1st Advantage MortgageA DSCR loan in Eau Claire turns on rent versus payment. Citywide medians from the Census are $1,045 a month for rent, $247,600 for home value and $3,553 a year for real estate taxes.
Eau Claire rental market at a glance
Start with the two numbers every DSCR file turns on. Rent in Eau Claire runs a median $1,045 a month (close to the Wisconsin median of $1,087), and the median owner-occupied home is worth $247,600. A quick screen: twelve months of Eau Claire median rent over its median home value equals 5.1%, on the low side, so the payment, not the rent, usually decides whether a file clears. Use it to compare markets, then replace it with real rent evidence for the address.
| Indicator | Wisconsin | Eau Claire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual property tax bill, median | $3,792 | $3,553 | -6% |
| Household income, median | $77,485 | $67,395 | -13% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $266,500 | $247,600 | -7% |
| Typical monthly rent | $1,087 | $1,045 | -4% |
| Persons per household | 2.33 | 2.18 | |
| Share in 2-4 unit buildings | 9.4% | 16.7% | +78% |
| Share of homes detached | 66.2% | 54.8% | -17% |
| Workers on their own account | 8.5% | 6.9% | -19% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 43.7% | 40.8% | -7% |
| Units sitting vacant | 10.8% | 3.8% | -64% |
| Typical construction year | 1975 | 1975 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 4.9% | 5.1% | +3% |
| Households that rent | 32.2% | 45.6% | +42% |
| Tax as a share of home value | 1.42% | 1.43% | +1% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 5,914,872 | 70,322 |
Tenure in Eau Claire is split fairly evenly: 45.6% renter-occupied and 54% owner-occupied, with the renter share well above the Wisconsin median of 32%. Household income runs a median $67,395 (about 13% below the Wisconsin median of $77,485), while 41% of renters spend 30 percent or more of income on housing.
Housing mix and age in Eau Claire
Apartments and small buildings carry real weight in Eau Claire, about 36% of units, with duplexes through fourplexes at 17%. Median year built is 1975, so many homes are reaching the age when major systems need replacing.
Use vacancy as a reality check: 4% of all units are vacant in Eau Claire, and the rental vacancy rate is 3.0%.
Investor takeaways for Eau Claire
With only 5.1% gross yield, Eau Claire buyers often rely on appreciation as part of the plan, and a lender will want the ratio to clear without it. A median build year of 1975 suggests moderate repair budgets with the usual replacement cycles. Renters are 46% of households, which gives investors a real tenant base to market to.
The payment side of the Eau Claire ratio
Tax drag is easy to underestimate. Eau Claire owners report a median $3,553 in annual real estate taxes, close to the Wisconsin median of $3,792, an effective 1.43% of median home value. That is about 28% of a year of median rent gone to taxes before the loan is even counted.
Eau Claire County carries a relatively low overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index, where cold waves (relatively high), strong wind (relatively high) and hail (relatively moderate) rank highest.
| Hazard in Eau Claire County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Tornadoes exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Hail exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Strong wind exposure | Relatively High |
| Cold waves exposure | Relatively High |
| Social vulnerability score | Very Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Low |
| Composite risk | Relatively Low |
Price the insurance before you price the offer: a landlord quote for the Eau Claire property, plus flood cover where the map requires it, goes into the payment your rent is divided against.
A worked DSCR test for Eau Claire
Try the math at the medians. With rent at $1,045 and taxes near $296 a month, a 1.00 DSCR leaves $749 for everything else in the payment, a 1.20 ratio leaves $575, and a 1.25 ratio leaves $540. Any real property will differ, but the exercise shows how little room insurance and dues can take.
Landlord and short-term rental rules in Eau Claire
We have not confirmed a city-specific rental registration or nightly-stay permit program for Eau Claire, so check with the city and with Eau Claire County before you buy, and look at any HOA or condominium rules that can be stricter than the city's. Nightly stays carry state tax in Wisconsin. Wisconsin taxes short-term lodging of under a month, requires a marketplace that processes the guest's payment to collect state sales tax, and leaves municipal room taxes to be filed with each taxing municipality.
Wisconsin gives a landlord 21 days after the tenancy ends to return a deposit, an easy deadline to miss without a checklist.
Statewide comparison for Eau Claire
For a statewide comparison, the cities below range from $167,900 in Wausau to $372,900 in Madison on median home value, with Eau Claire at $247,600.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wausau | 42% | $3,127 | $167,900 | 39,996 | $1,010 |
| Oshkosh | 45% | $3,401 | $177,700 | 66,729 | $935 |
| Madison | 54% | $6,541 | $372,900 | 278,001 | $1,413 |
| Eau Claire | 46% | $3,553 | $247,600 | 70,322 | $1,045 |
Workforce and demand drivers in Eau Claire
About 6.9% of Eau Claire workers are self-employed, the kind of borrowers whose tax returns understate cash flow and who often prefer a loan sized on rent. On the workforce side, government workers are about 14% of employment, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 5% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Chippewa Valley Technical College and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire are the named colleges for the Eau Claire area, a source of steady tenants but also of a lease cycle that follows the academic calendar. Eau Claire offers interstate access via I-94 and air service through Eau Claire Regional Airport and Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, details that affect commute times and how easily a distant investor can inspect a property.
Next steps for a Eau Claire purchase
Run the Eau Claire rent, tax and insurance figures through the DSCR calculator. When they clear the ratio, start an application or ask for a quote.
More Wisconsin markets
- All Wisconsin DSCR loans
- DSCR loans in Madison, WI
- DSCR loans in Oshkosh, WI
- DSCR loans in Wausau, WI
- Every market we cover
Where we checked
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Wikipedia: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Eau Claire landlords: see Wis. Stat. 704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06
- Wisconsin DOR Publication 219 (Wisconsin)
- Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020 to 2024 tables
All Eau Claire statistics are ACS five-year survey estimates from 2020 to 2024. RedFlagLease (CC BY 4.0) supplies the Wisconsin landlord-tenant notes, and the statutes are linked. Checked October 2026; confirm with Eau Claire or the county before you rely on any rule.
A short buyer checklist
Ask the seller for twelve months of utility bills and any lease on the Eau Claire property, confirm who pays water, trash and lawn care, and get the insurance quote before the inspection period ends so the ratio is tested on real numbers.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
How does a lender pick the rent for a Eau Claire DSCR file?
On most files the lender uses the lower of the signed lease rent and the appraiser's market rent for the address in Eau Claire. For orientation, the Census median gross rent here is $1,045 a month.
How do taxes and insurance affect a DSCR loan in Eau Claire?
Taxes, insurance and dues are inside the payment the lender tests. Run $1,045 through a 1.25 ratio and the ceiling is about $836; subtract $296 for median taxes and $540 remains.
What tax bill should I expect on a Eau Claire rental?
The median bill is $3,553, an effective rate near 1.43%. Because Eau Claire County may reassess at sale, use an estimate on the new price when you run the ratio.
Can I use Airbnb income to qualify in Eau Claire?
Possible where lender guidelines allow it, subject to Eau Claire and Eau Claire County rules and to the building's association. Lenders usually average a year of bookings and discount the result.
When must a Eau Claire landlord return a deposit?
Under Wis. Stat. 704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06: The deposit is due back within 21 days of move-out. Check the statute and your lease before collecting.
Does hazard risk affect a Eau Claire DSCR loan?
Overall risk is rated relatively low for the county. Because the rating covers a whole county, look up the specific property on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
How do LLC closings work for Eau Claire rentals?
Not required. An LLC borrower is routine for investor programs, with entity paperwork and a guaranty. Form the company before you go under contract in Eau Claire.