Rent prices in Wisconsin (FY2027)
The average FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Wisconsin is $1,251 a month including utilities — 29% below the U.S. average, ranging from $1,014 to $1,734 by area. Find your metro below and check what you can afford.
Wisconsin average Fair Market Rent, FY2027 (rent + utilities)
$1,251/mo 2 bedrooms · 0.0% vs FY2026
Studio
U.S. $1,379 · 32% below U.S.
$941
1 bedroom
U.S. $1,478 · 31% below U.S.
$1,020
2 bedrooms
U.S. $1,761 · 29% below U.S.
$1,251
3 bedrooms
U.S. $2,266 · 29% below U.S.
$1,602
4 bedrooms
U.S. $2,607 · 33% below U.S.
$1,759
Ranks #38 of 51 (50 states + DC) for 2-bedroom rent. See all states
Metro areas in Wisconsin
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
1.6M people · 1BR $1,060 · 3BR $1,553
Madison, WI
573K people · 1BR $1,375 · 3BR $2,047
Green Bay, WI
292K people · 1BR $1,028 · 3BR $1,697
Appleton, WI
246K people · 1BR $986 · 3BR $1,739
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI
198K people · 1BR $1,036 · 3BR $1,639
Eau Claire, WI
174K people · 1BR $1,017 · 3BR $1,695
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
172K people · 1BR $936 · 3BR $1,609
Kenosha, WI
168K people · 1BR $1,144 · 3BR $1,956
Janesville-Beloit, WI
164K people · 1BR $998 · 3BR $1,621
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
3.7M people · 1BR $1,427 · 3BR $2,264
Wausau, WI
138K people · 1BR $940 · 3BR $1,590
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
139K people · 1BR $1,027 · 3BR $1,721
Sheboygan, WI
118K people · 1BR $918 · 3BR $1,392
Fond du Lac, WI
104K people · 1BR $983 · 3BR $1,560
Columbia County, WI
58K people · 1BR $868 · 3BR $1,573
Duluth, MN-WI
281K people · 1BR $961 · 3BR $1,671
Oconto County, WI
40K people · 1BR $844 · 3BR $1,375
Green County, WI
37K people · 1BR $806 · 3BR $1,211
Vernon County, WI
31K people · 1BR $856 · 3BR $1,364
Iowa County, WI
24K people · 1BR $836 · 3BR $1,460
2-bedroom FMR; arrow = change vs FY2026. Sorted by population in Wisconsin. Tap a metro for studio to 4 bedrooms and the income you need.
Rural counties (non-metro)
Show all 45 non-metro counties (A–Z)
Adams County, WI
Studio $851 · 1BR $868 · 3BR $1,269 · 4BR $1,333
Ashland County, WI
Studio $770 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,404 · 4BR $1,543
Barron County, WI
Studio $747 · 1BR $785 · 3BR $1,324 · 4BR $1,700
Bayfield County, WI
Studio $706 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,328 · 4BR $1,333
Buffalo County, WI
Studio $735 · 1BR $779 · 3BR $1,214 · 4BR $1,563
Burnett County, WI
Studio $742 · 1BR $786 · 3BR $1,225 · 4BR $1,500
Clark County, WI
Studio $820 · 1BR $825 · 3BR $1,292 · 4BR $1,450
Crawford County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $931 · 3BR $1,208 · 4BR $1,340
Dodge County, WI
Studio $787 · 1BR $880 · 3BR $1,458 · 4BR $1,464
Door County, WI
Studio $915 · 1BR $969 · 3BR $1,511 · 4BR $1,666
Dunn County, WI
Studio $815 · 1BR $820 · 3BR $1,407 · 4BR $1,742
Florence County, WI
Studio $767 · 1BR $813 · 3BR $1,316 · 4BR $1,453
Forest County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,281 · 4BR $1,362
Grant County, WI
Studio $783 · 1BR $803 · 3BR $1,249 · 4BR $1,694
Green Lake County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,220 · 4BR $1,333
Iron County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $830 · 3BR $1,262 · 4BR $1,604
Jackson County, WI
Studio $706 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,208 · 4BR $1,447
Jefferson County, WI
Studio $842 · 1BR $958 · 3BR $1,635 · 4BR $1,652
Juneau County, WI
Studio $764 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,240 · 4BR $1,333
Lafayette County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $839 · 3BR $1,352 · 4BR $1,560
Langlade County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,208 · 4BR $1,333
Lincoln County, WI
Studio $763 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,304 · 4BR $1,403
Manitowoc County, WI
Studio $770 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,208 · 4BR $1,333
Marinette County, WI
Studio $706 · 1BR $785 · 3BR $1,208 · 4BR $1,518
Marquette County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $822 · 3BR $1,299 · 4BR $1,380
Menominee County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $931 · 3BR $1,364 · 4BR $1,369
Monroe County, WI
Studio $724 · 1BR $833 · 3BR $1,383 · 4BR $1,469
Oneida County, WI
