Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s economy ranks toward the bottom among states. Here’s why.
The latest numbers show the economy is going strong
Annual inflation has fallen drastically since its peak in 2022, ticking up in early 2024 before slightly dropping again in April 3.4% above the Fed’s 2% target.
Scripps News
The economy in Wisconsin has varied this year, with high labor force participation rate and new jobs across multiple industries. But hundreds of workers have also lost their jobs and some experts even say the economy in the Milwaukee area is “stagnant.”
A new study from personal finance company WalletHub ranked all U.S. states with the best and worst economies. Metrics included changes in gross domestic product, unemployment rates and growth of businesses and startups.
Researchers also included Washington D.C. in the list of states because it’s comparable with the rest of the states, said spokesperson Diana Polk.
California, Texas, New York and Florida all have economies large enough that, if they were countries, would rank in the top 20 in the world, according to the report.
Here’s which states made it to the top of WalletHub’s list and where Wisconsin landed among them:
RELATED Treasury official touts small business growth, says more economic opportunities needed
Wisconsin ranks as 40th-best state economy in the U.S.
Wisconsin ranked as the 40th-best state economy in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, according to the WalletHub report.
Wisconsin had some of the lowest changes in GDP, ranking only ahead of Delaware among all U.S. states, according to the report.
The state also had some of the lowest startup activity in the nation, according to the report.
Which state has the best economy?
Washington landed on the top of the list of states with the best economy, according to the WalletHub report.
Washington has the second-highest share of jobs in high-tech industries and the second-highest share of professionals who work in the science, tech, engineering and math fields. The state also has the fourth-highest percentage of firms on the Technology Fast 500 list.
“To top things off, new immigrants to the Evergreen State are the fifth-most educated in the country, and the state has the sixth-highest median household income after adjusting for the cost of living,” according to the report.
10 best economies in the United States
Here’s the top 10 economies in the U.S., according to the WalletHub report:
- Washington
- Utah
- Massachusetts
- Texas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- North Carolina
- District of Columbia
- Arizona
10 worst economies in the United States
- Mississippi
- Hawaii
- West Virginia
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Kentucky
- Rhode Island
- Iowa
- Maine
- Ohio
Are you making enough to live comfortably in Milwaukee? Here’s how much you’ll need
Ricardo Torres of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
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