Camp Five Farmstead · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0Measured against area pay, Laona costs less to live in than 62% of U.S. towns
Up 8.8% in a year, 44% below the Wisconsin typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Forest County, WI ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Forest County earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.1 years of area income, and 6% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $187Ktypical home, 44% below the Wisconsin typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,000a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Forest County income
- 11%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 31%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Laona, in brief
A second-home town
24% of Laona’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Year-round rentals are scarce: there are 47 renter households. Property taxes ↓
Nearly every household owns
88% of Laona households own their home, against 68% across Wisconsin. There are only 47 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Laona’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Laona is more affordable than 62% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced Wisconsin: the typical Laona home is up 37.9% in five years, against 31.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 8.8% in a year
Faster than Wisconsin (5.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Laona | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $100,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $102,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $108,000 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | $114,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $125,000 | $235,000 |
| 2022 | $145,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $158,000 | $279,000 |
| 2024 | $162,000 | $296,000 |
| 2025 | $166,000 | $314,000 |
| 2026 | $182,000 | $330,000 |
| September 2026 | $187,000 | $337,000 |
A typical Laona home worth $100K in October 2016 is worth about $187K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 11% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Laona’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Laona home, with $46K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,000 a month here, $140 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Laona’s typical property tax (1.04% 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 $1,000
Renters already here pay a median of $556, 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 (Forest County, WI): 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 $1,991 (Wisconsin: $3,792), 1.04% 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+”.
Laona vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Laona has the 3rd-lowest. Lincoln has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laona | B | $187K | $192K | 1.04% | $1,000 |
| Blackwell | – | — | $125K | — | $990 |
| Lincoln | A− | — | $212K | 1.25% | $970 |
| Caswell | – | — | $147K | 0.90% | $1,000 |
| Wabeno | A | $230K | $179K | 0.75% | $970 |
| Armstrong Creek | – | $177K | $184K | 1.12% | $1,000 |
| Freedom | – | — | $246K | 0.98% | $970 |
| Argonne | – | $182K | $167K | 0.81% | $1,010 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Laona
Is Laona expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Laona costs less than 62% of U.S. towns: a B for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.1 years of the median household income of Forest County, WI ($61K).
How much does a house cost in Laona?
About $187K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 8.8% in a year. The Wisconsin typical home is $337K.
What salary do you need to live in Laona?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $49,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,140 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $40,000.
How much is rent in Laona?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,000 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $556 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Laona?
The median bill is $1,991 a year, 1.04% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Laona going up?
Yes: up 8.8% in the past year and 37.9% in five years, against 31.4% across Wisconsin (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Laona buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 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.