Schofield School · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0Measured against area pay, Schofield costs less to live in than 80% of U.S. towns
Up 5.3% in a year, 32% below the Wisconsin typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Wausau, WI metro area ($78K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in September 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 Wausau metro earn ($78K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.0 years of metro income, and 30% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $229Ktypical home, 32% below the Wisconsin typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,150a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 93prices across the Wausau metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 71)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$78K, Wausau-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 30%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Wisconsin: 44%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Schofield
What’s behind Schofield’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Schofield is more affordable than 80% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Wisconsin: up 34.1% in five years, against 31.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 34.1% in five years
About the same pace as Wisconsin (31.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Schofield | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $130,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $134,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $145,000 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | $155,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $160,000 | $235,000 |
| 2022 | $175,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $185,000 | $279,000 |
| 2024 | $198,000 | $296,000 |
| 2025 | $211,000 | $314,000 |
| 2026 | $223,000 | $330,000 |
| September 2026 | $229,000 | $337,000 |
A typical Schofield home worth $127K in October 2016 is worth about $229K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Schofield’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Schofield home, with $48K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,150 a month here, $360 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Schofield’s typical property tax (1.61% 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 $1,150
Renters already here pay a median of $926, 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 (Wausau, WI MSA): 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 2023
No permits for new homes were issued in Schofield in 2023. The last year with any was 2020 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Schofield's population fell by 12 even though 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $650,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $865,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $110,000 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 6 | $900,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 36 | 0 | 36 | $4.9 million |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $115,000 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $120,000 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $140,000 |
| 2006 | 6 | 2 | 4 | $690,000 |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $320,000 |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $219,000 |
| 2003 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $300,000 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2001 | 113 | 1 | 112 | $5.9 million |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $140,000 |
Schofield's permit office hasn't appeared in the Census permit files since 2023, 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.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,477, under the Wisconsin median of $3,792, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.61% 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+”.
The rest of a budget near Schofield
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Wausau, WI metro area, or Wisconsin. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 93 | WI 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 94 | WI 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 90 | WI 90 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | WI 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Schofield vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Schofield has the lowest. Weston and Rib Mountain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schofield | A− | $229K | $154K | 1.61% | $1,150 |
| Wausau | B | $248K | $168K | 1.86% | $1,160 |
| Weston | – | — | $362K | 1.16% | $1,160 |
| Rib Mountain | C+ | — | $256K | 1.45% | $1,170 |
| Weston | B− | $312K | $229K | 1.55% | $1,150 |
| Rothschild | B+ | $270K | $204K | 1.46% | $1,060 |
“—” 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 Schofield
Is Schofield expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Schofield costs less than 80% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.0 years of the median household income of the Wausau, WI metro area ($78K).
How much does a house cost in Schofield?
About $229K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 5.3% in a year. The Wisconsin typical home is $337K.
What salary do you need to live in Schofield?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $65,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,510 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $46,000.
How much is rent in Schofield?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,150 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $926 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Schofield?
The median bill is $2,477 a year, 1.61% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Schofield going up?
Yes: up 5.3% in the past year and 34.1% in five years, against 31.4% across Wisconsin (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Schofield 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. 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.