County housing intelligence
Wisconsin Housing Market by County
Wisconsin is not one housing market. Across 72 counties, the median county home value is $209,350 and the median county rent is $860/mo. The useful question is not whether Wisconsin is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$209,350
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$860/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
72
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Wisconsin Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Waukesha County, Ozaukee County, Dane County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Menominee County, Langlade County, Price County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Dane County, Waukesha County, St. Croix County lead on rent, while Forest County, Menominee County, Iron County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Menominee County, Marinette County, Clark County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Menominee County
$97,000
- 2. Langlade County
$145,800
- 3. Price County
$146,000
- 4. Rusk County
$152,000
- 5. Marinette County
$154,600
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Menominee County
1.6x home-value-to-income
- 2. Marinette County
2.4x home-value-to-income
- 3. Clark County
2.5x home-value-to-income
- 4. Juneau County
2.5x home-value-to-income
- 5. Lafayette County
2.5x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Forest County
$585/mo
- 2. Menominee County
$624/mo
- 3. Iron County
$640/mo
- 4. Ashland County
$665/mo
- 5. Sawyer County
$683/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Forest County
19.0% rent burden
- 2. Vernon County
21.0% rent burden
- 3. Vilas County
21.0% rent burden
- 4. Bayfield County
22.0% rent burden
- 5. Clark County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Vilas County
0.80% effective tax rate
- 2. Sawyer County
0.85% effective tax rate
- 3. Oneida County
0.94% effective tax rate
- 4. Burnett County
0.95% effective tax rate
- 5. Bayfield County
1.07% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Florence County
$98/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Langlade County
$80/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Menominee County
$38/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Price County
$29/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Crawford County
$5/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Menominee County
$59,528 income, 1.6x value-to-income
- 2. Kewaunee County
$80,085 income, 2.6x value-to-income
- 3. Calumet County
$87,700 income, 2.9x value-to-income
- 4. St. Croix County
$102,482 income, 3.4x value-to-income
- 5. Washington County
$95,851 income, 3.3x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Menominee County $97,000 home value, $59,528 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Menominee County $97,000 home value, 3.64% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Lincoln County $768/mo rent, 31.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Waukesha County $373,600 home value, $104,100 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Wisconsin County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menominee County | $97,000 | $624/mo | $59,528 | 1.6x | 3.64% |
| Marinette County | $154,600 | $749/mo | $63,401 | 2.4x | 1.26% |
| Clark County | $163,800 | $786/mo | $66,250 | 2.5x | 1.51% |
| Juneau County | $165,200 | $847/mo | $65,150 | 2.5x | 1.52% |
| Lafayette County | $182,100 | $835/mo | $72,091 | 2.5x | 1.64% |
| Langlade County | $145,800 | $737/mo | $57,258 | 2.5x | 1.33% |
| Manitowoc County | $172,900 | $777/mo | $68,611 | 2.5x | 1.54% |
| Price County | $146,000 | $801/mo | $58,720 | 2.5x | 1.45% |
| Wood County | $168,100 | $831/mo | $66,417 | 2.5x | 1.56% |
| Douglas County | $190,400 | $903/mo | $72,579 | 2.6x | 1.35% |
| Iron County | $155,200 | $640/mo | $59,058 | 2.6x | 1.15% |
| Kewaunee County | $208,900 | $839/mo | $80,085 | 2.6x | 1.48% |
| Lincoln County | $177,700 | $768/mo | $67,726 | 2.6x | 1.42% |
