The story of this market
The typical home in Vilas County, Wisconsin sells for about $455,000, or $224 per square foot.
Prices are up +2.52% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 98 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 159% since 2000. Last year 4 of 8 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. The biggest natural hazard here is cold wave, which FEMA rates very high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,022 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,022 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively High.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
-0.7%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2022 (+23.4%). Worst: 2010 (-4.9%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+5.2%
WI · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,218
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
-0.7%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 8 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
86
Relatively High
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $18,705,329.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
78.4%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1715 | 1035 | 78.4% | 7.7% | $215,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Vilas County, Wisconsin
Vilas County's housing market shows steady price appreciation and a balanced inventory level typical of rural Wisconsin counties. While sales volume remains modest, the market is supported by consistent demand for recreational and residential properties. The area remains a popular destination, reflected in its stable year-over-year price growth.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 8 cities · 12 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 0.3% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 62 days on market with 0.3 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
1% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 15.05% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 4.5% · poverty 9.0% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 11 researched ZIP reports of 12 — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Vilas County, Wisconsin — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 12.0%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
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| 54512 | Boulder Junction | $519,500 | $325 | — | 86 | — | — | — | 14 | $945 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54521 | Eagle River | $507,348 | $224 | +2.5% | 108 | — | — | — | 98 | $935 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54534 | Hurley | $189,500 | $126 | — | 177 | — | — | — | 177 | $688 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54538 | Lac Du Flambeau | $325,000 | $215 | +1.6% | 22 | 100.1% | 12% | 1.6 | 89 | $543 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54539 | Lake Tomahawk | $267,900 | $150 | -8.3% | 69 | 98.4% | 24.5% | 6.3 | 208 | $834 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54540 | Land O' Lakes | $429,500 | $245 | -2.4% | 34 | 97.5% | 15% | 6.2 | 12 | $608 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54545 | Manitowish Waters | $1,379,000 | $457 | +2.1% | 87 | 96.5% | 15% | 6.2 | 12 | $1,135 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54548 | Minocqua | $449,500 | $305 | — | 9 | — | — | — | 67 | $962 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54557 | Presque Isle | $394,600 | $313 | +2.5% | 43 | 99% | — | — | 44 | $969 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54558 | St. Germain | $449,000 | $242 | — | 10 | 100% | — | 1 | 1 | $897 | researched Sep 23 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
The county economy is heavily supported by tourism and hospitality, with significant sales in accommodation and food services.
- The Waters of Minocqua4.114.6 mi
- Elmers Fun Park4.45.6 mi
- Kartway4.410.1 mi
- Settlers Mill Adventure Golf & Frozen Custard4.714.8 mi
- Eagle Falls Adventure Golf & Laser Tag4.611.5 mi
- Lake of the Torches Resort Casino420.9 mi
- The Waters of Minocqua4.114.6 mi
- Norwood Pines Supper Club4.515.6 mi
- Eagle Waters Resort & Supper Club4.412.7 mi
- Holiday Acres Resort on Lake Thompson4.624.9 mi
- Wildwood Wildlife Park Zoo & Safari4.715.2 mi
- The Waters of Minocqua4.114.6 mi
- Northern Highland–American Legion State Forest4.712.5 mi
- Sylvania Wilderness4.819.7 mi
- Northwoods Children's Museum & Discovery Toy Store4.710.5 mi
- Northwoods Children's Museum & Discovery Toy Store4.710.5 mi
- The Hodag Store4.824 mi
- PPHC - Railroad Museum4.724.1 mi
- Wildwood Wildlife Park Zoo & Safari4.715.2 mi
- Northern Highland–American Legion State Forest4.712.5 mi
- Sylvania Wilderness4.819.7 mi
- Star Lake Nature Trail4.93.9 mi
- Bearskin Trailhead Park4.914.4 mi
- Lynn Ann's Campground4.54.8 mi
- Boat Sport Marina4.413.9 mi
- Greer's Pier Marina Inc.4.720.3 mi
- Boulder Marine Center4.713.1 mi
- Minocqua Lakeside4.816.8 mi
- Trout Lake Golf & Country Club4.313 mi
- 19th Hole Sports Bar & Grill4.56.2 mi
- Pick 'n Save4.210.4 mi
- St. Germain Flea Market4.64.8 mi
- 70-West Center4.414.2 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
The Wisconsin River finds its headwaters in Vilas County, offering extensive recreational opportunities.
A major river system with headwaters in the county, popular for paddling and outdoor recreation.
Features headwaters within the county, contributing to the region's abundant water resources.
Data retrieved from US Census Bureau QuickFacts and ACS profiles.