Rent Trends / WI
Rent Trends in Wisconsin: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 86 cities in Wisconsin. The average across tracked cities is $1,511/month in 2026, up from $964 in 2015 (+56.7%). That sits $451 below (-23.0% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (June 2026)
What the Wisconsin rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Wisconsin from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Wisconsin and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Wisconsin has risen from about $1,175 to $1,511 (+28.6%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +13.5% ($1,331 → $1,511).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Madison (+62.3%, $999 → $1,621). 2 of 86 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Wisconsin
Lowest 2026 rents
- Seymour — $815
- Bellevue — $993
- Neenah — $1,020
- Wausau — $1,029
- Two Rivers — $1,048
Highest 2026 rents
- Elm Grove — $3,738
- Mequon — $2,630
- Cedarburg — $2,219
- Delafield — $2,200
- Brookfield — $2,174
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Wisconsin cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | $929 | $924 | $960 | $978 | $1,000 | $1,037 | $1,078 | $1,160 | $1,236 | $1,307 | $1,364 | $1,458 | +56.9% | |
| Madison | $999 | $1,036 | $1,059 | $1,080 | $1,122 | $1,161 | $1,175 | $1,253 | $1,363 | $1,490 | $1,553 | $1,621 | +62.3% | |
| Green Bay | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $910 | $964 | $1,018 | $1,083 | +19.0% | |
| Kenosha | — | — | $973 | $1,009 | $1,088 | $1,117 | $1,133 | $1,209 | $1,344 | $1,436 | $1,520 | $1,649 | +69.5% | |
| Appleton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $900 | $976 | $1,031 | $1,073 | $1,195 | +32.8% | |
| Eau Claire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $900 | $1,026 | $1,034 | $1,078 | $1,127 | +25.2% | |
| Racine | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $904 | $1,014 | $1,082 | $1,124 | $1,200 | +32.7% | |
| Waukesha | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,202 | $1,241 | $1,370 | $1,403 | $1,509 | +25.5% | |
| Oshkosh | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $886 | $972 | $1,030 | $1,095 | $1,201 | +35.6% | |
| La Crosse | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $947 | $985 | $1,054 | $1,089 | +15.0% | |
| Fond du Lac | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $953 | $1,020 | $1,129 | $1,201 | +26.0% | |
| Janesville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $937 | $1,006 | $1,109 | $1,216 | +29.8% | |
| West Allis | — | — | — | $797 | $825 | $861 | $918 | $994 | $1,068 | $1,178 | $1,240 | $1,332 | +67.1% | |
| Wausau | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $860 | $864 | $920 | $1,029 | +19.7% | |
| Sheboygan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,001 | $1,068 | +6.7% | |
| Wauwatosa | — | — | — | — | $1,116 | $1,198 | $1,229 | $1,323 | $1,423 | $1,482 | $1,546 | $1,686 | +51.1% | |
| Brookfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,084 | $2,174 | +4.3% | |
| Beloit | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,135 | $1,192 | $1,337 | +17.8% | |
| New Berlin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,649 | +0.0% | |
| Stevens Point | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,200 | $1,268 | $1,301 | +8.4% | |
| Menomonee Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,128 | +0.0% | |
| Manitowoc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,094 | +0.0% | |
| Greenfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,575 | +0.0% | |
| Franklin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,968 | +0.0% | |
| Oak Creek | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,651 | $1,776 | +7.6% | |
| De Pere | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,415 | +0.0% | |
| Wisconsin Rapids | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,094 | +0.0% | |
| Sun Prairie | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,298 | $1,417 | $1,515 | $1,573 | $1,659 | +27.8% | |
| West Bend | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,195 | $1,398 | +17.0% | |
| Watertown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,289 | +0.0% | |
| Fitchburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,399 | $1,619 | $1,595 | $1,702 | $1,715 | +22.6% | |
| Mount Pleasant | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,703 | +0.0% | |
| Neenah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $859 | $954 | $1,020 | +18.7% | |
| Menasha | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $992 | $1,215 | +22.5% | |
| Hudson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,641 | $1,797 | +9.5% | |
| Oconomowoc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,756 | $1,858 | +5.8% | |
| Superior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $943 | $1,033 | $1,144 | +21.3% | |
| Marshfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,196 | +0.0% | |
| River Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,396 | $1,413 | $1,490 | +6.7% | |
| Onalaska | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,278 | $1,334 | $1,406 | +10.0% | |
