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Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Wisconsin
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Wisconsin housing market
Wisconsin housing market summary
The typical home in Wisconsin is worth $339,699, up 5.1% over the past year. Homes that actually closed went for a median of $361,600 after 44 days on market. On supply, pricing discipline, and speed of sale, Wisconsin currently reads as a seller's market at 2.7 months of supply. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, that typical home costs $1,813 a month in principal and interest with 20.0% down.
Sources: Zillow, August 2026 · Refreshes monthly · Redfin, through May 2026 · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Wisconsin housing market at a glance
Every tile carries the provider and the month it was published
Typical home value
$339,699
+5.1% YoY · Zillow, August 2026
Median sale price
$361,600
Redfin, through May 2026
Typical asking rent
$1,426/mo
Median of 69 cities · Zillow, August 2026
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Monthly P&I
$1,813
20.0% down, 30-yr fixed
Days on market
44
-1 days YoY
Active listings
16,540
+0.5% YoY
Median household income
$75,670
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Typical home value is Zillow's ZHVI — the value of a typical home across the whole housing stock, not just the homes that sold. Median sale price is what actually closed. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
Where Wisconsin home prices are heading
Wisconsin's typical home value is $339,699, up 5.1% over 12 months. The two-year number matters more than the one-year number: it spans a full rate cycle rather than a single seasonal swing. Values are at or within a rounding error of their two-year high.
Against the national picture, Wisconsin runs 7.9% below the U.S. typical home value of $368,697, and its 12-month move of +5.1% is outpacing the national pace of +1.2%.
What would have to change for Wisconsin prices to fall. Prices fall when supply outruns demand for long enough that sellers compete on price rather than waiting. Wisconsin is carrying 2.7 months of supply — below the four-month line, so inventory would have to roughly double before sellers lose pricing power. Active listings are +0.5% year over year and new listings -0.1%, which is close to flat. The other lever is the rate. At 7.03%, existing owners with cheaper mortgages have little reason to list, which is what has kept supply artificially low across most of the country. A sustained move down in rates unlocks those sellers and adds inventory; it also adds buyers. Which side moves first decides the direction.
Market trends
Statewide monthly series · Redfin, through May 2026 · No longer updating · Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
What it costs to buy in Wisconsin at today's rate
Down payment
$67,940
20.0% of value
Loan amount
$271,759
30-yr fixed
Monthly P&I
$1,813
at 7.03%
Income needed
$77,700
28.0% front-end ratio
A buyer purchasing the typical Wisconsin home at $339,699 puts $67,940 down, finances $271,759, and pays $1,813 a month in principal and interest. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance sit on top of that and vary by county — budget for them separately rather than assuming the P&I figure is the payment.
Lenders typically want principal and interest under 28.0% of gross income, which puts the qualifying income for that purchase at roughly $77,700. Wisconsin's median household earns $75,670 (Census ACS 2023) — a gap of $2,030 above what the median household brings in. Put differently, the median household would spend 28.8% of gross income on principal and interest alone — above the ratio most lenders underwrite to, which is why buyers here typically need a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a cheaper city than the statewide typical home.
The value-to-income ratio in Wisconsin is 4.5x. Between roughly 3.5x and 5x, prices are ahead of local earnings but still within reach for higher-earning households. Model your own numbers in the affordability calculator or the mortgage calculator.
Figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval. Rate: Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 · Value: Zillow, August 2026 · Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Buying in Wisconsin in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Wisconsin market brief: the price ranges that are actually clearing, the cities where your budget goes furthest, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Rent or buy in Wisconsin?
Zillow publishes its rent index per city rather than per state, so the honest statewide read is the median across the 69 largest Wisconsin cities that carry it: $1,426 a month. Set against a typical home value of $339,699, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 19.9x.
Between 15x and 20x the two options are close enough that the tiebreaker is how long you stay, not the ratio itself. Principal and interest on the typical home runs $387 more per month than that typical rent — and that is before taxes, insurance, and the roughly 1% of value a year most owners spend on maintenance.
For a second read on the same question, the Census ACS puts median gross rent across all Wisconsin households — every unit type, not just what is currently listed — at $1,045 a month (2023), with 67.9% of Wisconsin households owning rather than renting. Asking rents lead the ACS figure because they reflect today's new leases rather than the whole stock of existing ones.
Run the rent-vs-buy calculator with your own holding period and down payment — the statewide ratio is a starting point, not an answer.
