Wisconsin rent guide
The Cheapest Cities to Rent in Wisconsin (June 2026)
Data as of Jun 9, 2026 · 430 rentals across 54 Wisconsin cities
Wisconsin is an affordable Midwest market. The value is in the Fox Valley (Appleton, Neenah) and the outstate cities (Stevens Point, La Crosse, Green Bay, Wausau); the priciest rents are in the affluent western Milwaukee suburbs of Waukesha County (Brookfield, New Berlin). Milwaukee itself runs mid-to-low, and Madison carries a modest university-and-capital premium. We track every apartment we can find and rank the cities below by their typical rent, straight from live listings.
The lowest typical rent right now is in Stevens Point (about $960/mo), while Brookfield sits at the top ($1,695/mo), a narrow gap by national standards. The bedroom count you need takes it from there.
Wisconsin cities by typical rent, cheapest first
| # | City | Typical | From | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stevens Point | $960 | $890 | 5 |
| 2 | La Crosse | $975 | $850 | 19 |
| 3 | Appleton | $1,043 | $850 | 22 |
| 4 | Green Bay | $1,068 | $890 | 14 |
| 5 | Fond du Lac | $1,108 | $975 | 6 |
| 6 | Wausau | $1,148 | $850 | 6 |
| 7 | Neenah | $1,148 | $895 | 6 |
| 8 | De Pere | $1,160 | $1,010 | 5 |
| 9 | West Allis | $1,171 | $1,001 | 5 |
| 10 | West Bend | $1,245 | $1,089 | 7 |
| 11 | Milwaukee | $1,278 | $800 | 58 |
| 12 | Sun Prairie | $1,348 | $1,095 | 16 |
| 13 | Onalaska | $1,355 | $1,180 | 5 |
| 14 | Oshkosh | $1,360 | $1,000 | 15 |
| 15 | Fitchburg | $1,368 | $1,035 | 12 |
| 16 | Madison | $1,373 | $810 | 76 |
| 17 | Eau Claire | $1,378 | $995 | 6 |
| 18 | Kenosha | $1,387 | $1,045 | 11 |
| 19 | Middleton | $1,408 | $1,025 | 10 |
| 20 | Racine | $1,425 | $1,125 | 5 |
| 21 | Greenfield | $1,492 | $1,110 | 8 |
| 22 | Waukesha | $1,515 | $885 | 13 |
| 23 | Wauwatosa | $1,539 | $1,275 | 9 |
| 24 | Sheboygan | $1,545 | $1,200 | 6 |
| 25 | Oak Creek | $1,546 | $1,339 | 9 |
| 26 | New Berlin | $1,635 | $1,250 | 10 |
| 27 | Brookfield | $1,695 | $1,294 | 15 |
How we rank them
“Typical” is the median rent across everything we track in a city, so half the listings are cheaper and half pricier. “From” is the single cheapest unit listed right now. We include cities with at least five live listings and exclude single rooms and senior housing. Small-city medians can swing on a few listings, so the bigger markets are the most stable. Refreshes when our data does (last updated Jun 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in Wisconsin?
By typical (median) rent it's Stevens Point, around $960/mo, then La Crosse and Appleton. The value is in the Fox Valley and the outstate cities (Stevens Point, La Crosse, Appleton, Green Bay), while the affluent western Milwaukee suburbs sit at the top. The ranking rebuilds from live listings, so it moves with the market.
Where is rent most expensive in Wisconsin?
Brookfield tops the list at about $1,695/mo. The priciest rents are in the affluent western Milwaukee suburbs in Waukesha County (Brookfield, New Berlin, Waukesha). Even so, Wisconsin stays affordable next to the coastal metros.
Is Milwaukee or Madison cheaper?
Milwaukee proper tends to run a bit below Madison. Madison carries a premium from the state government and the University of Wisconsin keeping demand high. Both are well below the affluent Waukesha County suburbs west of Milwaukee.
How do I find the cheapest rent in Wisconsin?
Start in the value markets at the top of the table below, filter to the bedroom count you actually need, and sort by price. The single cheapest unit in a city (the "from" price) is often hundreds below the median, so the specific building matters as much as the city.
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