The Next Generation's Housing Journey

Washington County

Community leaders, employers, and employees have long expressed concerns over the perceived housing inventory and affordability in Washington County. This comprehensive data analysis details the historic trends and current state of housing in the county and for the communities of Germantown, Hartford, Jackson, Kewaskum, Slinger and West Bend. This interactive report details findings on 1) historical and current inventory of rental and ownership housing, 2) rental and ownership housing costs and vacancy rates, 3) household demographics and income, and 4) affordability of the housing inventory.

There are several key themes to the findings:

  • Significant portions of the residents in Washington County are cost burdened, spending greater than 30-percent and, in many cases, greater than 50-percent of their household budget
  • Households earning 50-percent of the median-income or below are the most cost-burdened group in the county when it comes to housing
  • Wage rates for 4 of the 5 largest job groups in the county fall below 50-percent of the median-income, which equates to $18.67/hour
  • Difficulty in saving for a down payment is a barrier to home ownership