Wisconsin
Wisconsin's residential real estate market remains characterized by steady home price growth and persistent inventory constraints across lower and middle price brackets. Sustained buyer demand against approximately 3 to 4 months of available supply continues to push median prices higher while keeping average days on market tight.
Median prices moved up 5.6% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 50 days on market with 3.0 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
13% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 99.2% of asking — demand is running ahead of supply.
unemployment 3.1% · poverty 10.7% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this state — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident. Federal enforcement activity is presented only at the state tier as regional context — never imputed onto any county, city, ZIP, neighborhood or parcel beneath it.
Wisconsin — researched statewide history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 7.9%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this state — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Known as the Cape Cod of the Midwest, featuring 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, five state parks, orchards, and historic lighthouses that drive regional tourism and second-home demand.
Iconic home of the Green Bay Packers and an anchor cultural institution hosting major national sporting events, concerts, and museum tours year-round.
Featuring Santiago Calatrava's Quadracci Pavilion on Lake Michigan, anchoring Milwaukee's downtown cultural corridor, festival grounds, and parkways.
The Waterpark Capital of the World, offering dozens of indoor/outdoor water parks, river gorges, and massive family entertainment resorts.
21 islands on Lake Superior renowned for sea caves, pristine kayaking, historic lighthouses, and remote camping.
Wisconsin overall maintains violent crime rates modestly lower than the national benchmark, though urban concentrations exist primarily within pockets of Milwaukee and Racine. Statewide property crime rates have steadily trended downward over recent multi-year tracking windows.
The state's public education system ranks among the upper tier nationally, characterized by strong high school graduation rates and leading ACT test participation scores. Strong performing districts are clustered around suburban Dane, Waukesha, and Ozaukee counties.
Wisconsin faces negligible wildfire and earthquake exposure, with natural hazards dominated by riverine flooding, severe convective thunderstorms, winter freezes, and localized Great Lakes shoreline erosion. Property insurance remains comparatively affordable compared to coastal states, though severe weather convective storm loss deductibles are increasingly scrutinized.
Economic expansion is spearheaded by healthcare technologies, advanced industrial manufacturing, financial services, and bio-agriculture across the Madison and Milwaukee corridors. Significant investments include Epic Systems expansions in Dane County and mega-scale corporate data center/logistics developments in Racine County.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. Federal (United States (federal)) — Federal General Tax Lien Encumbrance: Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer. Upon the IRS filing a Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) in local county land records under IRC § 6323, it perfects priority against subsequent pur Federal (United States (federal)) — Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Tax Withholding: Imposes an absolute statutory obligation on the transferee/buyer to withhold gross tax from the total amount realized (purchase price) upon disposition and remit it to the IRS within 20 days using Forms 8288 and 8288-A. Rate structure and formula: Base statutory withholding rate is 15% of the gross
The state boasts extensive freshwater recreation along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, over 15,000 inland lakes, and thousands of miles of state trails like the Elroy-Sparta State Trail. Major recreational corridors include Door County's peninsula, the Northwoods lake districts, and premier golf venues such as Whistling Straits and Erin Hills.
Rental demand remains resilient with sub-6% vacancy rates statewide, led by deep student and young professional bases in Madison and Milwaukee. Rental growth has remained moderate but positive, with investor activity concentrated in multi-family infill and build-to-rent suburban communities.
Wisconsin generates approximately $400 billion in gross state product, balanced across industrial machinery, food and dairy manufacturing, biosciences, and insurance. The state maintains low unemployment and steady job creation in advanced manufacturing and healthcare technology.
Major transit and freight arteries center along Interstate 94, I-90, and I-43 connecting Milwaukee and Madison to Chicago and the Twin Cities. Passenger transit is supported by Amtrak's Hiawatha and Borealis routes alongside regional airport facilities at Milwaukee Mitchell (MKE) and Dane County Regional (MSN).
Planning initiatives statewide prioritize workforce housing incentives, brownfield redevelopment in legacy industrial river corridors, and modernizing wastewater/drinking water infrastructure.
Assessments in Wisconsin are governed by local municipal assessors within each city, village, or town under the oversight of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to ensure adherence to statutory full-market-value equalized ratios.
Parcels are subject to school districts, technical college districts, county tax levies, and municipal levies; select areas utilize Tax Incremental Financing (TID/TIF) districts or sanitary districts.
