Housing
Low inventory and high costs have left the dream of homeownership out of reach for many Wisconsinites. Here we present data, stories, and solutions from the frontlines of Wisconsin’s housing crisis.
Research & Journalism
Unlike many places in Wisconsin, there is no housing crisis in the Village of Hobart because its leaders have done something developers say is exceedingly rare — making it as easy and predictable as possible for them to do business there.
Those who staff emergency medical services in Door County, WI can’t easily afford to live there… and there’s little sign that things are soon to get better.
Wisconsin residents report the increasing strain of trying to afford a home. These experiences are borne out by market data showing more Wisconsin residents priced out of homeownership.
First in a series on housing in the Badger State, Out of reach: Wisconsin’s housing…
Vice President Kamala Harris’ new housing down payment assistance proposal, which would give $25,000 to qualifying first-time home buyers, would dramatically increase housing prices, particularly in Midwestern metro areas such as Milwaukee, according to a new study by scholars at the American Enterprise Institute.
“There are communities that have decided they just don’t want to grow,” said Chad Lawler, who heads the Madison Area Builders Association.
By the Numbers
The creation of new real estate lots in Wisconsin is down 74% from its high 20 years ago.
Despite a slight recent uptick, Wisconsin’s housing inventory in October of 2024 was 64% lower than its value during the same month in 2016.
Wisconsin has fluctuated within a narrow band between 64% and 74% homeownership rate over the past four decades.
