Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Wisconsin (2026)

We ranked all 35 Wisconsin counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Milwaukee County leads at 4.1%, with a median price of $286,344.

Wisconsin counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Milwaukee County, WI4.1%$286,344$1,507-$606Run numbers
2Kenosha County, WI3.9%$333,954$1,687-$753Run numbers
3Grant County, WI3.9%$228,650$1,144-$523Run numbers
4Wood County, WI3.8%$229,035$1,108-$548Run numbers
5Racine County, WI3.6%$315,015$1,460-$796Run numbers
6Monroe County, WI3.6%$259,950$1,187-$669Run numbers
7Walworth County, WI3.4%$405,546$1,786-$1,085Run numbers
8Portage County, WI3.4%$320,281$1,409-$858Run numbers
9Rock County, WI3.4%$296,846$1,292-$805Run numbers
10Douglas County, WI3.4%$261,006$1,126-$714Run numbers
11Saint Croix County, WI3.3%$415,702$1,747-$1,167Run numbers
12Winnebago County, WI3.3%$304,461$1,278-$856Run numbers
13Manitowoc County, WI3.3%$264,380$1,110-$743Run numbers
14Sheboygan County, WI3.2%$324,244$1,344-$922Run numbers
15Dunn County, WI3.2%$314,232$1,289-$903Run numbers
16La Crosse County, WI3.2%$331,836$1,356-$956Run numbers
17Chippewa County, WI3.1%$320,058$1,286-$937Run numbers
18Oneida County, WI3.0%$322,085$1,255-$968Run numbers
19Fond du Lac County, WI3.0%$291,658$1,128-$882Run numbers
20Dane County, WI3.0%$467,783$1,792-$1,426Run numbers
21Dodge County, WI3.0%$322,574$1,234-$985Run numbers
22Waukesha County, WI2.9%$502,911$1,871-$1,570Run numbers
23Sauk County, WI2.9%$344,270$1,280-$1,075Run numbers
24Ozaukee County, WI2.9%$508,113$1,866-$1,601Run numbers
25Pierce County, WI2.8%$371,522$1,353-$1,179Run numbers
26Outagamie County, WI2.8%$342,897$1,224-$1,104Run numbers
27Jefferson County, WI2.8%$369,355$1,315-$1,191Run numbers
28Marathon County, WI2.7%$277,479$975-$903Run numbers
29Eau Claire County, WI2.7%$322,813$1,117-$1,062Run numbers
30Lincoln County, WI2.6%$243,337$827-$811Run numbers
31Waupaca County, WI2.6%$286,038$963-$958Run numbers
32Polk County, WI2.6%$334,449$1,100-$1,138Run numbers
33Brown County, WI2.5%$355,212$1,125-$1,236Run numbers
34Washington County, WI2.3%$427,931$1,272-$1,544Run numbers
35Calumet County, WI2.0%$377,545$963-$1,466Run numbers

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full Wisconsin market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 35 counties in Wisconsin and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare Wisconsin against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a Wisconsin property

Start from Milwaukee County median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.