets the needs and preferences of current and future generations and a reduction in the mismatch between where jobs are located and where workers live. Review a summary of VISION 2050's land use equity analysis and explore relevant metrics the Commission monitors using the interactive charts and maps below. Then explore more equity-related metrics on Equity & Socioeconomics and Equity & Transportation pages.
VISION 2050 LAND USE EQUITY ANALYSIS:
VISION 2050 documents an evaluation of the potential impacts of the plan's land use recommendations on the Region's people of color, low-income populations, and people with disabilities (environmental justice populations).
While all of VISION 2050's land use recommendations would have a positive impact on the Region's population as a whole, many recommendations would have a particularly positive impact on people of color, low-income populations, and people with disabilities. None of the recommendations would have an adverse impact on these population groups.
HOUSING DISPARITIES IN THE MILWAUKEE METRO AREA:
The Commission's report A Comparison of the Milwaukee Metro Area to its Peers provides a statistical comparison of the Milwaukee metro area with 14 other metro areas in the Midwest and 14 other metro areas throughout the Nation. The report assesses how the Milwaukee metro area compares with other areas on a number of key measures, including population growth and characteristics, the economy, housing, and transportation.
The Second Edition of the report published in 2020 revealed that, when compared to its peers, the Milwaukee metro area has a higher percentage of multifamily housing (two-or-more unit structures) and slightly below-average gross housing rents. Home sale prices in the Milwaukee metro area are significantly higher than in other Midwest areas, and the percent of home sales that are affordable to median-income families is below the Midwest average.
Photo: VISIT Milwaukee
Midwest Metropolitan Comparisons: Housing Types and Costs
Note: Median sales prices of single-family homes data are not available for the Pittsburgh and Detroit metro areas. Percent of home sales affordable to median-income families data are not available for the Nashville metro area.
Source: 2015-2019 U.S. Census American Community Survey, National Association of Realtors, National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo, and SEWRPC
HOUSING COST BURDEN
Census Tracts with a Higher Percentage of Households Having a Housing Cost Burden
Households where housing costs exceed 30 percent of the household income are said to experience a housing cost burden. Housing costs for home owners include all mortgages, real estate taxes, home insurance, and utilities; for renters, the costs include rent and utilities, if paid for by the renter.
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In Southeastern Wisconsin, 30.3% of households have a housing cost burden, according to the most recent Census data. This map shows the percent of households with a housing cost burden in the census tracts that exceed that level.
Areas with the highest concentration of burdened households are in central and northwest Milwaukee, and in the Cities of Racine and Kenosha - areas that are home to many people of color and Hispanic residents.
Note: Map displays census tracts wherein the percentage of households experiencing a housing cost burden exceeds the regional average of 30.3%.
Source: 2015-2019 U.S. Census American Community Survey and SEWRPC