State ranking · HUD FMR
Wisconsin: Most Expensive Counties
The highest-cost counties in Wisconsin by 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY 2026.
- $1,482
- Priciest 1BR - Dane County
- $872
- WI avg 1BR
- 50
- Counties ranked
The most expensive county for rent in Wisconsin is Dane County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $1,482/mo, which is 70% above the state average of $872. The national average 1-bedroom FMR is $959.
What "most expensive" really means for Wisconsin renters
These rankings come straight from HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, which reports the 40th percentile of gross rents (utilities included, except telephone) for every county in Wisconsin. The top entry is Dane County with a 1-bedroom at $1,482, a studio at $1,268, 2-bedroom at $1,694, 3-bedroom at $2,236, and 4-bedroom at $2,509. Because HUD sets FMR per county (or per metro FMR area), these figures are the ceilings local housing authorities use to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically between 90% and 110% of FMR, which means they also approximate the moderate end of each county's documented rental market.
Compared with the Wisconsin state average of $872 for a 1-bedroom, the most expensive county is 70% above the state benchmark, and 55% above the US average of $959. High-rent counties almost always cluster in dense metropolitan FMR areas where housing supply is constrained, transit access is strong, and local wages support premium rents, which is also why voucher recipients frequently find fewer units at payment-standard rates in these counties without the help of HUD's Small Area FMR program. The ranking across all 50 counties shows the intra-state spread: moving between a top-ranked county and a mid-ranked one can mean hundreds of dollars per month in baseline rent before any amenity premium.
For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says a household needs roughly $59,280/year to afford the most expensive 1-bedroom FMR in Wisconsin without being cost-burdened, well above the $34,880/year needed to afford the state average. That gap translates directly into rent-burden rates: counties at the top of this list tend to have the highest share of households paying more than 30% of income for rent, and the highest share of severely burdened renters (above 50% of income). Pair this ranking with the year-over-year FMR growth and rent burden pages to see whether today's most expensive counties are still tightening, or whether lower-ranked counties are catching up fastest.
Top 50 Most Expensive Counties in Wisconsin
| # | County | 1-BR | 2-BR | 3-BR | vs State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dane County | $1,482 | $1,694 | $2,236 | +70% |
| 2 | Pierce County | $1,405 | $1,709 | $2,262 | +61% |
| 3 | St. Croix County | $1,405 | $1,709 | $2,262 | +61% |
| 4 | Milwaukee County | $1,119 | $1,338 | $1,648 | +28% |
| 5 | Ozaukee County | $1,119 | $1,338 | $1,648 | +28% |
| 6 | Washington County | $1,119 | $1,338 | $1,648 | +28% |
| 7 | Waukesha County | $1,119 | $1,338 | $1,648 | +28% |
| 8 | Kenosha County | $1,092 | $1,402 | $1,899 | +25% |
| 9 | Racine County | $988 | $1,235 | $1,592 | +13% |
| 10 | Douglas County | $978 | $1,232 | $1,689 | +12% |
| 11 | Chippewa County | $962 | $1,181 | $1,582 | +10% |
| 12 | Eau Claire County | $962 | $1,181 | $1,582 | +10% |
| 13 | Calumet County | $960 | $1,236 | $1,701 | +10% |
| 14 | Outagamie County | $960 | $1,236 | $1,701 | +10% |
| 15 | Rock County | $955 | $1,246 | $1,596 | +10% |
| 16 | Sauk County | $951 | $1,111 | $1,404 | +9% |
| 17 | Fond du Lac County | $946 | $1,176 | $1,522 | +8% |
| 18 | Brown County | $931 | $1,164 | $1,545 | +7% |
| 19 | Kewaunee County | $931 | $1,164 | $1,545 | +7% |
| 20 | Walworth County | $919 | $1,206 | $1,517 | +5% |
| 21 | Jefferson County | $917 | $1,156 | $1,530 | +5% |
| 22 | Columbia County | $911 | $1,195 | $1,645 | +4% |
| 23 | Iowa County | $890 | $1,168 | $1,535 | +2% |
| 24 | La Crosse County | $889 | $1,166 | $1,515 | +2% |
| 25 | Marathon County | $889 | $1,147 | $1,511 | +2% |
| 26 | Winnebago County | $889 | $1,149 | $1,543 | +2% |
| 27 | Crawford County | $888 | $973 | $1,167 | +2% |
| 28 | Menominee County | $888 | $973 | $1,314 | +2% |
| 29 | Sheboygan County | $888 | $1,116 | $1,351 | +2% |
| 30 | Oneida County | $887 | $1,013 | $1,215 | +2% |
| 31 | Dodge County | $873 | $1,080 | $1,454 | +0% |
| 32 | Door County | $870 | $1,141 | $1,386 | -0% |
| 33 | Green County | $840 | $1,097 | $1,315 | -4% |
| 34 | Polk County | $836 | $1,097 | $1,357 | -4% |
| 35 | Monroe County | $828 | $1,036 | $1,360 | -5% |
| 36 | Lafayette County | $819 | $973 | $1,353 | -6% |
| 37 | Adams County | $818 | $973 | $1,236 | -6% |
| 38 | Richland County | $815 | $973 | $1,167 | -7% |
| 39 | Shawano County | $814 | $973 | $1,245 | -7% |
| 40 | Sawyer County | $801 | $1,051 | $1,260 | -8% |
| 41 | Portage County | $794 | $1,037 | $1,243 | -9% |
| 42 | Oconto County | $793 | $973 | $1,272 | -9% |
| 43 | Dunn County | $787 | $1,024 | $1,363 | -10% |
| 44 | Jackson County | $787 | $973 | $1,167 | -10% |
| 45 | Vilas County | $780 | $973 | $1,167 | -11% |
| 46 | Waupaca County | $779 | $973 | $1,283 | -11% |
| 47 | Taylor County | $778 | $973 | $1,245 | -11% |
| 48 | Marquette County | $772 | $973 | $1,247 | -11% |
| 49 | Florence County | $767 | $1,007 | $1,241 | -12% |
| 50 | Grant County | $762 | $973 | $1,213 | -13% |
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Methodology
Rankings are based on FY 2026 Fair Market Rents (FMR) published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FMR represents the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality units in a given area. Counties are ranked by 1-bedroom FMR in descending order. "vs State Avg" compares each county's 1-bedroom FMR to the Wisconsin average.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.