Median Household Income (MHI)

Clean Water Fund Program (Hardship Assistance) and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program

The Environmental Improvement Fund (EIF) determines a municipality's adjusted median household income (MHI) when the municipality is interested in funding for either a Clean Water Fund Program (CWFP)-Hardship Financial Assistance project or a Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP) project. The MHI is also used to calculate the level of Principal Forgiveness that may be available through these programs.

Find your Muncipalities MHI [PDF 66KB]

Find your Sanitary District's MHI [PDF 66KB]

Wisconsin State MHI = $51,569

DEFINITION OF MHI
"Median household income" means MHI determined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as adjusted by the DNR to reflect changes in household income since the most recent federal census.

This definition is included in the CWFP and SDWLP statutes and administrative codes.

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HOW THE EIF USES MHIs
Clean Water Fund Program-Hardship Financial Assistance - The CWFP uses the MHI to determine whether a municipality is eligible for hardship financial assistance and how much assistance should be provided to an eligible municipality. The municipality's adjusted MHI must be 80% or less of the state's adjusted MHI in order to be eligible for hardship financial assistance.

Safe Drinking Water Loan Program - The SDWLP uses the MHI to determine whether a municipality is eligible for points in the financial need category of the priority scoring system. If eligible, the municipality may also qualify for the SDWLP's lower interest rate of 33% of market interest rate. The municipality's adjusted MHI must be 80% or less of the state's adjusted MHI in order to be eligible for financial need points and the lower interest rate.

ADJUSTING THE MHI
Until this year, the EIF took each municipality's 2000 MHI, provided by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and adjusted the MHI for inflation using the county's increase in per capita income [PDF 15KB] since the census, provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Since the U.S. Census Bureau is now collecting income data using a different methodology, we are doing research and developing new policies regarding adjusting MHIs. We did not adjust MHIs for SFY 2012. The Census Bureau data we retrieved is already adjusted.

DETERMINING MHI FOR TOWN SANITARY DISTRICTS AND PUBLIC INLAND LAKE PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION DISTRICTS

The DNR uses the "Census Block Method" for determining MHIs for sanitary districts and lake protection districts. The procedure for this method of obtaining MHIs is summarized below.

Municipality submits by December 31, with its Notice of Intent to Apply (ITA) Form [PDF 45KB], a map of the district, indicating the district boundaries and all residences within the district (if possible).