Milwaukee home values

Milwaukee
Wisconsin · City report
Typical value $273K · 17 neighborhoods · Values through Aug 2026

Milwaukee at a glance

  • Zillow’s Home Value Index puts the typical home at $272,700 (Aug 2026), +0.3% over the past 12 months and +25% over five years.
  • The Census median home value in Milwaukee is about $219,800 — 21% below Wisconsin overall and 35% below the U.S. median.
  • Median household income is about $56,600; median rent about $1,084/month.
  • Neighborhood values range from $122K to $335K across 5 distinct ZIP codes.
Value trend

Milwaukee home value trend

$273K
Typical value (Aug 2026)
+0.3%
1-year change
+25%
5-year change
+101%
10-year change
Milwaukee typical home value, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026$140K$210K$280K$350K20182020202220242026
MilwaukeeWisconsin

Over the 12 months to Aug 2026, typical home values in Milwaukee were essentially flat, to about $272,700. That is 2.3 percentage points slower than Wisconsin (+2.7%). Over five years the typical home gained $55,200 in value (+25%).

Year-by-year values
MonthTypical valueChange vs year before
Aug 2026$272,700+0.3%
Aug 2025$271,800+5.5%
Aug 2024$257,600+5.3%
Aug 2023$244,800+5.5%
Aug 2022$232,000+6.7%
Aug 2021$217,500+19.4%
Aug 2020$182,100+7.0%
Aug 2019$170,200+6.3%
Aug 2018$160,100+9.9%
Aug 2017$145,600+7.4%
Aug 2016$135,600—

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of mid-tier homes, smoothed & seasonally adjusted. Areas with several ZIPs: population-weighted.

Background

About Milwaukee

Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it had a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, making it the 31st-most populous city in the United States and the fifth-most populous city in the Midwest. The Milwaukee metropolitan area has over 1.57 million residents and ranks as the 40th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of Milwaukee County.

Source: en.wikipedia.org (CC BY-SA)

Value score

Milwaukee home value score

5.9
Value Score / 10
Census-based
from local value, rent & income

In Milwaukee (6 ZIPs), rents are moderate relative to prices, and homes are moderately priced against local incomes.

How the Value Score is built

Rental yield4.2 / 10
Gross annual rent as a share of home value — 5.9% here. Higher means stronger cash flow.
Affordability7.6 / 10
Home value versus local income — 3.9× here. Lower is more affordable.

Computed figures

5.9%
Gross rental yield
3.9×
Price-to-income
−35%
Value vs U.S.

A transparent value snapshot — computed from U.S. Census ACS (2023) for Milwaukee (6 ZIPs): home value, gross rent and household income. It is not a market-timing or appreciation forecast.

Neighborhoods

Milwaukee neighborhoods compared

NameHome value1-yrIncomeRentPrice / income
Bay View$229K+2.5%$80K$1,1452.9×
Brady Street city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Brewers' Hill city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Bronzeville ZIP 53212 · shared$204K+1.1%$43K$1,0384.8×
Downtown$335K−4.4%$84K$1,6714.0×
East Side city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Harambee ZIP 53212 · shared$204K+1.1%$43K$1,0384.8×
Historic Third Ward city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Layton Boulevard West$133K−3.0%$20K$8466.5×
Lincoln Village city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Lindsay Heights$122K+2.8%$30K$8034.0×
Riverwest city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Sherman Park city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Silver City city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Tippecanoe city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Walker's Point city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×
Washington Heights city data$298K−2.0%$68K$1,2344.4×

Home value, income and rent: Census ACS medians; 1-yr: Zillow ZHVI change over 12 months. Tap a column heading to sort.

Comparison

Milwaukee vs Wisconsin and the U.S.

