Wisconsin Rental Portfolio Guide
What you need to know before building or growing a rental portfolio in Wisconsin — property tax burden, state income tax, security-deposit rule, source-of-income law, and the metros that actually cash-flow after accounting for local taxes.
Tax burden on Wisconsin rentals
Property tax
1.61%
effective rate on median home value
At 1.61% effective, this is one of the highest property tax burdens in the country (rank 44 of 51). Every underwrite needs to account for the full carrying cost — even a strong rent-to-price ratio can go negative once property tax is properly modeled.
State income tax
7.65%
top marginal rate
A top marginal rate of 7.65% is high nationally. Rental portfolio income at scale takes a significant state hit on top of federal, so serious operators lean hard on depreciation, cost segregation and 1031 deferral. Long-term hold economics reward staying under the top bracket where possible.
Security deposit rule
No statutory cap on security deposits. Landlords set the deposit at whatever the market accepts — typically one to two months' rent, sometimes more for higher-risk applicants or pets. Local ordinances may still apply.
Deposit rules change; verify current statute before drafting a lease.
Best cash-flow markets in Wisconsin
Modeled monthly cash flow on a median-priced single-family purchase at 20% down, 30-year fixed, using Wisconsin’s 1.61% effective property tax rate plus 25% of rent for insurance, maintenance, vacancy and management.
| Market | Median price | Median rent | Annual property tax | CF / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marinette, WI | $207,601 | $1,016 | $3,342 | $-605 |
| Platteville, WI | $226,550 | $1,126 | $3,647 | $-647 |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $229,999 | $1,066 | $3,703 | $-715 |
| Manitowoc, WI | $264,452 | $1,036 | $4,258 | $-964 |
| Racine, WI | $316,876 | $1,495 | $5,102 | $-965 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $291,420 | $1,188 | $4,692 | $-1,028 |
State median across the metros: $321,201 home, $1,178 rent, $-1,181/mo modeled cash flow.
Track your Wisconsin rental portfolio
The Pro Portfolio Tracker rolls up every property in your portfolio, auto-revalues them monthly against local price data, and flags DSCR risk and equity milestones. Each Wisconsin property carries the state-specific tax burden shown above through to the cash flow calculation.
Property tax rate: Tax Foundation. Security deposit rule: state statute. Verify current law before making decisions — statutes change and this page is a planning reference, not legal or tax advice.