Studio $852 · 1BR $943 · 3BR $1,289 · 4BR $1,445
Pepin County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,403 · 4BR $1,526
Polk County, WI
Studio $781 · 1BR $857 · 3BR $1,437 · 4BR $1,705
Portage County, WI
Studio $750 · 1BR $828 · 3BR $1,283 · 4BR $1,415
Price County, WI
Studio $770 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,215 · 4BR $1,333
Richland County, WI
Studio $706 · 1BR $849 · 3BR $1,283 · 4BR $1,491
Rusk County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,296 · 4BR $1,333
Sauk County, WI
Studio $843 · 1BR $996 · 3BR $1,448 · 4BR $1,577
Sawyer County, WI
Studio $827 · 1BR $832 · 3BR $1,298 · 4BR $1,431
Shawano County, WI
Studio $745 · 1BR $843 · 3BR $1,328 · 4BR $1,333
Taylor County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $788 · 3BR $1,259 · 4BR $1,461
Trempealeau County, WI
Studio $804 · 1BR $810 · 3BR $1,386 · 4BR $1,392
Vilas County, WI
Studio $738 · 1BR $788 · 3BR $1,218 · 4BR $1,343
Walworth County, WI
Studio $905 · 1BR $994 · 3BR $1,625 · 4BR $2,142
Washburn County, WI
Studio $706 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,208 · 4BR $1,333
Waupaca County, WI
Studio $810 · 1BR $815 · 3BR $1,328 · 4BR $1,333
Waushara County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,306 · 4BR $1,512
Wood County, WI
Studio $732 · 1BR $775 · 3BR $1,299 · 4BR $1,357
Big number = 2-bedroom FMR. HUD sets a floor: no 2-bedroom FMR may be below the lower of the state’s or the national non-metro median ($1,014 for FY2027).
Rent affordability check
Income needed at the Wisconsin average
Studio
$941/mo rent + utilities
$37,640/yr
$18.10/hr full-time
1 bedroom
$1,020/mo rent + utilities
$40,800/yr
$19.62/hr full-time
2 bedrooms
$1,251/mo rent + utilities
$50,040/yr
$24.06/hr full-time
3 bedrooms
$1,602/mo rent + utilities
$64,080/yr
$30.81/hr full-time
4 bedrooms
$1,759/mo rent + utilities
$70,360/yr
$33.83/hr full-time
Gross yearly income so that rent plus utilities is 30% of income; hourly = yearly ÷ 2,080 hours.
What a Fair Market Rent is (and is not)
A Fair Market Rent (FMR) is set every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus utilities (except phone, cable and internet) — paid by recent movers into standard-quality, non-luxury rental homes in an area. In other words, about 40% of recently rented units in the area cost less than the FMR and about 60% cost more.
FMRs are not asking rents and not the price of any specific listing. They are built from Census Bureau American Community Survey rents and updated with inflation and trend factors, so they lag the newest listings and smooth out neighborhood differences. HUD uses them to set Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) payment standards and other program rents. Treat them as a solid, official benchmark for a typical modest rental — new listings in popular neighborhoods often cost more.
Questions & answers
What is the average rent in Wisconsin?
Using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents, the population-weighted average for a 2-bedroom in Wisconsin is $1,251 a month including utilities — 29% below the U.S. average of $1,761. A 1-bedroom averages $1,020 and a studio $941.
Where is rent cheapest in Wisconsin?
The lowest FY2027 2-bedroom FMR in Wisconsin is $1,014 in Adams County, WI; the highest is $1,734 in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
How much do I need to earn to rent in Wisconsin?
At the 30% rule, a 2-bedroom at the state-average FMR of $1,251 needs $50,040 a year in gross income (about $24.06 an hour full-time). A 1-bedroom at $1,020 needs $40,800.
Did rent go up in Wisconsin this year?
The population-weighted 2-bedroom FMR in Wisconsin changed 0.0% from FY2026 to FY2027, compared with +1.5% for the U.S.
Is the Fair Market Rent what landlords charge?
Not exactly. It is HUD’s 40th-percentile estimate of rent plus utilities paid by recent movers into standard-quality units — a benchmark for a modest rental. Many listings, especially new or central ones, ask more.
Source: HUD User, FY2027 Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026; Federal Register notice), compared with FY2026 revised FMRs. HUD data is in the public domain. State and U.S. averages are Tachlis calculations weighted by each county’s population as listed in HUD’s file. HUD may revise FMRs for areas that request a reevaluation.
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