Editor’s Note: This is not investment advice, and we are not financial advisers.
Suppose real estate is the most significant investment a majority of people make in their lifetime. In that case, it’s best to understand the places in Wisconsin with best potential return on investment.
After working in real estate adjacent roles for over a decade, I had the hypothesis that the best place to buy for a return on investment would be up-and-coming cities. Smaller cities where crime might be high now, but people still move to.
To test my hypothesis, we are going to look at places in Wisconsin that are growing faster than average, but where home prices are below average, and crime rates are higher than average.
In everyday terms, these might be “deals”. The best deal in Wisconsin at the moment according to Saturday Night Science? That would be Dodgeville.
0.6% population growth · -2.3% home price growth
Data | Movers
1.1% population growth · 1.2% home price growth
Mayville is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Rock River and the Horicon Marsh. The population was 5,154 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.3% population growth · 2.9% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1.6% population growth · 2.2% home price growth
Richland Center is a city in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States, which also serves as the county seat. The population was 5,184 at the 2010 census.
Data | Movers
1.2% population growth · 1.0% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1.4% population growth · 2.1% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
-0.1% population growth · 3.5% home price growth
Located in
Dodge County, Wisconsin
Columbus is a city in Columbia and Dodge Counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census. All of this population resided in the Columbia County portion of the city. Columbus is located about 28 miles northeast of Madison on the Crawfish River. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. Nearly all of the city is located within the town of Columbus in Columbia County, though a small portion lies within the town of Elba in Dodge County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.4% population growth · -0.0% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.2% population growth · 3.2% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1.2% population growth · 2.2% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Wisconsin’s statewide median.
Wisconsin statewide median: $330,171
On the map
Where Wisconsin’s best buys are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine the best places to buy a home in Wisconsin for 2026?
We were in real estate for almost five years and have worked on this site for over a decade. Suffice it to say we’ve put a lot of thought into finding an excellent place to buy a home.
So all that thinking has come to this moment where we get to spell out how we’d approach finding an up-and-coming place to live in Wisconsin. Put differently, the analysis will try to find places in Wisconsin with undervalued homes relative to pent-up demand using Saturday Night Science.
To do that, we looked at the most recent American Community Survey Census data for 2020-2024 and compared it to the previous vintage. Specifically, we used the following criteria:
- Y-o-Y Change In Population (People want to live here)
- Y-o-Y Change In Median Home Prices (People are willing to pay for it)
- Home Prices Relative To The State Average (It’s still kinda cheap)
We want places that are growing, have seen home prices increase in recent years, and are still “cheap” for Wisconsin, with these caveats: home prices had to be within 20% of the state average, home prices increased in the last year, and the city had above 5,000 people.
So of the 773 cities and towns in Wisconsin, only 146 places made it through our initial filters to even be considered.
We then ranked each place from 1 to 146 for the above criteria, with 1 being the best. We averaged the rankings to create a “best place to buy” index, with the place having the lowest index being the best.
