Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Nekoosa costs less to live in than 75% of U.S. towns
Up 3.9% in a year, 19% below the Wisconsin typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield, WI micro area ($68K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Wisconsin Rapids-area micro earn ($68K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.7 years of area income, and 29% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $273Ktypical home, 19% below the Wisconsin typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$68K, Wisconsin Rapids-area income
- 12%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 29%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Wisconsin: 44%Census 2020–24
- 28%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Nekoosa, in brief
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median tax bill is $2,616, under the Wisconsin median of $3,792, because homes cost less. As a share of value, though, it’s 2.24% a year, against 1.42% statewide. On the typical home, that’s about $510 a month. Property taxes ↓
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Nekoosa lost 131 residents while 21 new homes were permitted. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Nekoosa’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Nekoosa is more affordable than 75% 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 Nekoosa home is up 42.3% in five years, against 31.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 42.3% in five years
Faster than Wisconsin (31.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Nekoosa | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $122,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $135,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $144,000 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | $155,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $167,000 | $235,000 |
| 2022 | $201,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $215,000 | $279,000 |
| 2024 | $232,000 | $296,000 |
| 2025 | $255,000 | $314,000 |
| 2026 | $273,000 | $330,000 |
| September 2026 | $273,000 | $337,000 |
A typical Nekoosa home worth $120K in October 2016 is worth about $273K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Nekoosa’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $49K short of a typical Nekoosa home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $970 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Nekoosa’s typical property tax (2.24% 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 $970
Renters already here pay a median of $699, 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 (Adams County, WI): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in Nekoosa in 2025. That's 0.4 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Wisconsin (4.3). Over the past 10 years, Nekoosa has permitted 24 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Nekoosa's population fell by 131 even though 21 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Wisconsin: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $900,000 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $260,000 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $280,000 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 18 | 0 | 18 | $2.2 million |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $130,000 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $168,000 |
| 2008 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $829,000 |
| 2007 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2006 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2005 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2004 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2003 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $627,000 |
| 2002 | 62 | 5 | 57 | $4.4 million |
| 2001 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $610,000 |
| 2000 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $610,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,616, under the Wisconsin median of $3,792, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 2.24% 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+”.
Nekoosa vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, Nekoosa has the 2nd-lowest. Saratoga and Port Edwards 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nekoosa | B+ | $273K | $117K | 2.24% | $970 |
| Saratoga | B+ | — | $176K | 1.34% | $1,040 |
| Port Edwards | A− | — | $168K | 1.51% | $970 |
| Port Edwards | B+ | $203K | $159K | 1.89% | $1,010 |
“—” 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 Nekoosa
Is Nekoosa expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Nekoosa costs less than 75% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.7 years of the median household income of the Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield, WI micro area ($68K).
How much does a house cost in Nekoosa?
About $273K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.9% in a year. The Wisconsin typical home is $337K.
What salary do you need to live in Nekoosa?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $83,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,940 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Nekoosa?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $699 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Nekoosa?
The median bill is $2,616 a year, 2.24% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Nekoosa going up?
Yes: up 3.9% in the past year and 42.3% in five years, against 31.4% across Wisconsin (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Nekoosa 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, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.