The means test in Wisconsin: median income

The official median income for Wisconsin, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

These are the official U.S. Trustee Program medians for Wisconsin. If your household's yearly income is below the median for its size, you pass the first step.

1 person
$71,168
2 people
$90,252
3 people
$108,516
4 people
$133,384
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Check the first step in Wisconsin

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Wisconsin. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$71,168
  • 2 people$90,252
  • 3 people$108,516
  • 4 people$133,384
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

The bankruptcy courts in Wisconsin

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. The Eastern District covers Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green Lake, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Shawano, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties; all other counties are in the Western District.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408; 28 U.S.C. 130

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Divisions: Milwaukee and Green Bay courthouses (court also held at Oshkosh)

Clerk's phone: 414-297-3291

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

Divisions: Madison and Eau Claire divisions (hearings also held at Onalaska for La Crosse, and Wausau)

Clerk's phone: 833-758-0380

Court's self-help page

Exemptions in Wisconsin at a glance

In Wisconsin you choose state or federal exemptions (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): up to $75,000 per person in your home and the land reasonably needed for it: at least 0.25 acre if available, up to 40 acres.

Car or other vehicle: Up to $4,000 total in motor vehicles, per person. You can add any unused part of the $12,000 consumer-goods exemption, so up to $16,000 in vehicles if you use none of the consumer-goods exemption.

Exemptions in Wisconsin

In nearby states

  • Michigan: 1 person $67,352 · 2 people $83,432 · 3 people $103,449 · 4 people $123,010
  • Minnesota: 1 person $77,696 · 2 people $98,328 · 3 people $126,487 · 4 people $149,882
  • Iowa: 1 person $67,617 · 2 people $88,800 · 3 people $104,133 · 4 people $126,058
  • Illinois: 1 person $73,180 · 2 people $93,934 · 3 people $113,625 · 4 people $137,902
  • Indiana: 1 person $64,461 · 2 people $81,986 · 3 people $95,627 · 4 people $115,656
  • Missouri: 1 person $64,972 · 2 people $82,075 · 3 people $100,228 · 4 people $118,530

What to do now in Wisconsin

  1. Total your income

    Use pay stubs and benefit letters for the 6 full months before you file.

  2. Do the official first step

    Your income is figured on Official Form 122A-1.

  3. Above the median?

    Next comes the expense calculation on Official Form 122A-2.

  4. Find your court

    The forms are filed with Eastern District and Western District.

Free help in Wisconsin

Questions about the means test in Wisconsin

What is the homestead exemption in Wisconsin?

Up to $75,000 per person in your home (house, condo, mobile or manufactured home, house trailer or co-op) and the land reasonably needed for it: at least 0.25 acre if available, up to 40 acres.

Where do I file bankruptcy in Wisconsin?

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. The Eastern District covers Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green Lake, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Shawano, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties; all other counties are in the Western District.

What income passes the means test in Wisconsin?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $71,168; 2 people: $90,252; 3 people: $108,516; 4 people: $133,384; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Is there free bankruptcy help in Wisconsin?

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee (Chapter 7 help for low-income Milwaukee County residents; walk-in clinic), Pro Se Bankruptcy Help Desk (Milwaukee Bar Association volunteers), Thursdays 9:00-10:30 a.m., U.S. Courthouse, 517 E. Wisconsin Ave., Room 153, Milwaukee and Legal Action Wisconsin (free civil legal help for people with low income).

Keep reading about Wisconsin