Turns out that Dodgeville is the best potential gem in the not-so-rough in the Badger State. The median Wisconsin home is 50 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Best Places To Buy A Home In Wisconsin
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Home Price | Population Change | Home Price Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgeville | 5,042 | $328,873 | 0.6% | -2.3% |
| 2 | Mayville | 5,228 | $267,719 | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| 3 | Summit | 5,114 | $752,619 | 2.3% | 2.9% |
| 4 | Richland Center | 5,109 | $186,795 | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| 5 | West Salem | 5,330 | $370,540 | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| 6 | Union Grove | 5,036 | $328,655 | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| 7 | Columbus | 5,488 | $311,071 | -0.1% | 3.5% |
| 8 | North Fond du Lac | 5,392 | $192,156 | 0.4% | -0.0% |
| 9 | Bristol | 5,207 | $641,622 | 0.2% | 3.2% |
| 10 | Rothschild | 5,600 | $253,442 | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| 11 | Evansville | 5,782 | $358,801 | 0.2% | 1.8% |
| 12 | Berlin | 5,562 | $204,328 | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| 13 | Slinger | 6,307 | $463,134 | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| 14 | Waterford | 5,692 | $432,513 | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| 15 | Edgerton | 6,014 | $294,921 | 1.5% | -0.1% |
| 16 | Milton | 5,706 | $347,048 | 0.4% | 2.4% |
| 17 | Prairie du Chien | 5,491 | $212,912 | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| 18 | Waupaca | 6,283 | $319,370 | -0.5% | 2.3% |
| 19 | Lake Mills | 6,470 | $420,977 | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| 20 | Twin Lakes | 6,309 | $394,923 | -0.7% | 3.6% |
| 21 | Elm Grove | 6,459 | $672,840 | 0.5% | 2.3% |
| 22 | Sturtevant | 6,772 | $281,361 | -0.2% | 1.5% |
| 23 | Fox Point | 6,683 | $547,714 | -0.9% | 2.9% |
| 24 | Lake Hallie | 7,285 | $361,887 | 0.6% | 4.3% |
| 25 | Kimberly | 7,447 | $281,682 | 0.2% | 2.1% |
| 26 | Cottage Grove | 8,513 | $474,956 | 7.7% | 2.3% |
| 27 | New London | 7,726 | $282,581 | 3.1% | 0.9% |
| 28 | Jackson | 8,003 | $416,165 | 1.5% | 2.0% |
| 29 | Mount Horeb | 7,736 | $481,815 | 0.2% | 1.0% |
| 30 | Delafield | 7,202 | $741,321 | 0.1% | 1.0% |
| 31 | Hales Corners | 7,689 | $402,132 | 0.8% | 3.5% |
| 32 | Rhinelander | 8,316 | $254,838 | 0.8% | -3.0% |
| 33 | Altoona | 8,878 | $327,629 | 1.5% | -2.6% |
| 34 | Antigo | 8,069 | $172,827 | 0.1% | -1.7% |
| 35 | Ripon | 7,772 | $224,704 | -0.4% | 2.1% |
| 36 | Ashland | 7,902 | $192,123 | 0.2% | -4.5% |
| 37 | Lake Geneva | 8,521 | $411,280 | 0.9% | 3.7% |
| 38 | Kronenwetter | 8,395 | $330,175 | -0.3% | 1.3% |
| 39 | Sheboygan Falls | 8,547 | $328,448 | 4.4% | 0.5% |
| 40 | Jefferson | 7,732 | $337,202 | 0.1% | 1.9% |
| 41 | Pewaukee | 8,196 | $557,877 | -0.5% | 1.4% |
| 42 | Monona | 8,527 | $468,106 | -0.9% | 0.8% |
| 43 | Mukwonago | 8,415 | $487,932 | 0.0% | 1.6% |
| 44 | Delavan | 8,689 | $329,932 | 1.9% | 3.4% |
| 45 | Rice Lake | 9,030 | $271,838 | 0.0% | -1.9% |
| 46 | Plymouth | 8,890 | $336,696 | -0.3% | -0.1% |
| 47 | McFarland | 9,160 | $485,872 | -0.8% | 1.5% |
| 48 | Sturgeon Bay | 9,806 | $375,223 | 1.1% | 0.1% |
| 49 | Shawano | 9,522 | $246,486 | 3.1% | 0.7% |
| 50 | Merrill | 9,356 | $218,030 | 1.4% | -0.1% |
| 51 | New Richmond | 10,539 | $374,056 | 2.0% | -0.6% |
| 52 | Hartland | 9,972 | $654,280 | 2.6% | 1.8% |
| 53 | Tomah | 9,532 | $251,286 | 0.3% | -2.8% |
| 54 | Hobart | 10,610 | $481,199 | 1.8% | 0.2% |
| 55 | Reedsburg | 10,168 | $303,020 | 1.1% | -0.4% |
| 56 | St. Francis | 9,004 | $282,497 | -3.4% | 2.5% |
| 57 | Sparta | 9,950 | $272,155 | 0.3% | -0.1% |
| 58 | Holmen | 11,372 | $413,026 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| 59 | Elkhorn | 10,221 | $338,685 | -0.4% | -0.3% |
| 60 | Portage | 10,236 | $288,025 | -1.3% | -0.3% |
| 61 | DeForest | 11,501 | $445,514 | 6.0% | -0.5% |
| 62 | Oregon | 11,547 | $489,920 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| 63 | Marinette | 11,115 | $195,369 | 0.5% | -0.7% |
| 64 | Monroe | 10,587 | $277,861 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 65 | Sussex | 12,066 | $507,551 | 2.3% | 2.6% |