Supply: what is on the market in Wisconsin
| Measure | Latest | Year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 16,540 | 16,462 | +0.5% |
| New listings | 8,415 | 8,424 | -0.1% |
| Homes sold | 6,092 | 6,496 | -6.2% |
| Months of supply | 2.7 | 2.5 | +0.2 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 100.5% | 100.6% | Above asking |
What these mean. Active listings is the shelf — everything a buyer could tour today. New listings is restock rate; when it falls faster than sales, the shelf empties. Months of supply is active inventory divided by homes sold per month: at the current sales pace, how many months it would take to sell every home currently listed. Under 4 months of supply tilts toward sellers, 4 to 5 months is the neutral band, and above 5 months tilts toward buyers — above 7 months is a glut. These are the same thresholds the market verdict on every city and ZIP page is scored against. Sale-to-list ratio is the discipline check — above 100% means homes are clearing over asking on average, below means sellers are conceding.
Redfin, through May 2026 · No longer updating — Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026. Zillow's inventory and new-listing counts are published per city and appear on the individual city pages.
Where Wisconsin home values are moving fastest
12-month change in typical home value · Zillow, August 2026
Rising fastest
- 1.Bloomfield+10.5%
- 2.Twin Lakes+9.5%
- 3.Kronenwetter+8.5%
- 4.Shawano+8.4%
- 5.Beloit+8.4%
- 6.Mosinee+8.4%
- 7.Rothschild+8.4%
- 8.Oconto+8.3%
Falling
- 1.New Richmond-0.8%
Computed from Zillow's typical home value for each city at August 2026 against the same month a year earlier, across the 150 largest Wisconsin cities by population. Small markets swing hardest because a handful of transactions moves the index — read the city page before treating a large move as a trend.
The most and least expensive cities in Wisconsin
Typical home value across the 150 largest cities · Zillow, August 2026
Most expensive
- 1.Summit$776,275
- 2.Delafield$766,469
- 3.Elm Grove$696,876
- 4.Hartland$672,143
- 5.Whitefish Bay$662,001
- 6.Mequon$659,897
- 7.Middleton$619,009
- 8.Verona$593,445
- 9.Waunakee$585,776
- 10.Richfield$571,026
Most affordable
- 1.Marinette$205,661
- 2.Beloit$210,649
- 3.Racine$222,732
- 4.Merrill$224,172
- 5.Milwaukee$227,629
- 6.Wisconsin Rapids$229,961
- 7.Two Rivers$231,423
- 8.Ripon$237,054
- 9.Manitowoc$243,773
- 10.Wausau$250,229
The spread between Summit and Marinette is 3.8x — one reason a single statewide number is close to useless for a buyer with a fixed budget. Pick the city first, then the price band. Speed is a separate axis from price: West Salem was the quickest of these markets to clear at 3 days on market (Redfin, through May 2026).
How Wisconsin compares
| Market | Typical value | 12-mo change | Median income | Value / income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $339,699 | +5.1% | $75,670 | 4.5x |
| United States | $368,697 | +1.2% | — | — |
| Illinois | $297,573 | +5.3% | $81,702 | 3.6x |
| Minnesota | $350,752 | +2.5% | $87,556 | 4.0x |
| Michigan | $266,292 | +4.0% | $71,149 | 3.7x |
The three states above are Wisconsin's nearest land neighbours — the markets buyers most often price against when a move is still negotiable. Illinois and Michigan carry lower typical home value than Wisconsin, which is what makes them the usual destination for equity-funded moves out of Wisconsin.
Values and 12-month changes: Zillow, August 2026 · Refreshes monthly. Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023. ACS publishes household income per state, not for the nation on the same basis, so the U.S. row shows home value only.
Wisconsin housing markets by city
519 cities tracked — the 60 largest by population shown
Milwaukee
$227,629
Madison
$426,336
Green Bay
$285,361
Kenosha
$284,850
Racine
$222,732
Appleton
$305,667
Eau Claire
$318,287
Oshkosh
$260,641
Janesville
$298,166
West Allis
$276,992
La Crosse
$287,924
Sheboygan
$267,169
Wauwatosa
$427,594
Fond du Lac
$264,914
Brookfield
$528,294
New Berlin
$455,414
Wausau
$250,229
Menomonee Falls
$439,642
Greenfield
$332,828
Beloit
$210,649
Oak Creek
$414,503
Sun Prairie
$443,196
Franklin
$443,183
Manitowoc
$243,773
West Bend
$358,742
Fitchburg
$506,723
Mount Pleasant
$350,292
Neenah
$309,593
Stevens Point
$287,968
De Pere
$407,513
Caledonia
$390,636
Mequon
$659,897
Muskego
$530,269
Watertown
$330,726
Middleton
$619,009
Pleasant Prairie
$469,914
Germantown
$465,437
South Milwaukee
$307,215
Howard
$394,544
Fox Crossing
Pop. 19K
Onalaska
$369,938
Wisconsin Rapids
$229,961
Marshfield
$257,740
Oconomowoc
$553,179
Menasha
$314,980
Cudahy
$290,985
Kaukauna
$313,202
Ashwaubenon
$345,952
Beaver Dam
$297,050
Menomonie
$308,709
River Falls
$415,013
Bellevue
$396,195
Weston
$310,193
Hartford
$384,603
Whitewater
$345,412
Hudson
$498,577
Waunakee
$585,776
Whitefish Bay
$662,001
Greendale
$390,550
Chippewa Falls
$341,343
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What to do next in Wisconsin
If you are buying
- Set the payment before the price. Start from what you can carry monthly, then work backwards with the affordability calculator — the typical Wisconsin home is $1,813/mo in P&I today.
