WI · #20 by population

Buying a home in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $316,500 (Census ACS 2025); the state tax on the sale comes to $950, and owners pay a median $3,792 a year in property tax (1.42% effective rate).

In short

Wisconsin taxes property sales through its real estate transfer fee, does not require an attorney at closing and requires a seller disclosure form. It forecloses through the courts and is a community property state.

Key figures for Wisconsin

  • Median home value: $316,500, owner-occupied homes, Census ACS 2025; $228,600 in the city of Milwaukee. Compare
  • Price trend: The FHFA House Price Index shows Wisconsin prices up 4.8% and Milwaukee–Waukesha prices up 6.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.
  • State transfer tax: $0.30 per $100 of value or fraction of $100 ($3 per $1,000); $949.50 on $316,500. Compare
  • Median property tax paid: $3,792 a year, 1.42% of the median value (U.S.: 0.94%), Census ACS 2020-2024. By county
  • Cities covered by Payotte: 4 in Wisconsin.

Calculate for Wisconsin

If you buy

Wisconsin state transfer tax

Real estate transfer fee (Wis. Stat. 77.22): $0.30 per $100 of value or fraction of $100 ($3 per $1,000). Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$316,500
State transfer tax$949.50
Share of the price0.3% of the price
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Wisconsin median value of owner-occupied homes, $316,500 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Divide the value (full price including any lien) by $100, round up to the next whole unit, multiply by $0.30. The county keeps 20% and sends 80% to the state. Who pays: By statute the fee is imposed on the grantor, the seller; the purchase contract may say otherwise. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Wisconsin transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Wisconsin state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Cities in Wisconsin

  • Milwaukee main city of Wisconsin on Payotte, 40th largest U.S. metro area
  • Madison 85th largest U.S. metro area
  • Green Bay 106,311 residents, Green Bay, WI metro area (161st largest)
  • Kenosha 99,578 residents, Kenosha, WI metro area (264th largest)

Sectors of Milwaukee

How Milwaukee is divided: 10 most populous of 190 neighborhoods.

Buying in Wisconsin: frequently asked questions

What is the median home value in Wisconsin?

The median value of owner-occupied homes in Wisconsin is $316,500 (Census ACS 2025), and $228,600 in the city of Milwaukee. These are owner estimates, not sale prices. The FHFA House Price Index shows Wisconsin prices up 4.8% and Milwaukee–Waukesha prices up 6.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.

Median home value in all 50 states

Is there a real estate transfer tax in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin charges a real estate transfer fee of 30 cents per $100 of value, or $3 per $1,000, and the law puts it on the grantor, the seller. On a $207,900 sale it is $623.70, collected by the register of deeds at recording.

Full Wisconsin guide · Compare all 50 states

How much is the state transfer tax on a $316,500 home in Wisconsin?

On $316,500, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Wisconsin (Census ACS 2025), the state real estate transfer fee comes to $949.50 ($0.30 per $100 of value or fraction of $100 ($3 per $1,000)). County and city taxes are not included.

Full Wisconsin guide · Compare all 50 states

What closing costs does Wisconsin law set?

Wisconsin has no official typical closing-cost total. The state real estate transfer fee is $3 per $1,000, owed by the seller ($623.70 on Milwaukee's $207,900 median home value), and the register of deeds charges $30 to record any document.

Full Wisconsin guide · Compare all 50 states

How is property tax calculated in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin assessors value homes at full market value as of January 1. For the 2025 levy the Department of Revenue reports an average effective rate of 2.078% in the city of Milwaukee versus 1.338% statewide.

Full Wisconsin guide · Compare all 50 states

How much property tax do homeowners pay in Wisconsin?

Owner-occupants in Wisconsin pay a median $3,792 a year in property tax on a median home value of $266,500, an effective rate of 1.42% (U.S.: $3,119, 0.94%), per Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates.

Property tax by county in Wisconsin

What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin, give the municipal clerk notice at least 48 hours before the board of review's first meeting (it meets during a 45-day period beginning the fourth Monday of April) and file a written objection within the first two hours of that meeting.

Full Wisconsin guide · Compare all 50 states

Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Wisconsin?

None of the Wisconsin statutes read requires a lawyer to buy or sell a home, but a real estate licensee may not advise on the legal effect of a specific contract or conveyance or on title (Wis. Stat. 452.40).

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What must a home seller disclose in Wisconsin?

A Wisconsin owner selling a home of one to four units must give the buyer a completed Real Estate Condition Report within 10 days after the contract is accepted (Wis. Stat. 709.02).

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How does foreclosure work in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin mortgage foreclosure is judicial: the lender sues and the court enters a judgment of foreclosure and sale.

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What first-time home buyer programs does Wisconsin offer?

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) pairs a first mortgage with a second loan of up to 6% of the price (Easy Close).

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Is Wisconsin a community property state?

Wisconsin is a community property state, and its version is called marital property: all property of spouses is presumed marital, and each spouse owns an undivided one-half interest (s. 766.31).

Full Wisconsin guide · Compare all 50 states

How much tax when you sell a home in Wisconsin?

The federal rule is the same in Wisconsin as in every state: if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded, $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (Section 121, IRS Publication 523). Bought $400,000, sold $750,000: a single owner has $100,000 of taxable gain, $15,000 of federal tax at the 15% long-term rate; a couple filing jointly owes nothing. Wisconsin income tax on the gain is not computed here.

Capital gains on a home sale

Wisconsin guides

Professionals in Wisconsin

Sources

Data as of . Figures are computed from these sources.

All states · Federal guides