Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Royalton costs more to live in than 71% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Royalton have risen about 63% over the past 5 years. No new homes were permitted in 2013.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Waupaca County, WI ($73K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Waupaca County earn ($73K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 3.5 years of area income, and 32% 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
- 3.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$73K, Waupaca County income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 35%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Royalton
What’s behind Royalton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Royalton is more affordable than 29% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Home prices up 63% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Royalton rose 63% over the past 5 years, faster than across Wisconsin (57%). Last year prices rose 6.3%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Royalton home at roughly $323,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $323K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Royalton, 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 Royalton’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $49K short of a typical Royalton home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month here, $960 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Royalton’s typical property tax (1.19% 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 $1,052.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Waupaca County, WI): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2013
No permits for new homes were issued in Royalton in 2013. The last year with any was 2011 (2 new homes).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $420,000 |
| 2009 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $708,000 |
| 2008 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $867,000 |
| 2007 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2006 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2005 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2004 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $100,000 |
Royalton's permit office hasn't appeared in the Census permit files since 2013, so these are its newest figures.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Wisconsin norm
The median bill is $3,069 (Wisconsin: $3,792), 1.19% 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+”.
Royalton vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Royalton. Mukwa and Weyauwega and Waupaca and Little Wolf 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royalton | C | — | $259K | 1.19% | $1,050 |
| Weyauwega | A− | $290K | $152K | 1.74% | $1,060 |
| Weyauwega | – | — | $268K | 0.94% | $1,060 |
| Waupaca | C | — | $247K | 1.13% | $990 |
| Mukwa | B− | — | $317K | 1.03% | $1,040 |
| Little Wolf | B | — | $243K | 1.15% | $970 |
“—” 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 Royalton
Is Royalton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Royalton costs more than 71% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.5 years of the median household income of Waupaca County, WI ($73K).
How much is rent in Royalton?
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 $1,052 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Royalton?
The median bill is $3,069 a year, 1.19% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Royalton 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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.