Meyerhofer Cobblestone House · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Lyons costs more to live in than 51% of U.S. towns
It ranks #160 of 362 in Wisconsin for affordability. Up 4.7% in a year, 27% above the Wisconsin typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Whitewater-Elkhorn, WI micro area ($81K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Lyons’ area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($81K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up no better than renters: 17% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 14% of renters.
In dollars
- $427Ktypical home, 27% above the Wisconsin typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,310a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$81K, Whitewater-area income
- 18%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 14%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Wisconsin: 44%Census 2020–24
- 17%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Lyons
What’s behind Lyons’ grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Lyons is more affordable than 49% of U.S. towns, #160 of 362 in Wisconsin. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Wisconsin: up 35.4% in five years, against 31.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 35.4% in five years
Faster than Wisconsin (31.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Lyons | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $204,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $224,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $239,000 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | $257,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $287,000 | $235,000 |
| 2022 | $315,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $351,000 | $279,000 |
| 2024 | $376,000 | $296,000 |
| 2025 | $400,000 | $314,000 |
| 2026 | $424,000 | $330,000 |
| September 2026 | $427,000 | $337,000 |
A typical Lyons home worth $202K in October 2016 is worth about $427K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.9 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Lyons’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $117K short of a typical Lyons home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,310 a month here, $1,300 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Lyons’s typical property tax (1.03% 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 $1,310
Renters already here pay a median of $1,221.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Kenosha, WI MSA): 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 $3,261 (Wisconsin: $3,792), 1.03% 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+”.
Lyons vs. its neighbors
Of the 6 towns here with a Zillow value, Lyons has the 3rd-lowest. Burlington and Bohners Lake have no Zillow value, so they are 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons | B− | $427K | $316K | 1.03% | $1,310 |
| Lake Geneva | D | $418K | $344K | 1.25% | $1,320 |
| Burlington | C+ | $364K | $277K | 1.54% | $1,310 |
| Bloomfield | B− | $496K | $236K | 1.56% | $1,350 |
| Burlington | B− | — | $303K | 1.19% | $1,310 |
| Bohners Lake | – | — | $267K | 1.08% | $1,310 |
| Geneva | C− | $482K | $382K | 1.24% | $1,240 |
| Spring Prairie | C− | $516K | $418K | 1.15% | $1,290 |
“—” 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 Lyons
Is Lyons expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Lyons costs more than 51% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #160 of 362 in Wisconsin. The typical home costs 3.9 years of the median household income of the Whitewater-Elkhorn, WI micro area ($81K).
How much does a house cost in Lyons?
About $427K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.7% in a year. The Wisconsin typical home is $337K.
What salary do you need to live in Lyons?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $112,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,610 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $52,000.
How much is rent in Lyons?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,310 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,221 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Lyons?
The median bill is $3,261 a year, 1.03% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Lyons going up?
Yes: up 4.7% in the past year and 35.4% in five years, against 31.4% across Wisconsin (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Lyons 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, September 2026. 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.