Measured against area pay, Lenroot costs more to live in than 55% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Lenroot have risen about 59% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Sawyer County, WI ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Sawyer County earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.9 years of area income, and 47% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,050a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Sawyer County income
- 21%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 12%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Lenroot
A second-home town
40% of Lenroot’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Year-round rentals are scarce: there are 45 renter households. Property taxes ↓
A low property tax rate
Owners pay about 0.66% of a home’s value a year in property tax, against 1.42% across Wisconsin. The median bill is $1,989 (Wisconsin: $3,792). Property taxes ↓
Nearly every household owns
93% of Lenroot households own their home, against 68% across Wisconsin. There are only 45 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. There’s no Zillow index for Lenroot, so the typical value is an estimate: the Census median carried forward with the federal house price index; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Lenroot’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Lenroot is more affordable than 45% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Home prices up 59% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Lenroot rose 59% over the past 5 years, about the same as across Wisconsin. Last year prices fell 2.5%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Lenroot home at roughly $362,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $362K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Lenroot, 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 4.9 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Lenroot’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $117K short of a typical Lenroot home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month here, $1,050 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Lenroot’s typical property tax (0.66% 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 $1,050
Renters already here pay a median of $1,076.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Sawyer 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 $1,989 (Wisconsin: $3,792), 0.66% 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+”.
Lenroot vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Lenroot. Round Lake and Spider Lake and Barnes and Hayward 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenroot | B− | — | $301K | 0.66% | $1,050 |
| Hayward | B− | — | $242K | 0.79% | $1,050 |
| Round Lake | C− | — | $398K | 0.66% | $1,050 |
| Cable | – | $381K | $179K | 0.95% | $970 |
| Barnes | – | — | $288K | 0.75% | $1,030 |
| Spider Lake | – | — | $305K | 1.08% | $1,040 |
| Frog Creek | – | — | $213K | 0.60% | $1,060 |
“—” 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 Lenroot
Is Lenroot expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Lenroot costs more than 55% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.9 years of the median household income of Sawyer County, WI ($61K).
How much is rent in Lenroot?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,050 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,076 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Lenroot?
The median bill is $1,989 a year, 0.66% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Lenroot 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.