{"area":{"county":"Eau Claire County","state":"WI","stateName":"Wisconsin","slug":"eau-claire-wi","metro":"Eau Claire, WI MSA"},"homeValue":{"series":[{"date":"2021-04-01","value":215440},{"date":"2021-07-01","value":228457},{"date":"2021-10-01","value":231604},{"date":"2022-01-01","value":236516},{"date":"2022-04-01","value":255813},{"date":"2022-07-01","value":261000},{"date":"2022-10-01","value":258647},{"date":"2023-01-01","value":259289},{"date":"2023-04-01","value":278692},{"date":"2023-07-01","value":287707},{"date":"2023-10-01","value":280640},{"date":"2024-01-01","value":287057},{"date":"2024-04-01","value":287898},{"date":"2024-07-01","value":293107},{"date":"2024-10-01","value":293887},{"date":"2025-01-01","value":297393},{"date":"2025-04-01","value":309035},{"date":"2025-07-01","value":308363},{"date":"2025-10-01","value":309142},{"date":"2026-01-01","value":312144},{"date":"2026-04-01","value":316162}],"latest":316162,"yoy":2.3062112705680584,"fiveYr":46.751763832157444,"sinceStart":592.8970610795766,"modeled":true},"rent":{"series":[{"date":"2026-11-01","value":1259}],"latest":1259,"yoy":null,"fiveYr":null,"sinceStart":null,"modeled":true},"census":{"medianIncome":74546,"population":107116,"povertyRate":11.797834494925507,"medianHomeValue":261000,"medianGrossRent":1064,"medianPropertyTax":3514},"hud":{"county":"Eau Claire County","year":"2027","perUnit":1259,"bedrooms":2,"estimated":false,"baseBedrooms":2},"crime":{"scope":"state","state":"Wisconsin","period":"06-2024 to 05-2026","window":{"from":"06-2024","to":"05-2026","fellBack":false},"violentCrime":{"total":26633,"ratePer100k":222.95286940585694},"propertyCrime":{"total":112965,"ratePer100k":945.6640593411418},"note":"State-level totals from the FBI CDE summarized offense endpoint."},"crimeVintage":{"from":"06-2024","to":"05-2026","fellBack":false},"priceToRentRatio":20.9,"ratioVerdict":"Favors renting — price is high relative to rent","priceCagr":7.974506404812454,"rentCagr":3,"cashFlow":{"price":316162,"monthlyRent":1259,"grossRent":1259,"downPct":20,"ratePct":6.75,"units":1,"state":"WI","down":63232.4,"loan":252929.6,"mortgagePI":1640.4965712576018,"monthlyTax":354.6283766666667,"taxRatePct":1.346,"taxRateSource":"Census ACS county effective rate 1.35% ($3,514 tax ÷ $261,000 ACS median), applied to current value","monthlyInsurance":110.6567,"insuranceRatePct":0.42,"insuranceBasis":"Insurance: state-level estimate (WI avg 0.42%/yr)","insuranceHighRisk":false,"vacancyPct":5,"vacancyLoss":62.95,"egi":1196.05,"mgmtPct":10,"monthlyMgmt":125.9,"maintenancePct":5,"monthlyMaint":62.95,"capexPct":5,"monthlyCapex":62.95,"hoaMonthly":0,"monthlyHoa":0,"operatingExpenses":717.0850766666669,"noi":478.9649233333331,"totalExpenses":2357.5816479242685,"cashFlow":-1161.5316479242688,"annualCf":-13938.379775091225,"cocReturn":-22.043097802853005,"capRate":1.81792216648427},"resilience":{"scenarios":[{"id":"rentDown","label":"Rent drops 10%","kind":"standard","detail":"Standard assumption","cashFlow":-1255.9566479242683,"delta":-94,"survives":false},{"id":"vacancy","label":"Vacancy stretches to 8%","kind":"standard","detail":"Standard assumption","cashFlow":-1199.3016479242688,"delta":-38,"survives":false},{"id":"insurance","label":"Insurance costs rise 25%","kind":"standard","detail":"Standard assumption","cashFlow":-1189.1958229242687,"delta":-28,"survives":false},{"id":"rateReset","label":"If financed at 8.25% instead","kind":"standard","detail":"Fixed-rate comparison — the deal if you'd borrowed at a higher rate today; your actual fixed payment never resets","cashFlow":-1421.2106932262545,"delta":-260,"survives":false},{"id":"historyHome","label":"Worst market shock in available history (since 1983-04-01) (home values −6.6% over 3 months)","kind":"history","detail":"History-derived proxy: worst decline found in any window of up to 12 months in the state FHFA home-value series, 1983-10-01 → 1984-01-01, applied to rent","cashFlow":-1223.6878223060435,"delta":-62,"survives":false}],"survived":0,"total":5,"score":0,"worstCashFlow":-1421.2106932262545,"baselineCashFlow":-1161.5316479242688,"framing":"underwater","confidenceLabel":"crosscheck","omitted":[],"note":"Each scenario re-runs the same verified cash-flow engine with one shock applied, then re-checks the cash-flow identity before display. Standard shocks are fixed assumptions; the history-derived scenario is this market's own worst observed 12-month decline. Estimates only — not a guarantee of performance."