Dunn County housing shortage: more lower-income and higher income rental and owner-occupied needed
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — An analysis of housing data by the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission shows that more lower-income rental and higher-income rental and owner-occupied housing is needed in Dunn County.
The information about the housing shortage was presented by the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission at a forum held January 30 for the City of Menomonie, January 31 at the Dunn County Government Center, and in Boyceville on February 6.
The housing forums were part of a housing study commissioned by the Dunn County Health and Human Services Board with approval by the Dunn County Board of Supervisors.
The project is funded through a Community Development Block Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, a grant from the Community Foundation of Dunn County, the City of Menomonie and the Village of Boyceville.
Feedback gathered at the forums will be used by the housing advisory committee to discuss priority goals and actions. The final study is expected to be completed this spring, and then a presentation will be made to the Dunn County Board.
The villages of Colfax and Elk Mound also were invited to participate in the housing study, but since both municipalities already had housing in the process of being built, village board members decided they did not need additional information on whether the kind of housing being built would fill the existing needs for housing.
Elk Mound has a large apartment complex currently under construction that, if all phases are completed, will result in a doubling of the population in Elk Mound.
The Settlers Ridge Townhome units rent in the range of $1,200 to $1,500 per month.
Colfax has had three houses built in the East View residential development, with at least three more planned to be built in the next few years.
The developers agreement for the East View development, which offered the first six lots to developers for free, requires a market value of at least $175,000 when the houses are finished.
Two four-plex units have been completed in Colfax, and construction has started on three duplexes.
The apartments and the duplex units rent, or will rent, for between $1,200 and $1,500 per month.
The goals for the WCWRPC housing forums were to gather feedback on the initial data and findings; obtain ideas on potential strategies or tools to explore; and foster community discussion and potential partnerships to address local housing needs, concerns and strategies.
Health Dunn Right
The idea for a housing study began with a survey by the Dunn County Health Department.
Nearly half of the Dunn County residents who responded to the survey — 46 percent — said that safe and quality housing is a major or a moderate weakness for the community.
A little more than one-fourth — 27 percent — of people responding to the survey said either they or someone they know are negatively affected by a lack of safe and quality housing.
One of the comments from the survey indicated there is a lack of availability, or even the existence of, affordable housing.
Large complexes that rent apartments for $1,000 a month are not helpful, the commenter said, noting that he or she works for more than minimum wage but does not consider a rent of $1,000 per month affordable.
Demographics
Dunn County has a population of 45,440 and has 17,414 households, with an average household size of 2.4 people.
The homeownership rate in Dunn County is 67.2 percent, with 12.4 percent of the households with residents aged 65 or older and living alone, along with 25.8 percent of the households with one or more residents under the age of 18, and 29.4 percent of the households with one person in the residence.
Data sources used by WCWRPC include United States Census, five-year American Community Survey estimates from 2016 to 2020, permit data, interviews, the county-wide survey and other sources.
According to the 2016 to 2020 ACS 5-year estimates, the household size in Dunn County is decreasing, but the number of households is increasing.
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The median age in the county was 38.8 years old, and 93 percent of county residents identified as white alone while 3 percent identified as Asian alone.
In addition, 41.8 percent of the households in Dunn County had an income of less than $50,000 in 2020.
Population
Wisconsin Department of Administration population projections indicate that in 20 years, Dunn County’s population will have increased by about 3,000 people to 48,485.
In 20 years, the population of those aged 20 to 44 will decrease from 15,310 in 2020 to 14,630.
Residents in Dunn County aged 65 or older will increase by more than 4,000 from 8,130 in 2020 to 12,735 in 2040.
People ranging in age from zero to 19 will remain fairly steady over the next 20 years, from 11,690 in 2020 to 11,350 in 2040.
Dunn County residents aged 45 to 64 will decrease over the next 20 years by nearly 2,000 from 11,310 to 9,770.
Among those aged 20 to 24, a strong majority rent housing in Dunn County.
Among those aged 25 to 54, a majority rent housing in Dunn County.
For those aged 55 to 64, a strong majority own their house in Dunn County.
For those aged 65 to 84, the majority own their house.
Among those over age 85, the majority rent in Dunn County.
Income
The median household income in Dunn County is $59,588, while the median income in Wisconsin is $62,293 and the median income in the United States is $64,994.
The per capita income in Dunn County is $28,988, while the per capita income in Wisconsin is $34,450 and the per capita in the United States os $35,384.
Regarding the poverty rate, Dunn County has a higher rate of poverty than Wisconsin as a whole but has a lower poverty rate than the United States.
The percentage of people below the poverty level in Dunn County is 11.7 percent, while the poverty rate in Wisconsin is 11.0 percent, and the poverty rate in the United States is 12.8 percent.
Rental units
Rental units make up about 33 percent of all housing in Dunn County.
All together, 33 percent of all renter-occupied units are single-family detached homes, while 19 percent of renter-occupied units have one bedroom, 40 percent have two bedrooms and 25 percent have three bedrooms.
A total of 47 percent of single-person households are renting.
