What it's like to live in Stevens Point
Stevens Point is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Stevens Point deals with household incomes below the national average, cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Stevens Point compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Stevens Point
Based on Stevens Point's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,780
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $35,600 a year
- 42% of Stevens Point renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,080
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,540
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 37% below US
$890/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $890 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $195,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $195,400 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 35% below US
2.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.8%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 64% below US
120 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 840/100k · Stevens Point Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 36% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.6 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% 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 10°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
38% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 38% 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
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 (37 miles away).
Bottom line
Stevens Point's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($890/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Stevens Point
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Plover →
4 mi away · pop. 13,884
Rent $1,089/mo · Income $88,042
Compare with Stevens Point →Moving to Wisconsin Rapids →
16 mi away · pop. 18,722
Rent $888/mo · Income $55,253
Compare with Stevens Point →Moving to Weston →
25 mi away · pop. 15,749
Rent $1,024/mo · Income $78,207
Compare with Stevens Point →Moving to Wausau →
31 mi away · pop. 39,996
Rent $1,010/mo · Income $64,389
Compare with Stevens Point →Not sure Stevens Point is the one?
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