- Pick the city, not the state. Values across Wisconsin run from $205,661 in Marinette to $776,275 in Summit.
- Put two finalists head to head in the city comparison tool before you tour anything.
- Fix the credit file before you shop the rate. A better score moves the payment more than haggling over price does at 7.03%.
If you are selling
- Price against your city, not the statewide figure — the spread between Wisconsin markets is wider than the year-over-year move in any of them.
- Read the supply table above. At 2.7 months of supply, you still set the terms — but only if the home is priced to the comps on day one.
- Watch days on market in your city, not the state. The statewide median was 44 days (Redfin, through May 2026); your city page carries its own.
- Time the listing against new-listing volume. New listings are -0.1% year over year — less competition than a year ago.
Wisconsin housing market questions
What is the typical home value in Wisconsin?
The typical home value in Wisconsin is $339,699 (Zillow, August 2026). That is a +5.1% change over the past 12 months. The median price of homes that actually sold was $361,600 (Redfin, through May 2026); sale prices skew toward whatever segment is transacting, which is why they differ from the typical-value figure.
Are Wisconsin home prices going up or down?
Wisconsin home values are up 5.1% year over year (Zillow, August 2026). Values are at or near their highest reading in the past two years.
How much income do you need to buy a home in Wisconsin?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, a $339,699 home with 20.0% down carries roughly $1,813 a month in principal and interest. Using the 28% front-end ratio most lenders underwrite to, that implies a household income of about $77,700 before taxes, insurance, HOA dues, or mortgage insurance are added. Wisconsin's median household income is $75,670 (Census ACS, 2023), a gap of $2,030 above the median household. These figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wisconsin?
Typical asking rent across the largest Wisconsin cities Zillow publishes rent data for is $1,426 a month (median of 69 cities, Zillow, August 2026). Against a typical home value of $339,699, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 19.9x. Ratios under about 15x generally favour buying if you plan to stay put; above about 20x, renting and investing the difference tends to win over short horizons. Principal and interest alone runs $387 more than that typical rent each month, before taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
Which Wisconsin cities are the most affordable?
Among the largest cities we track in Wisconsin, the lowest typical home values are in Marinette ($205,661), Beloit ($210,649), Racine ($222,732), Merrill ($224,172), Milwaukee ($227,629). Values are Zillow's typical-home-value index for August 2026.
Which Wisconsin cities are the most expensive?
The highest typical home values among the largest Wisconsin cities are in Summit ($776,275), Delafield ($766,469), Elm Grove ($696,876), Hartland ($672,143), Whitefish Bay ($662,001). Price per square foot, inventory, and days on market for each are on the individual city pages.
Which Wisconsin cities are appreciating the fastest?
Over the past 12 months the largest home-value gains among Wisconsin cities we track were in Bloomfield (+10.5%), Twin Lakes (+9.5%), Kronenwetter (+8.5%), Shawano (+8.4%), Beloit (+8.4%). Fast appreciation usually reflects constrained supply, in-migration, or a small transaction base — check the individual city page before reading it as a trend.
How long do homes take to sell in Wisconsin?
Homes in Wisconsin spent a median of 44 days on market in the last month Redfin published (Redfin, through May 2026). That is 1 days faster than the same month a year earlier. The quickest market among the state's largest cities was West Salem at 3 days. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
How does Wisconsin compare to neighboring states?
Wisconsin's typical home value of $339,699 compares with Illinois at $297,573, Minnesota at $350,752, Michigan at $266,292. The U.S. typical home value is $368,697, putting Wisconsin 7.9% below the national figure. Illinois and Michigan are cheaper on a typical-value basis.
Is now a good time to buy in Wisconsin?
That depends on your timeline, not the headline. The measurable inputs today: a 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 2.7 months of supply statewide (Redfin, through May 2026), active listings +0.5% year over year, and home values +5.1% over the past year. Buyers with a five-year-plus horizon are mostly exposed to the payment, not the price, so the rate you can qualify for matters more than the month you buy. Properties Incorporated is an independent data platform, not a brokerage or lender — this is information, not advice.
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Keep researching Wisconsin
City-vs-city in Wisconsin
Studies & tools
How we built these numbers
Neighboring state markets
- Illinois housing market — $297,573 typical value
- Minnesota housing market — $350,752 typical value
- Michigan housing market — $266,292 typical value
Get the Wisconsin market brief
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