Wisconsin's property insurance market remains stable with solid carrier participation, though severe convective storms and hail have caused steady modest upward adjustments to dwelling coverage premiums.
Net domestic migration has remained moderately flat to slightly positive, with inflows of remote workers and families from high-cost metros such as Chicago offset by out-migration of retirees to Sun Belt destinations.
Wisconsin is strictly a judicial foreclosure state requiring lenders to file a civil action in circuit court. Redemption periods typically range from two to six months depending on property occupancy and whether the lender waives deficiency judgments.
Wisconsin Statute § 709 mandates that residential sellers complete a statutory Real Estate Condition Report disclosing known material defects affecting property value, health, or safety prior to accepting an offer.
Retrieved from Census ACS 5-year profile tables (DP02, DP03, DP04, DP05, B25077, B19013, B25064).
Wisconsin's residential real estate market remains characterized by steady home price growth and persistent inventory constraints across lower and middle price brackets. Sustained buyer demand against approximately 3 to 4 months of available supply continues to push median prices higher while keeping average days on market tight.
applies when — The parcel contains covered multifamily residential dwellings designed and constructed for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 (defined as all dwelling units in buildings with 4 or more units with an elevator, or ground floor dwelling units in buildings with 4 or more units without an elevator).
Imposes mandatory physical structural criteria on the parcel improvements: (1) accessible building entrance on an accessible route, (2) accessible public and common use areas, (3) usable doors for wheelchairs, (4) accessible routes into and through each dwelling unit, (5) light switches, electrical outlets, and environmental controls in accessible locations, (6) reinforced bathroom walls for grab bar installation, and (7) usable kitchens and bathrooms permitting wheelchair maneuvering. Non-conforming improvements require mandatory structural retrofits and subject developers/owners to federal civil actions.
Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(C)); HUD regulations at 24 CFR 100.205.
applies when — The parcel secures a residential mortgage originated before the property owner entered active military service, where the debt is enforced during or within one year after active military service.
Restricts lender foreclosure rights by nullifying any non-judicial foreclosure, sale, or seizure of the residential parcel without a court order or valid written waiver executed by the servicemember during or after active duty. Courts are empowered to stay foreclosure proceedings or adjust loan payments. Foreclosing without a court order constitutes a federal criminal misdemeanor and exposes the lender to civil damages.
50 U.S.C. 3953; codified originally as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, modernized under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-189).
applies when — The residential parcel is owned by a person or entity that has neglected or refused to pay any assessed federal tax liability (income, gift, estate, or payroll tax) after formal demand.
Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer. Upon the IRS filing a Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) in local county land records under IRC § 6323, it perfects priority against subsequent purchasers, mortgagees, and judgment lien creditors. Rate and computation: The lien secures 100% of the underlying unpaid tax assessment, plus compounding interest under IRC § 6621 (the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points) and statutory late-payment penalties under IRC § 6651 (0.5% per month, up to a maximum cap of 25%). No parcel-level homestead exemption exists under federal law against an IRC § 7403 judicial foreclosure or tax collection lien.
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §§ 6321, 6322, 6323.
applies when — The parcel is improved with target residential housing built before 1978 undergoing renovation, repair, or painting activities for compensation that disturb more than 6 sq. ft. of interior painted surface or 20 sq. ft. of exterior painted surface.
Legally prohibits uncertified contractors from performing qualifying physical alterations on the home. Contractors must be EPA-certified and adhere to specific lead-safe containment, containment plastic barriers, HEPA vacuuming, and cleaning verification protocols. Imposes strict recordkeeping burdens and exposes property alterations to federal administrative stop-work orders and civil fines for uncontained lead dust contamination.
Promulgated under TSCA § 402(c)(3) (15 U.S.C. 2682); codified at 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E; fully effective April 22, 2010.
applies when — The parcel contains wetlands, streams, or waterways that meet the definition of 'Waters of the United States' (WOTUS) as delineated under the Clean Water Act.
