New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) vs Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) (A) and Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) (A) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 95% and 98% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 86/100 (A) compared to New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) at 82/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 3.1 percentage points (98.4% vs 95.3%). Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) covers 665,000 participants.
| Metric | New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) | Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 82/100 (A) | 86/100 (A)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 95.3% | 98.4%* |
| Total Assets | $248.0B | $122.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $260.2B | $124.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $12.2B | $2.0B* |
| Participants | 1,070,000 | 665,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 7.1% | 7.2%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | low | low |
| Sponsor | State of New York | State of Wisconsin |
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 86/100 (A) compared to New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) at 82/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 3.1 percentage points (98.4% vs 95.3%). Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) covers 665,000 participants.