How many renters live in Wisconsin?
The State of Wisconsin has 85,784 people living in 35,443 households.
There are 17,436 renters living in 9,101 renter households in this State. Renters make up 20.33 percent of the population living in Wisconsin.
What is the rental market like in Wisconsin?
There are an estimated 36,469 housing units in the Wisconsin area. Of these, 9,648 units are rental homes, making up 26 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Wisconsin, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Wisconsin?
The rental vacancy rate in Wisconsin is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Wisconsin for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Wisconsin
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 284 | 1,969 | 4,486 | 1,890 | 445 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Wisconsin
A large number of apartments in Wisconsin have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Wisconsin are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 36 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 14 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Wisconsin?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 138 | 49 percent |
| One BR | 1,158 | 59 percent |
| Two BR | 2,501 | 56 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Wisconsin
How many affordable rental units are in Wisconsin?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Wisconsin including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 299 |
| Public Housing | 203 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 581 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 19 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 16 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 264 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Wisconsin
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Wisconsin
Wisconsin features 53,932 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Wisconsin
There are 44,307 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Wisconsin.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Wisconsin
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Wisconsin landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Wisconsin.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Wisconsin for a two-bedroom apartment is between $955 and $1,167.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