MilwaukeeWisconsinU.S.
Typical value (Zillow, Aug 2026)$272,700$350,200—
1-year change+0.3%+2.7%—
5-year change+25%+28%—
Median home value (Census)$219,800$277,200$340,200
Median household income$56,600$65,800$78,500
Median gross rent$1,084/mo$1,149/mo$1,406/mo
Price-to-income ratio3.9×4.2×4.3×
Gross rental yield5.9%5.0%5.0%
Rent as share of income23%21%21%
Mortgage payment*$1,111/mo$1,402/mo$1,720/mo

Census figures: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates; areas spanning several ZIPs use population-weighted averages of ZIP medians, and city/state columns cover the ZIPs of the places listed on this site. Zillow: ZHVI. *Principal & interest on the Census median value, 20% down, 6.5% fixed, 30 years.

Buying vs renting

What it costs to buy a home in Milwaukee

$273K
Typical price
$55K
Down payment (20%)
$1,379
Monthly P&I
$1,084
Median rent

At today’s typical value of $272,700 (Zillow, Aug 2026), a buyer putting 20% down ($54,540) and financing the rest at 6.5% over 30 years would pay about $1,379 a month in principal and interest — 29% of the median household income here. That is above the common 28% guideline but under 36%, so budgets are stretched but workable for a median earner. The median rent is $1,084/month, so owning costs roughly 27% more per month than renting, before taxes, insurance and upkeep — the trade-off is building equity.

Estimate only: excludes property tax, insurance, HOA and PMI, which vary by property. Incomes and rents are the latest Census (ACS 2023) figures. Run your own numbers in the estimator below.

Take-aways

What this means for buyers, sellers and investors in Milwaukee

Buyers

At 3.9× local income, prices are moderate — compare a few nearby areas before committing.

Sellers

Values are up 0.3% on the year, so recent sales support your price — and get a home-specific estimate: condition and size move the number more than the area average.

Investors

A gross rental yield of 5.9% is middling — returns depend on buying below the typical price or adding value.

Common questions

Milwaukee real estate FAQ

Are home prices going up in Milwaukee?

Roughly flat — the Zillow Home Value Index for Milwaukee rose 0.3% in the 12 months to Aug 2026, to about $272,700. Wisconsin changed +2.7% over the same period. Over five years values are +25%.

What is the typical home value in Milwaukee?

The median owner-occupied home in Milwaukee is valued at about $219,800 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 2023 5-year estimates — 35% below the U.S. median and 21% below Wisconsin. Zillow’s more current index puts the typical home at about $272,700.

Is Milwaukee affordable?

Homes cost about 3.9× the median household income of $56,600, which is moderately priced. At today’s typical value of about $272,700, principal and interest would take about 29% of that income.

How much is rent in Milwaukee?

Median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is about $1,084 a month, 23% below the U.S. median, or 23% of the median household income.

Is Milwaukee good for rental property investment?

The gross rental yield — a year of median rent divided by the typical home value — is 5.9%. That is average; returns depend on the purchase price and costs.

What is the most affordable neighborhood in Milwaukee?

Among Milwaukee neighborhoods with their own ZIP-level data, Lindsay Heights has the lowest median home value at about $122,100.

What is the most expensive neighborhood in Milwaukee?

Downtown has the highest median home value, about $334,600.

Where are home values rising fastest in Milwaukee?

Lindsay Heights, where the Zillow Home Value Index changed +2.8% over the past 12 months.

Where is the best rental yield in Milwaukee?

Lindsay Heights, where a year of median rent equals about 7.9% of the median home value.
Your home

What’s your Milwaukee home worth?

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Estimates are informational only and are not an appraisal.

Other cities

Other cities in Wisconsin

Methodology

About this data

Data last updated: September 2026.

Current values and trends use the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) — the typical value of mid-tier homes, smoothed and seasonally adjusted — through Aug 2026. It is refreshed monthly.

Median values, incomes, rents, housing stock and commutes come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates at ZIP Code Tabulation Area level. City and state figures are population-weighted averages of their ZIPs.

The Value Score (0–10) blends gross rental yield and price-to-income affordability. It is a value snapshot, not a forecast.

Mortgage figures assume 20% down and a 6.5% fixed 30-year loan, principal and interest only.

These are area-level statistics, not an appraisal of any individual property, and not financial advice.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS · Zillow ZHVI.