What it's like to live in Bellevue
Bellevue is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bellevue deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 56" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Bellevue compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bellevue
Based on Bellevue's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,308
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,160 a year
- 34% of Bellevue renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,910
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,154/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,154 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $299,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $299,100 · 34% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Brown County is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Brown County (county-wide)
Safety
32 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Bellevue doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Brown County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 513/100k · Policed by Brown County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 22% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 14°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 16% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 30% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Ice Age National Scenic Trail (86 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bellevue's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,154/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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