| Pepin County | $196,100 | $860/mo | $74,536 | 2.6x | 1.47% |
| Rusk County | $152,000 | $816/mo | $58,322 | 2.6x | 1.21% |
| Florence County | $170,000 | $871/mo | $62,786 | 2.7x | 1.31% |
| Marathon County | $205,500 | $950/mo | $76,185 | 2.7x | 1.51% |
| Shawano County | $179,100 | $777/mo | $67,032 | 2.7x | 1.45% |
| Waupaca County | $192,800 | $834/mo | $71,189 | 2.7x | 1.49% |
| Ashland County | $160,500 | $665/mo | $57,645 | 2.8x | 1.47% |
| Crawford County | $175,100 | $809/mo | $63,496 | 2.8x | 1.64% |
| Forest County | $170,000 | $585/mo | $59,727 | 2.8x | 1.17% |
| Oconto County | $212,000 | $796/mo | $75,886 | 2.8x | 1.25% |
| Buffalo County | $197,600 | $822/mo | $68,722 | 2.9x | 1.42% |
| Calumet County | $252,100 | $1,002/mo | $87,700 | 2.9x | 1.52% |
| Fond du Lac County | $209,800 | $926/mo | $73,154 | 2.9x | 1.58% |
| Grant County | $186,300 | $812/mo | $64,349 | 2.9x | 1.44% |
| Jackson County | $186,900 | $789/mo | $65,508 | 2.9x | 1.43% |
| Monroe County | $197,200 | $920/mo | $68,213 | 2.9x | 1.42% |
| Outagamie County | $244,100 | $998/mo | $82,857 | 2.9x | 1.47% |
| Richland County | $182,800 | $786/mo | $62,649 | 2.9x | 1.41% |
| Rock County | $215,900 | $1,019/mo | $74,390 | 2.9x | 1.69% |
| Trempealeau County | $203,300 | $887/mo | $71,295 | 2.9x | 1.61% |
| Waushara County | $186,000 | $789/mo | $64,968 | 2.9x | 1.32% |
| Winnebago County | $208,600 | $924/mo | $72,873 | 2.9x | 1.71% |
| Dodge County | $218,400 | $963/mo | $73,992 | 3.0x | 1.55% |
| Green County | $236,900 | $851/mo | $80,248 | 3.0x | 1.64% |
| Iowa County | $248,100 | $941/mo | $83,372 | 3.0x | 1.56% |
| Sheboygan County | $218,400 | $889/mo | $71,898 | 3.0x | 1.48% |
| Taylor County | $186,500 | $786/mo | $63,142 | 3.0x | 1.42% |
| Vernon County | $210,600 | $826/mo | $69,556 | 3.0x | 1.37% |
| Adams County | $184,500 | $789/mo | $59,153 | 3.1x | 1.30% |
| Barron County | $198,300 | $859/mo | $64,619 | 3.1x | 1.42% |
| Columbia County | $258,700 | $926/mo | $82,792 | 3.1x | 1.48% |
| Green Lake County | $206,300 | $806/mo | $66,917 | 3.1x | 1.31% |
| Jefferson County | $253,800 | $1,012/mo | $80,604 | 3.1x | 1.57% |
| Kenosha County | $247,800 | $1,175/mo | $79,412 | 3.1x | 1.69% |
| Portage County | $230,400 | $903/mo | $73,284 | 3.1x | 1.47% |
| Sauk County | $242,400 | $970/mo | $77,648 | 3.1x | 1.50% |
| Brown County | $245,900 | $973/mo | $77,490 | 3.2x | 1.46% |
| Chippewa County | $237,700 | $963/mo | $74,009 | 3.2x | 1.16% |
| Dunn County | $226,200 | $942/mo | $71,785 | 3.2x | 1.47% |
| Marquette County | $201,100 | $800/mo | $63,471 | 3.2x | 1.35% |
| Polk County | $241,200 | $958/mo | $76,208 | 3.2x | 1.22% |
| Racine County | $239,400 | $1,017/mo | $75,331 | 3.2x | 1.70% |
| Bayfield County | $228,100 | $789/mo | $69,609 | 3.3x | 1.07% |
| Oneida County | $227,500 | $868/mo | $69,621 | 3.3x | 0.94% |
| Washington County | $316,200 | $1,126/mo | $95,851 | 3.3x | 1.20% |
| Eau Claire County | $242,400 | $977/mo | $71,834 | 3.4x | 1.43% |
| La Crosse County | $243,200 | $1,023/mo | $70,704 | 3.4x | 1.63% |
| St. Croix County | $349,700 | $1,238/mo | $102,482 | 3.4x | 1.23% |
| Washburn County | $207,900 | $815/mo | $61,270 | 3.4x | 1.11% |
| Burnett County | $215,500 | $758/mo | $61,664 | 3.5x | 0.95% |
| Milwaukee County | $216,500 | $1,069/mo | $62,118 | 3.5x | 2.04% |
| Pierce County | $308,600 | $1,025/mo | $88,802 | 3.5x | 1.48% |
| Walworth County | $275,900 | $1,090/mo | $77,359 | 3.6x | 1.44% |
| Waukesha County | $373,600 | $1,300/mo | $104,100 | 3.6x | 1.21% |
| Ozaukee County | $368,900 | $1,112/mo | $96,734 | 3.8x | 1.25% |
| Sawyer County | $223,300 | $683/mo | $59,055 | 3.8x | 0.85% |
| Vilas County | $270,700 | $810/mo | $67,132 | 4.0x | 0.80% |
| Dane County | $366,100 | $1,345/mo | $88,108 | 4.2x | 1.71% |
| Door County | $305,800 | $995/mo | $71,785 | 4.3x | 1.10% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Wisconsin by county?
What is the typical rent in Wisconsin by county?
Which Wisconsin counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.