Prohibits the discharge of dredged or fill material into jurisdictional wetlands or waters without a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Restricts residential site grading, driveway installation, structural foundation expansion, or shoreline bulkheading; unauthorized fill mandates compulsory site restoration and subjects parcel owners to civil penalties exceeding $50,000 per day under 33 U.S.C. 1319.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act), 33 U.S.C. 1344; current delineation criteria governed in accordance with Sackett v. EPA (2023) and conforming federal rulemaking (40 CFR Part 120 / 33 CFR Part 328).
applies when — The residential parcel is listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, or lies within an eligible historic district, and involves an action subject to federal agency funding, permitting, licensing, or mortgage assistance (e.g., HUD/FHA, VA, USDA, or USACE permits).
Federal agencies must assess adverse effects on historic resources prior to approving loans, grants, or permits. Parcel alterations, demolitions, or rehabilitation programs that receive federal assistance are subjected to binding Section 106 consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, restricting unapproved structural modifications or exterior elevation changes.
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (54 U.S.C. 306108, formerly 16 U.S.C. 470f); regulations codified at 36 CFR Part 800.
applies when — The parcel is being purchased or refinanced using FHA-insured Title II financing under the National Housing Act.
Restricts financing eligibility based on parcel and structural criteria: (1) County Loan Limits cap the maximum insurable mortgage balance per parcel based on local median housing costs (ranging from a federal statutory floor of 65% of the national conforming limit up to a statutory ceiling of 150%). (2) Imposes mandatory HUD Minimum Property Standards (MPS; HUD Handbook 4000.1 / 24 CFR Part 200) requiring mandatory appraisal repair escrows or seller cures for deficiencies regarding structural soundness, safety, soil stability, drainage, well/septic separation buffers, and lead paint encapsulation before loan endorsement.
National Housing Act of 1934, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1709); annual loan limit updates promulgated under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA).
applies when — The parcel constitutes a U.S. Real Property Interest (USRPI) transferred or disposed of by a 'foreign person' (non-resident alien individual, foreign corporation, foreign partnership, or foreign trust/estate).
Imposes an absolute statutory obligation on the transferee/buyer to withhold gross tax from the total amount realized (purchase price) upon disposition and remit it to the IRS within 20 days using Forms 8288 and 8288-A. Rate structure and formula: Base statutory withholding rate is 15% of the gross sales price. Residential personal residence exemption computation: (1) If the gross sales price does not exceed $300,000 AND the buyer (or family member) intends to use the parcel as a personal residence for at least 50% of days used during each of the first two 12-month periods, the withholding rate is 0%. (2) If the gross sales price exceeds $300,000 but does not exceed $1,000,000 and meets the same personal residence test, the withholding rate is reduced to 10% of the gross sales price. (3) For all sales exceeding $1,000,000, or where the buyer does not satisfy the personal residence requir
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 1445; enacted via the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, with standard rate increased from 10% to 15% pursuant to the PATH Act of 2015.
applies when — The parcel is improved with 'target housing,' defined as any residential dwelling constructed prior to 1978, except housing for the elderly or persons with disabilities (unless a child under age 6 resides or is expected to reside there) or 0-bedroom dwellings.
Before a purchaser or lessee becomes obligated under any contract to buy or lease, the seller or landlord must: (1) provide an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet ('Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home'), (2) disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards and provide all available records/evaluations, (3) attach a federal Lead Warning Statement and disclosure certification to the contract, and (4) afford buyers a mandatory 10-day mutual inspection period (waivable in writing) to conduct a risk assessment. Failure to comply exposes violators to civil liability, statutory treble damages, and administrative penalties up to statutory maximums per violation.
Enacted under Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 4852d), implemented jointly by EPA and HUD at 40 CFR Part 745 / 24 CFR Part 35.
applies when — The parcel contains an insurable improved structure or manufactured home located within a FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA; 100-year floodplain / 1% annual chance of flood, Zones A or V) in a participating NFIP community, securing a loan made, increased, extended, or renewed by a federally regulated lender or federal agency lender.
Mandates the continuous purchase and maintenance of flood insurance coverage for the term of the mortgage in an amount at least equal to the lesser of: (1) the outstanding principal balance of the loan, (2) the maximum insurable value under the NFIP ($250,000 for residential 1–4 family structures), or (3) the maximum insurable replacement cost value of the structure. If the borrower fails to maintain coverage, the lender must force-place flood insurance at the borrower's expense.
Enacted under the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4012a), significantly strengthened by the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 and the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.
No recorded foreclosure notices for Wisconsin yet. Counties ingest on the scheduled rotation — absence here reads as no recorded notices, not as verified zero distress.