In Dunn County, 12,445 people live in rental units, and there are 6,069 rental units.
The median renter-occupied structure was built in 1982.
Owner-occupied
Owner units account for about 67 percent of all housing in Dunn County.
A total of 89 percent of owner-occupied units are single-family detached units while 10 percent are mobile homes.
Of the owner-occupied units, 48 percent have three bedrooms and 30 percent have four or more bedrooms.
All together, 18 percent of Dunn County’s owner-occupied housing was built in 1939 or earlier.
Married couples make up 87 percent of family households, while 53 percent of single-person households owned a home.
The population in owner units in 2020 was 29,753, and the number of owner units was 12,179.
UW-Stout houses about 3,000 students.
Affordability
When households spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, which includes rent or a mortgage, utilities, taxes and insurance, the household is considered cost-burdened.
Rent
In 2000, the median gross rent in Dunn County was about $450 per month, compared to $550 for Wisconsin as a whole.
In 2020, median gross rent in Dunn County was $825 per month and was about $875 for Wisconsin.
According to www.rentdata.org, the median rent in Dunn County for a two-bedroom unit increased by about 20 percent from $823 in 2020 to $987 in the market today.
Approximately 42 percent of households paying rent in Dunn County spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.
The median income of rental households was $35,477, compared to $59,588 for the median income in Dunn County.
Low income gaps
For households making less than $10,000 per year, there were 688 households accounting for 12 percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was zero to $199, with 404 renter units available, leaving a deficit of 284 renter units.
For households making between $10,000 and $14,999 per year, there were 441 households accounting for 8 percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $200 to $299, with 114 renter units available, leaving a deficit of 327 renter units.
For households making $15,000 to $24,999 per year, there were 772 households accounting for 14 percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $300 to $549 per month, with 632 units available, leaving a deficit if 140 renter units.
All together, for low and lower income households making up 34 percent of the renter households, there is a deficit of 751 rental units.
Middle income surplus
For households making $25,000 to $34,999 per year, there were 890 households accounting for 16 percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $550 to $749 per month, with 1,432 units available, leaving a surplus of 542 renter units.
For households making $35,000 to $49,000 per year, there were 804 households accounting for 14 percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $750 to $999 per month, with 1553 units available, leaving a surplus of 749 renter units.
For households making $50,000 to $74,999 per year, there were 1,173 households accounting for 21 percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $1,000 to $1,499 per month, with 1,322 units available, leaving a surplus of 149 renter units.
All together, for middle income households making up 51 percent of the renter households, there is a surplus of 4,307 rental units.
Higher income gaps
For households making $75,000 to $99,999 per year, there were 357 households accounting for six percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $1,500 to $1,999 per month, with 106 units available, leaving a deficit of 251 renter units.
For households making $100,000 to $149,999 per year, there were 388 households accounting for seven percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $2,000 to $2,999 per month, with 56 units available, leaving a deficit of 332 renter units.
For households making more than $150,000 per year, there were 106 households accounting for two percent of renter households.
The affordable rent range was $3,000 to $3,499 per month, with zero units available, leaving a deficit of 106 renter units.
All together, for higher income households making up 15 percent of the renter households, there is a deficit of 689 rental units.
Owner affordability
About 25 percent of homeowners in Dunn County with mortgages spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.
From 2000 to 2020, homeownership rates for people younger than 35 who own a house decreased from 1,604 in 2000 to 1,205 in 2020.
Lower income
For households making less than $24,999 per year, there were 1,455 households accounting for 13 percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was zero to $59,999, with 1,047 units available, leaving a deficit of 408 owner units.
For households making $25,000 to $34,999 per year, there were 825 households accounting for seven percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was $60,000 to $89,999, with 738 units available, leaving a deficit of 87 owner units.
All together, for lower income households making up 20 percent of the owner households, there is a deficit of 408 owner units.
Middle income
For households making $35,000 to $49,999 per year, there were 1,295 households accounting for 11 percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was $90,000 to $124,999 , with 1,557 units available, leaving a surplus of 262 owner units.
For households making $50,000 to $74,999 per year, there were 2,130 households accounting for 19 percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was $125,000 to $199,999, with 3,743 units available, leaving a surplus of 1,613 owner units.
All together, for middle income households making up 30 percent of the owner households, there is a surplus of 4,005 owner units.
Higher income
For households making $75,000 to $99,999 per year, there were 2,094 households accounting for 18 percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was $200,000 to $249,999 , with 1,682 units available, leaving a deficit of 412 owner units.
For households making $100,000 to $149,000 per year, there were 2,293 households accounting for 20 percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was $250,000 to $399,999 , with 2,067 units available, leaving a deficit of 226 owner units.
For households making more than $150,000 per year, there were 1,413 households accounting for 12 percent of owner households.
The affordable range to purchase a house was $400,000 or more, with 671 units available, leaving a deficit of 742 owner units.
All together, for higher income households making up 50 percent of the owner households, there is a deficit of 1,380 owner units.
