What it's like to live in Howard
Howard is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, county unemployment below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Howard 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
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
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 Howard compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Howard
Based on Howard's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,204
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,080 a year
- 36% of Howard renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$63,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,570
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 22% below US
$1,102/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,102 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $315,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $315,700 · 36% 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
Howard 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; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% 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
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below 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 (84 miles away).
Bottom line
Howard's strongest points are rent below the national average and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,102/mo) equals 15% 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.
Other places near Howard
All Wisconsin guides →Not sure Howard is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.