Rent Trends / WI
Rent Trends in Wisconsin: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 85 cities in Wisconsin. The average across tracked cities is $1,476/month in 2026, up from $978 in 2015 (+50.9%). That sits $489 below (-24.9% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (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 ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Wisconsin has risen from about $1,182 to $1,476 (+24.9%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +10.0% ($1,342 → $1,476).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Madison (+63.0%, $1,016 → $1,656). 2 of 85 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
- Merrill — $850
- Bellevue — $982
- Neenah — $983
- Sheboygan — $1,011
- Marshfield — $1,040
Highest 2026 rents
- Whitefish Bay — $2,390
- Waunakee — $2,350
- Menomonee Falls — $2,210
- Brookfield — $2,207
- McFarland — $2,022
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 | $939 | $934 | $970 | $989 | $1,011 | $1,048 | $1,090 | $1,174 | $1,251 | $1,321 | $1,380 | $1,469 | +56.4% | |
| Madison | $1,016 | $1,053 | $1,077 | $1,099 | $1,142 | $1,182 | $1,196 | $1,275 | $1,388 | $1,516 | $1,581 | $1,656 | +63.0% | |
| Green Bay | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $937 | $992 | $1,047 | $1,119 | +19.4% | |
| Kenosha | — | — | $978 | $1,015 | $1,098 | $1,123 | $1,137 | $1,207 | $1,349 | $1,440 | $1,523 | $1,637 | +67.4% | |
| Appleton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $900 | $974 | $1,029 | $1,071 | $1,187 | +31.9% | |
| Eau Claire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $968 | $1,103 | $1,113 | $1,158 | $1,214 | +25.4% | |
| Racine | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $900 | $1,011 | $1,079 | $1,115 | $1,180 | +31.1% | |
| Waukesha | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,178 | $1,216 | $1,340 | $1,377 | $1,490 | +26.5% | |
| Oshkosh | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $889 | $979 | $1,039 | $1,103 | $1,208 | +35.9% | |
| La Crosse | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $939 | $978 | $1,047 | $1,080 | +15.0% | |
| Fond du Lac | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $931 | $998 | $1,110 | $1,184 | +27.2% | |
| Janesville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $944 | $1,011 | $1,121 | $1,214 | +28.6% | |
| West Allis | — | — | — | $824 | $853 | $890 | $949 | $1,028 | $1,102 | $1,214 | $1,278 | $1,372 | +66.5% | |
| Wausau | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $878 | $882 | $938 | $1,050 | +19.6% | |
| Sheboygan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $961 | $1,011 | +5.2% | |
| Wauwatosa | — | — | — | — | $1,157 | $1,241 | $1,275 | $1,377 | $1,477 | $1,534 | $1,600 | $1,722 | +48.8% | |
| Brookfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,113 | $2,207 | +4.4% | |
| Beloit | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,105 | $1,159 | $1,291 | +16.8% | |
| New Berlin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,699 | +0.0% | |
| Stevens Point | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,200 | $1,266 | $1,275 | +6.3% | |
| Menomonee Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,210 | +0.0% | |
| Manitowoc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,192 | +0.0% | |
| Greenfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,425 | +0.0% | |
| Franklin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,947 | +0.0% | |
| Oak Creek | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,579 | $1,682 | +6.5% | |
| De Pere | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,565 | +0.0% | |
| Wisconsin Rapids | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,095 | +0.0% | |
| Sun Prairie | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,286 | $1,403 | $1,502 | $1,562 | $1,642 | +27.7% | |
| West Bend | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,250 | $1,425 | +14.0% | |
| Watertown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,166 | +0.0% | |
| Fitchburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,430 | $1,656 | $1,630 | $1,741 | $1,760 | +23.1% | |
| Mount Pleasant | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,680 | +0.0% | |
| Neenah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $832 | $919 | $983 | +18.1% | |
| Menasha | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $996 | $1,171 | +17.6% | |
| Hudson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,756 | $1,897 | +8.0% | |
| Oconomowoc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,797 | $1,862 | +3.6% | |
| Superior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,055 | $1,152 | $1,248 | +18.3% | |
| Marshfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,040 | +0.0% | |
| River Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,422 | $1,440 | $1,513 | +6.4% | |
| Onalaska | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,293 | $1,349 | $1,412 | +9.2% | |
| Muskego | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,384 | +0.0% | |
| Menomonie | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $900 | $948 | $1,011 | $1,052 | +16.9% | |
| Beaver Dam | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,252 | +0.0% | |
| Middleton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,386 | $1,459 | $1,520 | $1,601 | +15.5% | |
| Rhinelander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,095 | +0.0% | |
| Verona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,817 | $1,870 | $1,906 | $2,021 | +11.2% | |
| Howard | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,380 | +0.0% | |
| South Milwaukee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,063 | $1,062 | $1,250 | +17.6% | |
| Chippewa Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,150 | $1,208 | $1,274 | +10.8% | |
| New Richmond | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,600 | +0.0% | |
| Germantown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,717 | +0.0% | |
| Merrill | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $850 | +0.0% | |
| Cedarburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,927 | +0.0% | |
| Baraboo | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,241 | +0.0% | |
| Cudahy | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,386 | +0.0% | |
| Ashwaubenon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,510 | +0.0% | |
| Kaukauna | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,116 | +0.0% | |
| Bellevue | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $982 | +0.0% | |
| Platteville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,181 | +0.0% | |
| Grafton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,783 | +0.0% | |
| Tomah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,298 | +0.0% | |
| Waunakee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,350 | +0.0% | |
| Whitefish Bay | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,390 | +0.0% | |
| Port Washington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,140 | +0.0% | |
| Glendale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,574 | $1,671 | +6.2% | |
| Shorewood | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,316 | $1,356 | +3.0% | |
| Weston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,045 | +0.0% | |
| Brown Deer | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,618 | +0.0% | |
| Somers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,006 | +0.0% | |
| Cottage Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,779 | +0.0% | |
| Oregon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,881 | +0.0% | |
| Plover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,216 | +0.0% | |
| Grand Chute | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,672 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Atkinson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,400 | +0.0% | |
| Monona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,750 | +0.0% | |
| De Forest | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,467 | $1,614 | $1,683 | +14.7% | |
| Stoughton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,678 | +0.0% | |
| Sussex | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,130 | +0.0% | |
| Saint Francis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,632 | $1,803 | +10.5% | |
| Altoona | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,328 | +0.0% | |
| Somerset | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,908 | +0.0% | |
| McFarland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,022 | +0.0% | |
| Saukville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,672 | +0.0% | |
| Deerfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,600 | +0.0% | |
| Edgerton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,300 | +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 85 tracked Wisconsin cities is about $1,476/month, which is $489 below (-24.9% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. 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 $1,965.
What city in Wisconsin has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Merrill is the lowest at about $850/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Bellevue ($982), Neenah ($983), Sheboygan ($1,011).
What city in Wisconsin has the most expensive rent?
Whitefish Bay leads our sample at about $2,390/month in 2026, followed by Waunakee ($2,350) and Menomonee Falls ($2,210).
How much have rents in Wisconsin changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $978 in 2015 to $1,476 in 2026 (+50.9%). 2 of 85 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Madison (+63.0%).
Are rents in Wisconsin still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Wisconsin cities went from about $1,342 to $1,476 (+10.0%). Since 2023 ($1,182), that is +24.9%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.