| 66 | Burlington | 10,987 | $351,654 | -0.3% | 1.5% |
| 67 | Two Rivers | 11,231 | $218,730 | 0.1% | 3.1% |
| 68 | Waupun | 11,174 | $260,262 | -0.6% | -0.6% |
| 69 | Cedarburg | 12,605 | $552,361 | 2.3% | 3.2% |
| 70 | Little Chute | 11,754 | $298,046 | -1.5% | 3.2% |
| 71 | Grafton | 12,445 | $450,690 | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| 72 | Richfield | 11,755 | $560,142 | -0.4% | 3.4% |
| 73 | Port Washington | 12,645 | $381,021 | 0.6% | 2.5% |
| 74 | Brown Deer | 12,564 | $283,653 | -0.4% | 1.7% |
| 75 | Platteville | 11,499 | $255,582 | 0.7% | -0.4% |
| 76 | Baraboo | 12,769 | $298,881 | 2.1% | -2.4% |
| 77 | Fort Atkinson | 12,463 | $297,960 | -0.2% | 0.3% |
| 78 | Suamico | 12,985 | $461,750 | -0.1% | 0.9% |
| 79 | Glendale | 13,656 | $351,578 | 4.0% | 2.1% |
| 80 | Plover | 13,884 | $347,474 | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| 81 | Stoughton | 13,033 | $428,271 | -0.2% | 2.9% |
| 82 | Verona | 15,232 | $590,564 | 5.1% | 0.2% |
| 83 | Shorewood | 13,627 | $544,885 | -0.4% | 3.9% |
| 84 | Allouez | 13,975 | $319,587 | -0.3% | 0.9% |
| 85 | Whitefish Bay | 14,665 | $642,953 | -0.6% | 4.1% |
| 86 | Waunakee | 15,687 | $584,110 | 5.1% | 3.1% |
| 87 | Hudson | 14,959 | $496,565 | -0.3% | 0.2% |
| 88 | Greendale | 14,594 | $383,283 | -0.4% | 1.8% |
| 89 | Chippewa Falls | 14,782 | $330,661 | 0.9% | -0.8% |
| 90 | Pewaukee | 16,211 | $557,877 | 1.3% | 1.4% |
| 91 | Whitewater | 15,807 | $338,753 | 0.6% | 1.6% |
| 92 | Weston | 15,749 | $300,001 | -0.2% | 2.3% |
| 93 | Hartford | 15,821 | $374,925 | 0.4% | 2.7% |
| 94 | Bellevue | 16,442 | $393,957 | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| 95 | River Falls | 16,719 | $406,768 | 2.3% | 0.4% |
| 96 | Kaukauna | 17,706 | $303,856 | 2.7% | 1.7% |
| 97 | Beaver Dam | 16,565 | $288,264 | -0.4% | 0.7% |
| 98 | Menomonie | 16,539 | $298,133 | -0.1% | -0.9% |
| 99 | Oconomowoc | 19,080 | $537,005 | 3.8% | 1.6% |
| 100 | Ashwaubenon | 17,314 | $338,976 | 2.3% | -0.4% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 146 Wisconsin cities cleared the filters.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Purchase A House In Wisconsin for 2026
There’s our analysis of the best places to buy a house in Wisconsin. And, to be clear, we aren’t necessarily saying these places are the best places to live, just that it looks like they might be in a couple of years based on the data.
In fact, every place in the following table meets our criteria, so even though it may not look super long, remember we started off with all 773 places in the state.
The best cities to buy a house in Wisconsin are Dodgeville, Mayville, Summit, Richland Center, West Salem, Union Grove, Columbus, North Fond du Lac, Bristol, and Rothschild.
So if we could rent or buy in these cities, we’d definitely buy. Not sold on Wisconsin? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Buy A House In Wisconsin FAQs
What is the best city in Wisconsin to buy a house?
Dodgeville is the best place to buy a house in Wisconsin for 2026. Its population is growing, home values are rising, and the median home still costs $328,873. Mayville and Summit are next on the list.
What are the best cities to buy a home in Wisconsin?
The best cities to buy a house in Wisconsin are Dodgeville, Mayville, Summit, Richland Center, West Salem, Union Grove, Columbus, North Fond du Lac, Bristol, and Rothschild. Only 146 of the 773 places in Wisconsin cleared our filters on growth and home prices.
How much does a house cost in Dodgeville?
The median home value in Dodgeville is $328,873, versus $330,171 across Wisconsin. Across the full top ten, the median home runs $319,863.
How do you pick the best places to buy a home in Wisconsin?
We look for Wisconsin places where the population is growing, home prices are climbing, and homes are still cheap relative to the state average, using Census American Community Survey data. Cities that hit all three get the highest Buy Index scores.
Is this a guarantee home values will go up?
No. This is not investment advice — just where the data points to potential value. The Buy Index says these markets look healthier than most of Wisconsin, not that any single house is a good deal.