},"rentVsBuy":{"years":7,"priceCagr":7.974506404812454,"rentCagr":3,"totalRentPaid":115764.47862796453,"totalCashOutlay":283626.43248431187,"insuranceBasis":"Insurance: state-level estimate (WI avg 0.42%/yr)","homeValueAfter":540951.4159744006,"equityBuilt":311323.0228791615,"netCostOfBuying":35535.80960515034,"buyingCheaper":true,"savings":80228.6690228142},"priceToIncome":{"ratio":4.241166528049795,"price":316162,"medianIncome":74546,"label":"Moderate (3–5x — tighter budgets)"},"countyTaxRatePct":1.346,"countyTaxSource":"Census ACS county effective rate 1.35% ($3,514 tax ÷ $261,000 ACS median), applied to current value","dataCheck":{"status":"crosscheck","checks":[{"metric":"home value (vintage update)","primary":316162,"secondary":261000,"primarySource":"current estimate (ACS county median × FHFA metro HPI growth)","secondarySource":"raw ACS 2023 county median (as measured ~2021)","ratio":1.21,"grade":"crosscheck","consistent":false,"hidePoint":false},{"metric":"HUD fair market rent","primary":1259,"secondary":1064,"primarySource":"HUD FMR (county)","secondarySource":"Census ACS (county gross rent)","ratio":1.18,"grade":"crosscheck","consistent":false,"hidePoint":false}],"confidence":{"homeValue":{"label":"crosscheck","ratio":1.21,"sources":["current estimate (ACS county median × FHFA metro HPI growth)","raw ACS 2023 county median (as measured ~2021)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":261000,"high":316162}},"rent":{"label":"crosscheck","ratio":1.18,"sources":["HUD FMR (county)","Census ACS (county gross rent)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":1064,"high":1259}},"income":{"label":"estimate","sources":["Census ACS"]},"crime":{"label":"estimate","sources":["FBI CDE"]}},"note":"Every headline metric is checked against a second figure, and each check names its own basis. The rent and property-price checks pair genuinely independent datasets (HUD FMR vs Census ACS gross rent; your price vs the county estimate). The home-value check compares our current estimate (ACS county median updated by the FHFA state index) against the raw ACS 2023 median — its spread reflects price movement since the ACS measurement period (~2021), not disagreement between unrelated sources. 'Verified' means the two figures agree within 15%; 'Cross-checked' means they diverge more than 15%; 'Divergent' flags a >2x difference. A spread beyond 35% is too wide to defend a single point — the headline shows the source range instead, flagged 'sources disagree'."},"integrity":{"status":"pass","checks":[{"name":"home value freshness","status":"pass","detail":"latest 2026-04-01 (227d old — current for quarterly cadence)"},{"name":"home value card↔chart","status":"pass","detail":"card matches chart"},{"name":"home value growth window","status":"pass","detail":"growth matches the 5.0yr available window"},{"name":"rent freshness","status":"pass","detail":"latest 2026-11-01 (13d old — current for monthly cadence)"},{"name":"rent card↔chart","status":"pass","detail":"card matches chart"},{"name":"cash flow identity","status":"pass","detail":"NOI − P&I = cash flow"},{"name":"cash-on-cash","status":"pass","detail":"annual CF ÷ down matches"},{"name":"cap rate","status":"pass","detail":"NOI×12 ÷ price matches"},{"name":"price-to-rent","status":"pass","detail":"price ÷ (rent×12) matches"},{"name":"income plausibility","status":"pass","detail":"within expected range"},{"name":"price-to-income","status":"pass","detail":"price ÷ income matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: home value at term","status":"pass","detail":"compounds at 8.0%/yr"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: total rent paid","status":"pass","detail":"geometric series matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: equity built","status":"pass","detail":"home value − loan balance matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: net cost","status":"pass","detail":"outlay − equity gain matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: savings & verdict","status":"pass","detail":"savings = rent − net cost, verdict matches"}],"summary":"16/16 