County FMR · HUD FY2026

St. Croix County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for St. Croix County, WI - 47% above the US average.

$1,405
1-bedroom FMR
$1,709
2-bedroom FMR
+1.7%
YoY change
+47%
vs US avg

The verdict

St. Croix is the 1st most expensive of 72 counties in Wisconsin by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #314 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#314
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#1
most expensive of 72 in Wisconsin (2BR)
+61%
vs the state average
$56,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (59.2%); nearby Wisconsin counties range as much as 59% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for St. Croix County, WI. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in St. Croix County, Wisconsin is $1,405 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,709/mo and a studio is $1,242/mo. This is 47% higher than the national average of $959 and 61% above the Wisconsin average of $872.

Rent increased1.7% from FY 2025 ($1,381), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $56,200/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Wisconsin. Population: 93,752. Population grew 7.9% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Wisconsin's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area ST·CROIX·COUNTY·WI·WI

St. Croix County, WI: $1,405/mo 1BR · #314 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA WI
  • 1BR-FMR $1,405
  • 2BR-FMR $1,709
  • RANK-UPPER #314
  • YOY-FLAT +1.7%
  • VSUS-HIGH +47%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +61% WI
  • INC-ROOM 16%
  • POP-MID 94K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Milwaukee County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,265–$1,546
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Milwaukee ($286 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $797 · US avg: $893
$1,242/mo
↑ 1.8% YoY +56% vs state +39% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $872 · US avg: $959
$1,405/mo
↑ 1.7% YoY +61% vs state +47% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,097 · US avg: $1,175
$1,709/mo
↑ 1.4% YoY +56% vs state +45% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,405 · US avg: $1,525
$2,262/mo
↑ 0.8% YoY +61% vs state +48% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,572 · US avg: $1,756
$2,531/mo
↑ 0.7% YoY +61% vs state +44% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,220
$1,242
+$22 (+1.8%)
1 Bedroom $1,381
$1,405
+$24 (+1.7%)
2 Bedroom $1,685
$1,709
+$24 (+1.4%)
3 Bedroom $2,244
$2,262
+$18 (+0.8%)
4 Bedroom $2,513
$2,531
+$18 (+0.7%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in St. Croix County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
14.5%
Affordable
Need $49,680/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.5%
Affordable
Need $56,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
20%
Affordable
Need $68,360/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26.5%
Affordable
Need $90,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.6%
Affordable
Need $101,240/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%20%
St. Croix County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $102,482 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Wisconsin rent burden →

Where St. Croix sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,709 Top 10% higher than 90% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How St. Croix compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Wisconsin counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows St. Croix is highlighted. Nearby Wisconsin counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dane County ($1,482), St. Croix County (this county) ($1,405), Milwaukee County ($1,119), Waukesha County ($1,119), Racine County ($988), Outagamie County ($960), Brown County ($931).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,405/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Wisconsin BLS wages?

Occupation WI Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $113,170 14.9% Affordable
Software Developers $103,360 16.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,070 19.6% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $78,980 21.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,150 21.6% Affordable
Electricians $75,090 22.5% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $60,690 27.8% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $57,380 29.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $56,520 29.8% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $45,980 36.7% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $43,620 38.7% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $36,050 46.8% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $35,850 47% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $33,640 50.1% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,500 59.2% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Wisconsin) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for St. Croix County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for St. Croix (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 44.7% overall, from $971 to $1,405. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.5% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300$1,400$1,500 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,405
St. Croix County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑1.7% $1,242 $1,405 $1,709
FY 2025 ↑4.1% $1,220 $1,381 $1,685
FY 2024 ↑15.5% $1,174 $1,327 $1,622
FY 2023 ↑6.6% $1,007 $1,149 $1,410
FY 2022 ↑2.3% $932 $1,078 $1,329
FY 2021 ↑8.5% $898 $1,054 $1,308
FY 2020 $820 $971 $1,214
Total change (6yr): +44.7%
Annualized: +6.4%/yr
1 BR: $971 → $1,405

Part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metro Area

St. Croix County is a outlying county of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, alongside 14 other metro-area counties.

St. Croix County ranks #13 of 15 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Hennepin County ($1,405), Ramsey County ($1,405), Dakota County ($1,405), Anoka County ($1,405), Washington County ($1,405), Scott County ($1,405), Wright County ($1,405), Carver County ($1,405), Sherburne County ($1,405), Chisago County ($1,405), Pierce County ($1,405), Isanti County ($1,405), St. Croix County (this county) ($1,405), Mille Lacs County ($856), Le Sueur County ($822).

Hennepin County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Ramsey County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Dakota County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Anoka County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Washington County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Scott County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Wright County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Carver County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Sherburne County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Chisago County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Pierce County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Isanti County
1 BR: $1,405/mo
St. Croix County (this county)
1 BR: $1,405/mo
Show all 15 counties in this metro area
Mille Lacs County
1 BR: $856/mo
Le Sueur County
1 BR: $822/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for St. Croix County, both outside Wisconsin so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside WI (FY2026).

Hennepin County
MN · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Brevard County
FL · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Ramsey County
MN · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Dakota County
MN · 2 BR $1,709/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WI).

Stark County
IL · 20% of income · 2 BR $1,039/mo
Harford County
MD · 20% of income · 2 BR $1,857/mo
Howard County
MO · 20% of income · 2 BR $1,044/mo
Owen County
KY · 20% of income · 2 BR $995/mo

Nearby Counties in Wisconsin

Largest counties by population in Wisconsin

Showing the 8 largest of 71 other counties in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee County
1 BR: $1,119/mo Pop: 933,063
Dane County
1 BR: $1,482/mo Pop: 559,891
Waukesha County
1 BR: $1,119/mo Pop: 407,290
Brown County
1 BR: $931/mo Pop: 268,393
Racine County
1 BR: $988/mo Pop: 197,068
Outagamie County
1 BR: $960/mo Pop: 190,611
Winnebago County
1 BR: $889/mo Pop: 171,197
Kenosha County
1 BR: $1,092/mo Pop: 168,693
View all counties in Wisconsin →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in St. Croix County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in St. Croix County is $1,405 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,709 and a studio is $1,242.
How does St. Croix County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in St. Croix County is 47% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,405 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does St. Croix County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, St. Croix County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,709 ranks #314 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in St. Croix County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $56,200 ($4,683/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in St. Croix County.
Is rent going up or down in St. Croix County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in St. Croix County increased by 1.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,381 to $1,405.
Which jobs can afford rent in St. Croix County? ▼
Based on Wisconsin BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,405/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in St. Croix County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in St. Croix County went from $971 in FY 2020 to $1,405 in FY 2026, a total change of +44.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in St. Croix County? ▼
In St. Croix County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,405/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for St. Croix County? ▼
For St. Croix County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,405/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.