| Menomonie | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $991 | $1,042 | $1,108 | $1,162 | +17.3% | |
| Mequon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,630 | +0.0% | |
| Beaver Dam | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,276 | +0.0% | |
| Middleton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,359 | $1,424 | $1,486 | $1,564 | +15.1% | |
| Rhinelander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,170 | +0.0% | |
| Verona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,850 | $1,913 | $1,940 | $2,065 | +11.6% | |
| Howard | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,624 | +0.0% | |
| South Milwaukee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,017 | $1,005 | $1,154 | +13.5% | |
| Chippewa Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,235 | $1,301 | $1,372 | +11.1% | |
| New Richmond | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,604 | +0.0% | |
| Germantown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,662 | +0.0% | |
| Cedarburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,219 | +0.0% | |
| Baraboo | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,258 | +0.0% | |
| Cudahy | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,332 | +0.0% | |
| Ashwaubenon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,355 | +0.0% | |
| Bellevue | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $993 | +0.0% | |
| Grafton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,755 | +0.0% | |
| Delafield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,200 | +0.0% | |
| Tomah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,233 | +0.0% | |
| Waunakee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,124 | +0.0% | |
| Greendale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,073 | +0.0% | |
| Whitefish Bay | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,956 | +0.0% | |
| Two Rivers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,048 | +0.0% | |
| Reedsburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,408 | +0.0% | |
| Glendale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,573 | $1,664 | +5.8% | |
| Shorewood | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,336 | $1,374 | +2.8% | |
| Antigo | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,212 | +0.0% | |
| Brown Deer | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,679 | +0.0% | |
| Cottage Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,738 | +0.0% | |
| Plover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,371 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Atkinson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,358 | +0.0% | |
| Monona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,699 | +0.0% | |
| De Forest | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,503 | $1,649 | $1,737 | +15.6% | |
| Stoughton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,644 | +0.0% | |
| Saint Francis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,492 | $1,693 | +13.5% | |
| Hartland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,600 | +0.0% | |
| Altoona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,113 | +0.0% | |
| Elkhorn | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,545 | +0.0% | |
| McFarland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,957 | +0.0% | |
| Blue Mounds | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,350 | +0.0% | |
| Elm Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,738 | +0.0% | |
| Saukville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,598 | +0.0% | |
| Seymour | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $815 | +0.0% | |
| Deerfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,725 | +0.0% | |
| Edgerton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,283 | +0.0% | |
| Cross Plains | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,721 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Wisconsin rent
Is Wisconsin cheap to rent in 2026?
Yes — relative to the national market. The average rent across 86 tracked Wisconsin cities is about $1,511/month, which is $451 below (-23.0% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. That is a city-average in our sample, not a single statewide ZORI print, but it is a clear signal that Wisconsin screens cheaper than the U.S. typical $1,962.
What city in Wisconsin has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Seymour is the lowest at about $815/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Bellevue ($993), Neenah ($1,020), Wausau ($1,029).
What city in Wisconsin has the most expensive rent?
Elm Grove leads our sample at about $3,738/month in 2026, followed by Mequon ($2,630) and Cedarburg ($2,219).
How much have rents in Wisconsin changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $964 in 2015 to $1,511 in 2026 (+56.7%). 2 of 86 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Madison (+62.3%).
Are rents in Wisconsin still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Wisconsin cities went from about $1,331 to $1,511 (+13.5%). Since 2023 ($1,175), that is +28.6%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.