Housing decision brief
Menominee County, WI Housing Market
Menominee County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
1st lowest home value out of 72 Wisconsin counties with data | 2nd lowest rent out of 72
Median home value
$97,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$624/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$586/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
23.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$38/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$97,000 median home value is 54% below Wisconsin county median
Lower rent
$624/mo is 27% below Wisconsin county median
Rent burden below pressure line
23.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $38/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 90.9 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$59,528 median income is 16% below Wisconsin county median
Tax rate needs attention
3.64% effective property-tax rate is 264% above Wisconsin county median
Health context
Health score is 36.9 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Menominee County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $97,000 | $209,350 | $281,900 | 54% favorable54% below Wisconsin county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $624 | $860 | $1,163 | 27% favorable27% below Wisconsin county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $586 | $1,027 | $1,672 | 43% favorable43% below Wisconsin county median |
Median household income | $59,528 | $70,947 | $74,755 | 16% pressure16% below Wisconsin county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 3.64% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 264% pressure264% above Wisconsin county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 23.00% | 25.00% | N/A | 8% favorable23.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$34,568
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$34,414
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Menominee County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $624/month , about 12.6% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Menominee County pay $624/month on average, compared to $586/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 6%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $24,960/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $25,114/year. With a median household income of $59,528, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 23.0% of renter households in Menominee County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Sawyer County where rent averages $683/month, Menominee County is approximately 9% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips County, KS | $94,700 | $621/mo | Out-of-state peer near $94,700 home value and $621/mo rent. |
| Franklin County, NE | $99,100 | $613/mo | Out-of-state peer near $99,100 home value and $613/mo rent. |
| Greer County, OK | $103,600 | $624/mo | Out-of-state peer near $103,600 home value and $624/mo rent. |
| Atchison County, MO | $100,600 | $595/mo | Out-of-state peer near $100,600 home value and $595/mo rent. |
| Stafford County, KS | $96,700 | $613/mo | Out-of-state peer near $96,700 home value and $613/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Menominee County
Is Menominee County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Menominee County?
How much income do you need for housing in Menominee County?
What should I double-check before moving to Menominee County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.