In short
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $294,700 in Wisconsin and $207,900 in the city of Milwaukee, against $360,600 nationwide (Census ACS 2024). On the FHFA index, Wisconsin prices up 4.8% and Milwaukee–Waukesha prices up 6.1% from Q2 2025 to Q2 2026.
What it costs: median value in 2024
| Area | Median value, 2024 | Margin of error (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $360,600 | ±$618 |
| Wisconsin | $294,700 | ±$1,862 |
| Milwaukee–Waukesha metro area | $331,100 | ±$4,616 |
| Milwaukee County | $254,700 | ±$4,553 |
| City of Milwaukee | $207,900 | ±$6,388 |
Source: Census ACS 2024, table B25077; owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
Three points stand out:
- The Wisconsin median is $65,900 below the national median.
- The city of Milwaukee sits $86,800 below the Wisconsin median and $123,200 below the Milwaukee–Waukesha metro median. The suburbs pull the metro figure up.
- The margin of error for the city (±$6,388) is wider than for the state because the sample is smaller. The true city median is very likely between about $201,500 and $214,300.
How prices have moved: the FHFA index
In that release FHFA reported that the East North Central census division, which includes Wisconsin, had the strongest appreciation of the nine divisions, at 4.5% over the year.
| Area | 1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026) | 5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +2.1% | +33.4% |
| Wisconsin | +4.8% | +46.0% |
| Milwaukee–Waukesha metro area | +6.1% | +44.2% |
Source: FHFA HPI, purchase-only, Q2 2026 (release of August 25, 2026); changes by Payotte.
Wisconsin prices rose more than twice as fast as the national index over the past year, and about 46% over five years against 33.4% nationwide. Rising prices on top of a lower starting level is why the state’s median value is still below the national one.
A worked example
Take a Milwaukee-area home worth $200,000 in the second quarter of 2021. Tracking the Milwaukee–Waukesha index exactly, it would have been worth about $288,300 in the second quarter of 2026 (+44.2%). A home worth $300,000 in the second quarter of 2025 would have gained about $18,400 over the following year (+6.1%). A single home can differ widely from the index.
How to use these figures when buying
Related: Wisconsin closing costs guide, buying a home in Milwaukee and Wisconsin first-time buyer programs.
Method and dataset
ACS median value. ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077. Geographies: United States (0100000US), Wisconsin (0400000US55), Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metro Area (310M700US33340), Milwaukee County (0500000US55079), Milwaukee city (1600000US5553000). Read through the data.census.gov API on October 13, 2026.
FHFA index. FHFA HPI (purchase-only, seasonally adjusted), state series (Wisconsin), metro series (Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, CBSA 33340) and U.S. series. Index values used: Wisconsin 452.41 (Q2 2025), 324.73 (Q2 2021) and 474.21 (Q2 2026); Milwaukee–Waukesha 433.83, 319.42 and 460.46; United States 426.58, 326.58 and 435.69.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median home value in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin’s 2024 ACS median home value is $294,700 (±$1,862), against $360,600 for the nation: owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
What is the median home value in Milwaukee?
For the city of Milwaukee, the 2024 ACS median value is $207,900 (±$6,388). Milwaukee County is at $254,700 and the Milwaukee–Waukesha metro area at $331,100.
Are Wisconsin home prices going up or down?
FHFA’s purchase-only index shows Wisconsin prices rose 4.8% over the year to Q2 2026, and the Milwaukee–Waukesha area rose 6.1%. Over five years, they rose 46.0% and 44.2%.
How Wisconsin compares with the other States
Wisconsin ranks 31st of 50 for median home value ($294,700), 18% below the national $360,600.
The States closest in median value are South Carolina ($299,500) and South Dakota ($289,600). The range runs from $170,800 in West Virginia to $875,900 in Hawaii; Wisconsin is $44,800 below the middle of that ranking (Wyoming).
On the FHFA index, Wisconsin prices rose 4.8% over the year to the second quarter of 2026, which places the State 6th of 50, 2.7 points ahead of the national +2.1%. Over five years the gain is +46% (6th of 50; nation +33.4%).
Wisconsin sits in the middle of the pack on at least one of the two measures: 31st for the level, 6th for the one-year change.
Over five years, Wisconsin's +46% annualises to +7.9% a year (nation +5.9%). The latest year (+4.8%) is 3.1 points under that average, a slower pace than the five-year average.
Milwaukee, the main city, has a median of $207,900, 45th of the 49 main cities Payotte covers. That is 29% below the Wisconsin median, a discount that ranks 44th of 49.
The one-year FHFA change runs from -1.2% in New Mexico to +8.3% in Alaska. Wisconsin (+4.8%) is 3.5 points below the top and 6 above the bottom; North Dakota (+4.8%) and Connecticut (+4.7%) are the nearest to it.
For scale, 20% of the Wisconsin median is $58,940, against $72,120 at the national median.
Compare with the other states: Median home price by state.
More Wisconsin guides
- Closing costs in Wisconsin: what buyers and sellers pay
- Wisconsin real estate transfer fee: rate, who pays, exemptions
- Wisconsin property tax: how it works, credits and appeals
- Seller disclosure in Wisconsin: the condition report rules
- Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Wisconsin?
- Foreclosure in Wisconsin: process, timeline and your rights
- First-time buyer programs in Wisconsin: WHEDA and Milwaukee
- How to verify a real estate license in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin marital property and buying a home
Sources
- Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077 (consulted October 13, 2026)
- Census Bureau, 2025 ACS release schedule (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA news release, August 25, 2026 (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA HPI datasets (quarterly, purchase-only) (consulted October 13, 2026)