Racine, WI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Wisconsin·Racine

Racine County · Racine · population 78,057

First-time buyersInvestors

Image: Wikipedia · Racine, Wisconsin

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

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Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Racine stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.8% in the last year. averaging 8.2% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 6.0% in the last year.

Median home $215,257

1-year +4.8%

5-yr CAGR +8.2%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

52/100

Somewhat walkable

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

78/100

Strong remote-work fit

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.8

Buy

At a 14.8 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Racine on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.8 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

74 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

80 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

47 · w16%

Rent YoY

85 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

85 · w10%

Long thesis

Racine has averaged 8.2% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+4.8% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Racine's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Racine

Racine is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, with an estimated population of 78,057. The median home value in Racine is $215,257 as of 2026-04, up 4.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Racine average $1,211 per month, up 6.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 76 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.2% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.

●Affordable AND rising: median home $215,257 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.

●Quiet strength: +4.8% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

●Hot rental market: rents up 6.0% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Racine (Wikipedia)

Racine is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River, 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and 60 miles (97 km) north of Chicago. It is the fifth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 77,816 at the 2020 census. The Racine metropolitan statistical area, consisting solely of Racine County, has an estimated 199,000 residents.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorCory Mason

Area15.66 sq mi

Elevation618 ft

Density4960.26/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Racine County right now.

NWS active alerts (WI)Wisconsin Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Racine County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Racine

3 tracked · ranked by median home value

1Downtown$201,649-2.2%

2Douglas Avenue$174,075+3.0%

3Live Towerview$170,413-1.1%

Cities like Racine

Sheboygan, WI76 · Rising Fond du Lac, WI75 · Rising West Allis, WI73 · Rising Oshkosh, WI72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Racine

ToolCan I afford Racine?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Racine rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Racine to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolRacine cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

27° / 11°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

81° / 60°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

188

~52% of year

Annual precip

33″ rain

47″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

Very low

Tornado

Moderate

Wildfire

Very low

Earthquake

Very low

Flood

Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Racine listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

Racine begins lead service line replacement project with goal of removing all lead pipes in five years
Spectrum News · 6h ago
“No Safe Level”: Racine begins $130M lead pipe replacement project
Racine County Eye · 4h ago
Racine residents welcome city's efforts to replace all lead service lines in the next five years
TMJ4 News · 5h ago
Kathleen S. Ritt Obituary & Funeral | Racine, WI
Maresh-Meredith & Acklam Funeral Home · 2d ago
Former detective in Racine County charged with beating wife
WISN · 1d ago
UAW Local 180 suppresses strike by CNH Industrial workers in Racine, Wisconsin
World Socialist Web Site · 23h ago

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Racine area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NBAMilwaukee Bucks →

MLBMilwaukee Brewers →

Local economy & environment

Humidity

73%

Humid climate

Median household income

$72,500

Wisconsin state median

Top industries (state-level)

ManufacturingHealthcareDairy/Food

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.