Downsville Lodge No. 1961 I.O.O.F. · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0Even on the area’s higher pay, Dunn costs more to live in than 57% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Dunn have risen about 61% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Menomonie, WI micro area ($75K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Dunn’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($75K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 20% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 46% of renters.
In dollars
- $1,470a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$75K, Menomonie-area income
- 18%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What’s behind Dunn’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Dunn is more affordable than 43% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Home prices up 61% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Dunn rose 61% over the past 5 years, faster than across Wisconsin (57%). Last year prices rose 4.4%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Dunn home at roughly $324,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $324K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Dunn, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
A typical home costs 3.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Dunn’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $52K short of a typical Dunn home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,470 a month here, $610 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Dunn’s typical property tax (1.41% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,470
Renters already here pay a median of $1,125, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Wisconsin norm
The median bill is $3,697 (Wisconsin: $3,792), 1.41% of a home’s value a year, against 1.42% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Dunn vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Dunn. Red Cedar and Spring Brook and Menomonie and Weston have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn | C+ | — | $263K | 1.41% | $1,470 |
| Peru | – | — | $200K | 1.49% | $1,040 |
| Weston | – | — | $272K | 1.27% | $1,520 |
| Spring Brook | C+ | — | $286K | 1.44% | $1,270 |
| Waubeek | – | — | $270K | 1.07% | $1,180 |
| Menomonie | B− | — | $277K | 1.28% | $1,520 |
| Red Cedar | C | — | $300K | 1.20% | $1,460 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Dunn
Is Dunn expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Dunn costs more than 57% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.5 years of the median household income of the Menomonie, WI micro area ($75K).
How much is rent in Dunn?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,470 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,125 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Dunn?
The median bill is $3,697 a year, 1.41% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Dunn buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.