Wisconsin
Companies and communities are finding success in Wisconsin.
5,910,000
Population
3.1M
Workforce
$72,000
Median household income
3%
Unemployment
Location introduction
Why Wisconsin
Wisconsin pairs Midwestern work ethic with world-class manufacturing, water technology, and food-industry clusters. A AAA-rated state with balanced budgets, 16 technical colleges feeding employer pipelines, and freight access to Chicago, Minneapolis, and the Great Lakes shipping lanes. From precision machining in the Fox Valley to biohealth in Madison and next-generation manufacturing on the I-94 corridor, Wisconsin backs expanding employers with performance-based incentives through WEDC.
Where we are
Location
Industry sectors
What thrives here
Advanced Manufacturing
Wisconsin's manufacturing share of GDP ranks second in the nation. Precision machining, controls, and industrial machinery clusters run from the Fox Valley to the I-94 corridor, fed by 16 technical colleges.
470K
Sector workforce
$62,000
Avg annual wage
Incentives: WEDC Business Development Tax Credits; manufacturing & agriculture credit effectively eliminates state income tax on qualified production income.
Assets: Fox Valley machining cluster, MSOE and 16 technical colleges, dense tier-1/2 supplier base
Water Technology
Milwaukee's Global Water Center anchors 200+ water-technology firms — the densest freshwater innovation cluster in the world, backed by UWM's School of Freshwater Sciences.
20K
Sector workforce
$78,000
Avg annual wage
Incentives: The Water Council pilot programs and BREW accelerator funding.
Assets: Global Water Center, Lake Michigan freshwater access, UWM School of Freshwater Sciences
Agribusiness & Food Processing
America's Dairyland processes far more than dairy: cheese, cranberries, brats, and beverage brands scale here on top of the nation's deepest food-science talent.
110K
Sector workforce
$55,000
Avg annual wage
Incentives: Dairy processor grants; TID-supported food-park sites.
Assets: UW food science programs, cold-chain logistics on I-94/I-90, abundant water
Biotech & Life Sciences
Madison's biohealth corridor converts UW–Madison research into companies — from Exact Sciences' cancer diagnostics to Promega's global reagents business.
45K
Sector workforce
$92,000
Avg annual wage
Incentives: Qualified New Business Venture (QNBV) 25% investor tax credits.
Assets: UW–Madison ($1.5B annual research), University Research Park, BioForward network
Actively recruiting
Businesses we want to attract
Benefits
Incentives & programs
Workforce & training
Workforce Training Grants
Up to $400kWEDC grants covering employee training costs for expanding employers.
Financing & loans
Qualified New Business Venture (QNBV)
25% investor creditInvestors in certified early-stage Wisconsin companies receive a 25% state tax credit.
Tax credits & abatements
Manufacturing & Agriculture Credit
~7.5% of incomeEffectively eliminates Wisconsin income tax on qualified manufacturing and agricultural production income.
Business Development Tax Credit
Up to 10% of payrollWEDC's flagship performance-based credit for job creation, capital investment, and training.
Talent
Workforce & education
3,100,000
Total workforce
9.5%
STEM workers
$58,000
Avg annual wage
3%
Unemployment
75,000
Graduates / year
Programmes
Business initiatives
- 1
Wisconsin Investment Attraction Initiative
WEDC's coordinated FDI program pairing site selectors with shovel-ready certified sites.
Learn more → - 2
Certified Sites Program
Development-ready industrial sites pre-vetted for utilities, environmental, and zoning.
- 3
Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Grants
Statewide K-12 fab-lab network building the next manufacturing workforce.
Anchor tenants
Major employers
Connectivity
Infrastructure
I-94, I-90, I-43, I-41
Highways
Milwaukee Mitchell International
Nearest major airport
Canadian National, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific Kansas City mainlines
Rail
Port Milwaukee + Port of Green Bay (Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Seaway)
Port access
Statewide fiber expansion via Broadband Forward communities
Broadband
ATC transmission backbone; competitive industrial rates
Power
Lake Michigan + abundant groundwater — a strategic asset for wet industries
Water
Liveability
Quality of life
$315,000
Median home price
$1,250/mo
Median rent
22 min
Avg commute
Nation-leading graduation rates; 16 technical colleges
Schools
UW System — 13 universities incl. top-10 research flagship
Higher education
Mayo, Froedtert, UW Health systems statewide
Healthcare
15,000 lakes, Door County, Lambeau Field
Recreation & culture
Four true seasons; abundant freshwater
Climate
Get in touch
Contact the EDA
Wisconsin EDA
Economic Development Agency
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