How much house can I afford in Wisconsin?

All-in cost first, always. Estimate only — not a loan quote or pre-approval.

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Wisconsin at a glance

Median home price
$358,877
Typical closing costs
2.5%–3.26% of price
Transfer tax
0.3% of sale price, customarily paid by seller
Closing custom
escrow
Homestead exemption
Wisconsin has no ad-valorem homestead exemption that reduces a homeowner's assessed value or property tax bill directly. Instead it offers the Homestead Credit — a refundable STATE INCOME TAX credit (claimed on Schedule H) for lower-income homeowners and renters, based on household income and property taxes (or rent) paid; income limits and the maximum credit amount are set by the legislature and adjusted periodically, so check current figures with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Separately, most owner-occupied residences also receive automatic reductions on the December tax bill itself via the Lottery and Gaming Credit and the First Dollar Credit (both statewide, applied to the bill rather than assessed value), plus the broader School Levy Tax Credit applied to all parcels.

First-time buyer / down payment assistance programs

  • WHEDA Advantage Conventional / WHEDA Advantage FHA

    Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority's two 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage programs (Conventional and FHA), available statewide to both first-time and repeat buyers of an owner-occupied primary residence; a reduced interest rate is available in 15 designated rural target counties. Can be paired with either WHEDA down payment assistance program for up to 100% financing in many cases.

  • WHEDA Easy Close Advantage DPA / WHEDA Capital Access DPA

    Two down-payment-assistance second mortgages, each paired with a WHEDA first mortgage. Easy Close Advantage DPA: minimum $1,000 loan, up to 6% of purchase price, as a 10-year fixed-rate second mortgage with a monthly payment at the same rate as the first mortgage. Capital Access DPA: a flat $7,500 loan as a 30-year fixed, 0%-interest, no-monthly-payment second mortgage, but with lower income limits and currently very limited funding (78 loans available statewide starting Jan 15, 2026, first-come first-served until funds are exhausted).

Continue calculating

Mortgage payment calculator

Estimated all-in monthly payment for a home price you have in mind.

First-time buyer programs

Check which down payment assistance programs you likely qualify for.

Take-home pay calculator

What actually reaches your account after federal tax, FICA, and your state's own brackets — with local income tax disclosed rather than guessed at.

Related reading

Closing Costs in Wisconsin: What You'll Actually Pay

9 min read

Wisconsin charges a flat $30 to record your mortgage no matter how big it is, and the seller customarily pays the transfer fee. Here's the real math on a $358,877 home.

What Is PMI, and How Do You Get Rid of It?

15 min read

Private mortgage insurance explained in plain English — what it costs, why it exists, the exact federal rules for cancelling it, and how to work out the month your PMI is scheduled to end.

Guides & templates

Buying a Home With Someone Else

$4.99

The operational guide to buying property with a partner, friend, sibling, or parent — credit and DTI mechanics, title vesting, a clause-by-clause co-ownership agreement, and how the exit actually works.

The First-Time Buyer's Playbook: 12 Months to Closing Day

$4.99

A month-by-month plan for the year before you buy: what to do in each phase, what never to touch, how to document every dollar, and how to survive closing day.