State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Wisconsin: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Wisconsin county, FY 2026.

18.4%
State avg 2BR burden
0
Counties over 30% (of 72)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Wisconsin

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in Wisconsin. Across the 72 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 18.4%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning Wisconsin sits 3.3 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Wisconsin, 0 of 72 counties (0%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Milwaukee County at 25.8%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,338 eats that share of the local median income of $62,118. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Wisconsin counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Wisconsin and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
18.4%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
0
of 72
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Milwaukee County $1,119 $1,338 21.6% 25.8%
2 Dane County $1,482 $1,694 20.2% 23.1%
3 Pierce County $1,405 $1,709 19% 23.1%
4 Sawyer County $801 $1,051 16.3% 21.4%
5 Kenosha County $1,092 $1,402 16.5% 21.2%
6 Douglas County $978 $1,232 16.2% 20.4%
7 Langlade County $742 $973 15.6% 20.4%
8 Ashland County $742 $973 15.4% 20.3%
9 Rock County $955 $1,246 15.4% 20.1%
10 Rusk County $742 $973 15.3% 20%
11 St. Croix County $1,405 $1,709 16.5% 20%
12 Price County $742 $973 15.2% 19.9%
13 Iron County $758 $973 15.4% 19.8%
14 La Crosse County $889 $1,166 15.1% 19.8%
15 Adams County $818 $973 16.6% 19.7%
16 Eau Claire County $962 $1,181 16.1% 19.7%
17 Racine County $988 $1,235 15.7% 19.7%
18 Menominee County $888 $973 17.9% 19.6%
19 Forest County $742 $973 14.9% 19.5%
20 Fond du Lac County $946 $1,176 15.5% 19.3%
21 Florence County $767 $1,007 14.7% 19.2%
22 Chippewa County $962 $1,181 15.6% 19.1%
23 Door County $870 $1,141 14.5% 19.1%
24 Washburn County $743 $975 14.6% 19.1%
25 Burnett County $742 $974 14.4% 19%
26 Winnebago County $889 $1,149 14.6% 18.9%
27 Walworth County $919 $1,206 14.3% 18.7%
28 Richland County $815 $973 15.6% 18.6%
29 Sheboygan County $888 $1,116 14.8% 18.6%
30 Taylor County $778 $973 14.8% 18.5%
31 Crawford County $888 $973 16.8% 18.4%
32 Marinette County $745 $973 14.1% 18.4%
33 Marquette County $772 $973 14.6% 18.4%
34 Barron County $750 $984 13.9% 18.3%
35 Monroe County $828 $1,036 14.6% 18.2%
36 Grant County $762 $973 14.2% 18.1%
37 Marathon County $889 $1,147 14% 18.1%
38 Brown County $931 $1,164 14.4% 18%
39 Waushara County $742 $973 13.7% 18%
40 Juneau County $742 $973 13.7% 17.9%
41 Outagamie County $960 $1,236 13.9% 17.9%
42 Jackson County $787 $973 14.4% 17.8%
43 Clark County $754 $973 13.7% 17.6%
44 Wood County $742 $973 13.4% 17.6%
45 Dodge County $873 $1,080 14.2% 17.5%
46 Oneida County $887 $1,013 15.3% 17.5%
47 Green Lake County $742 $973 13.3% 17.4%
48 Kewaunee County $931 $1,164 14% 17.4%
49 Shawano County $814 $973 14.6% 17.4%
50 Vilas County $780 $973 13.9% 17.4%
51 Columbia County $911 $1,195 13.2% 17.3%
52 Polk County $836 $1,097 13.2% 17.3%
53 Jefferson County $917 $1,156 13.7% 17.2%
54 Lincoln County $747 $973 13.2% 17.2%
55 Sauk County $951 $1,111 14.7% 17.2%
56 Dunn County $787 $1,024 13.2% 17.1%
57 Buffalo County $742 $973 13% 17%
58 Manitowoc County $742 $973 13% 17%
59 Portage County $794 $1,037 13% 17%
60 Calumet County $960 $1,236 13.1% 16.9%
61 Bayfield County $742 $973 12.8% 16.8%
62 Iowa County $890 $1,168 12.8% 16.8%
63 Vernon County $760 $973 13.1% 16.8%
64 Washington County $1,119 $1,338 14% 16.8%
65 Ozaukee County $1,119 $1,338 13.9% 16.6%
66 Trempealeau County $753 $988 12.7% 16.6%
67 Green County $840 $1,097 12.6% 16.4%
68 Waupaca County $779 $973 13.1% 16.4%
69 Lafayette County $819 $973 13.6% 16.2%
70 Pepin County $742 $973 11.9% 15.7%
71 Oconto County $793 $973 12.5% 15.4%
72 Waukesha County $1,119 $1,338 12.9% 15.4%
National burden rankings → All Wisconsin rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Wisconsin? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Wisconsin is 18.4% of household income. 0 of 72 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Wisconsin are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Milwaukee County at 25.8% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average? ▼
Wisconsin's average rent burden is 18.4% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 3.3 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.