Bern, WI housing market
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in 2025.
Home values, sales, trends and how Bern compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
3 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in Bern in 2025, all single-family houses. Over the past 10 years, Bern has permitted 17 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Bern gained 23 residents while 11 new homes were permitted: about 2.1 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Wisconsin: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $195,000 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $585,000 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $35,000 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $35,000 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $640,000 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $590,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $450,000 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $500,000 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $120,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $265,000 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $360,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $194,000 |
| 2008 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $435,000 |
| 2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $525,000 |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $360,000 |
| 2005 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $651,000 |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $212,000 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $71,000 |
| 2002 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $75,000 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $255,000 |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $240,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Bern and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bern | — | — | $1,000 | 3 | $78,929 |
| Athens | $255K | +9.6% | $1,000 | 5 | $52,750 |
| Deer Creek | — | — | $1,100 | 0 | $89,500 |
| Johnson | — | — | $1,000 | 1 | $74,800 |
| Halsey | — | — | $1,000 | 3 | $88,750 |
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 · figures for a place this size carry wide margins of error.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,000
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Bern is $1,000 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Bern pay a median of $1,031.
Studio $690 · 4 bedrooms $1,450
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (54411, 54451; Wausau, WI MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
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. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.