Live-In Caregivers in South Milwaukee, WI: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in South Milwaukee, WI: the local picture

381

residents 85 or older (1.9% of all residents)

1,875

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (75%)

60%

of South Milwaukee homes have 3 or more bedrooms (50% in Milwaukee County)

$7.25

Wisconsin minimum wage per hour

About 381 South Milwaukee residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 60% of homes in South Milwaukee have three or more bedrooms (50% in Milwaukee County), while 15% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of South Milwaukee households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,875 own their home and 628 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 173 owners and 94 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

South Milwaukee compared with Milwaukee County and Wisconsin

Census figure	South Milwaukee	Milwaukee County	Wisconsin
Residents 85 or older	1.9%	1.8%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	32%	38%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	33%	28%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	10%	15%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	19%	15%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	14%	19%	9.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$52,074	$48,974	—

Older residents in towns around South Milwaukee

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Cudahy, WI	2.4 mi	3,688	520
Oak Creek, WI	3.0 mi	5,627	530
St. Francis, WI	4.1 mi	2,307	517
Greendale, WI	7.3 mi	3,191	527
Franklin, WI	7.8 mi	7,040	1,094
Greenfield, WI	8.0 mi	8,162	1,431

Emergency hospitals near South Milwaukee

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Ascension St Francis Hospital	Milwaukee, WI	7.6 mi	3 of 5	(414) 647-5000
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center	Milwaukee, WI	7.6 mi	4 of 5	(414) 649-6000
Milwaukee Va Medical Center	Milwaukee, WI	9.0 mi	3 of 5	(414) 384-2000

Straight-line miles from the center of South Milwaukee. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in South Milwaukee

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (87% of the $4,340 monthly median income of South Milwaukee households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (293% of the $4,340 monthly median income of South Milwaukee households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in South Milwaukee: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to South Milwaukee?

Ascension St Francis Hospital in Milwaukee, about 7.6 mi in a straight line from the center of South Milwaukee (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (414) 647-5000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in South Milwaukee?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (87% of the $4,340 monthly median income of South Milwaukee households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (293% of the $4,340 monthly median income of South Milwaukee households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in South Milwaukee?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in South Milwaukee it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near South Milwaukee

More senior care near South Milwaukee

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in South Milwaukee

More for South Milwaukee families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in South Milwaukee, WI