verified","freshness":{"homeValue":{"date":"2026-04-01","ageDays":227,"cadence":"quarterly","current":true},"rent":{"date":"2026-11-01","ageDays":13,"cadence":"monthly","current":true}}},"confidence":{"homeValue":{"label":"crosscheck","ratio":1.21,"sources":["current estimate (ACS county median × FHFA metro HPI growth)","raw ACS 2023 county median (as measured ~2021)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":261000,"high":316162}},"rent":{"label":"crosscheck","ratio":1.18,"sources":["HUD FMR (county)","Census ACS (county gross rent)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":1064,"high":1259}},"income":{"label":"estimate","sources":["Census ACS"]},"crime":{"label":"estimate","sources":["FBI CDE"]}},"verdict":"Eau Claire County, WI is appreciation-driven for owning: at a 20.9x price-to-rent ratio, the math favors renting — monthly investor cash flow is typically thin or negative unless you buy below median or add units.","faqs":[{"q":"Is Eau Claire County, WI a good rental market?","a":"Tough for cash flow. At 20.9x, Eau Claire County is appreciation-driven — most investors here bank on equity growth, not monthly rent spread."},{"q":"What is the median home value in Eau Claire County?","a":"The typical home value in Eau Claire County is about $316,162 (county-level, Census ACS & FHFA metro HPI), up 2.3% year-over-year, and up 46.8% over five years."},{"q":"What is the median rent in Eau Claire County?","a":"The typical rent in Eau Claire County is about $1,259/mo (county-level, HUD 2-bedroom benchmark bridged from Census ACS gross rent), a current modeled estimate."},{"q":"Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Eau Claire County?","a":"Over a 7-year horizon, buying is cheaper in Eau Claire County — roughly $80,229 ahead of renting, with about $311,323 in equity built."},{"q":"Is Eau Claire County affordable for homebuyers?","a":"Eau Claire County's median home value is 4.2x the local median household income — Moderate (3–5x — tighter budgets)."},{"q":"What is the property tax rate in Eau Claire County?","a":"Eau Claire County's effective property tax rate is about 1.35% of home value (Census ACS county effective rate 1.35% ($3,514 tax ÷ $261,000 ACS median), applied to current value), which on a $316,162 median home is roughly $355/mo."}],"takeaways":["The median home value in Eau Claire County, WI was $316,162 as of April 2026, up 2.3% year over year (FHFA HPI applied to the Census ACS county median).","The typical market rent in Eau Claire County, WI was $1,259/mo as of November 2026, a current modeled estimate (HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027, bridged from Census ACS gross rent).","Eau Claire County, WI has a price-to-rent ratio of 20.9 — a high reading that favors renting over buying at the median. (Computed by Areal from the figures above.)"],"citationSources":[{"name":"U.S. Census Bureau — ACS ACS 2024 5-year estimates","url":"https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/"},{"name":"FHFA House Price Index","url":"https://www.fhfa.gov/data/hpi"},{"name":"HUD Fair Market Rent","url":"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html"},{"name":"FBI Crime Data Explorer","url":"https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/"}],"jsonApi":{"function":"getCountyReport","query":"slug=eau-claire-wi","url":"https://areal.studio/functions/getCountyReport?slug=eau-claire-wi"},"assumptions":{"downPct":20,"ratePct":6.75,"years":7},"dataVintage":{"pulledAt":"2026-11-14T10:04:41.744Z","homeValueBasis":"FHFA metro HPI (quarterly, Eau Claire, WI MSA) × ACS county anchor","rentBasis":"HUD county FMR — flat current estimate (modeled, no public trend)","zhviThrough":null,"zoriThrough":null,"fhfaHpiThrough":"2026-04-01","hpiLevel":"metro","hpiMetro":"Eau Claire, WI MSA","acsVintage":"ACS 2024 5-year estimates","acsVintageMisses":[],"hudFy":"2027","safmrFy":null},"zipAnchors":{"homeValueTier":"county-fhfa-acs","rentTier":"county-acs-hud","zhvi":null,"zori":null,"safmr":null,"countyHomeEstimate":316162,"countyFmr":1259,"countyRatio":null,"hpiLevel":"metro","hpiMetro":"Eau Claire, WI MSA"},"links":{"stateDir":"WI","stateName":"Wisconsin","cityPages":[],"zips":[]},"sources":["Census ACS 5-year","FHFA HPI","HUD Fair Market Rent","FBI CDE (state-level context)"]}