Oshkosh Home Prices: $263K, Up 5.3% — 3 ZIPs Analyzed (2026)
$262,715. That’s what a typical home costs in Oshkosh as of February 2026, and the price tag is 5.3% higher than it was a year ago. Wisconsin’s smaller cities aren’t supposed to move like this, but Oshkosh has notched 12 straight monthly gains.
Quick answer: The average home price in Oshkosh, WI is $262,715 as of February 2026, up 5.3% year over year according to Zillow.
Current Home Prices in Oshkosh
The headline number is $262,715. That’s the typical home value across all three Oshkosh ZIP codes, weighted by Zillow’s index methodology.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $262,715 |
| Year-over-year change | +5.3% |
| Lowest ZIP value | $215,380 |
| Highest ZIP value | $350,247 |
| Spread (high vs low) | $134,867 |
| Data month | February 2026 |
| ZIP codes tracked | 3 |
The gap between the cheapest and priciest ZIP works out to about $135,000. For a city this size, that’s a meaningful split — you’re choosing between two very different price points depending on which side of town you settle on.
A 5.3% annual gain puts Oshkosh ahead of the national average for 2025-2026 movement. It also outpaces nearby Fond du Lac and most of the Fox Valley markets you might compare it against.
For context, the city’s median sat at $249,531 in March 2025. Twelve months later it’s nearly $263,000. That’s $13,184 in paper gains for anyone who already owned during the period — and $13,184 in additional cost for anyone trying to buy in.
Oshkosh Home Prices by Neighborhood
Three ZIP codes cover Oshkosh, and they don’t behave the same way.
| ZIP Code | Median Home Value | Median Rent | vs City Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54901 | $215,380 | $1,123 | -18.0% |
| 54902 | $222,519 | $1,151 | -15.3% |
| 54904 | $350,247 | $1,095 | +33.3% |
One ZIP sits well above the city average. Two sit well below. There’s no middle.
Most Expensive
- 54904 — $350,247. The clear high-end ZIP, running about 33% above the city average and 63% above the cheapest ZIP. Interestingly, rents here ($1,095) are actually the lowest of the three, suggesting more owner-occupied housing pulls the buy-side number up.
Most Affordable
- 54901 — $215,380. The cheapest entry point in the city, sitting 18% below the citywide median. Rents are mid-range at $1,123.
- 54902 — $222,519. A close second on price at 15% below average, with the highest rents of the three at $1,151.
If your budget caps out around $230,000, you have two real options in Oshkosh. If you want anything closer to the city’s high end, 54904 is the only address.
Rent vs Buy in Oshkosh
The rent numbers tell a clear story. Across all three ZIPs, monthly rents cluster between $1,095 and $1,151. Call it $1,123 on average.
Now run the buy math on the median home at $262,715. Put 20% down ($52,543), finance the remaining $210,172 at a current 7% rate, and your principal-and-interest payment runs about $1,398 a month. Add property taxes (Wisconsin averages roughly $300 a month on a home this size), homeowners insurance ($100-150), and you’re looking at $1,800 to $1,900 monthly.
That’s $700 to $800 more per month than renting.
| Cost | Buy ($262,715 home) | Rent (city avg) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly housing cost | ~$1,850 | $1,123 |
| Upfront cost | ~$58,000 (down + closing) | ~$2,300 (security + first) |
| Building equity | Yes | No |
Renting wins on monthly cash flow by a wide margin in Oshkosh right now. Buying makes sense if you’re staying at least 5-7 years and you value the equity build. The 5.3% annual appreciation helps that case — if it continues, a buyer today would see roughly $14,000 in price gains over the next 12 months, which roughly offsets the rent-vs-mortgage premium.
Population Growth and Migration
Oshkosh added residents over the past four years, but barely.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 66,913 |
| 2021 | 66,093 |
| 2022 | 66,497 |
| 2023 | 66,866 |
| 2024 | 67,242 |
The 2024 population of 67,242 is up 0.5% from 2020. The city actually shrunk in 2021 before clawing back over the next three years. Compared to other Wisconsin cities, Oshkosh sits in the middle of the pack.
| City | 2024 Population | 4-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | 285,300 | +3.8% |
| Eau Claire | 72,331 | +4.1% |
| Waukesha | 71,461 | +0.5% |
| Racine | 78,057 | -0.1% |
| Janesville | 66,428 | +1.2% |
| Oshkosh | 67,242 | +0.5% |
Madison and Eau Claire are pulling ahead. Racine is shrinking. Oshkosh is roughly flat with Waukesha — slow growth, no boom.
For the housing market, slow population growth means demand pressure stays moderate. The 5.3% annual price gain Oshkosh just posted isn’t being driven by a population surge. Something else is doing the work: low inventory, regional spillover from pricier markets, or both.
Oshkosh Housing Market Trends
Twelve months of consecutive gains. Here’s the run.
| Month | Median Value |
|---|---|
| 2026-02 | $262,715 |
| 2026-01 | $261,549 |
| 2025-12 | $260,195 |
| 2025-11 | $258,404 |
| 2025-10 | $256,650 |
| 2025-09 | $254,818 |
| 2025-08 | $253,376 |
| 2025-07 | $252,337 |
| 2025-06 | $251,686 |
| 2025-05 | $251,023 |
| 2025-04 | $250,257 |
| 2025-03 | $249,531 |
Not a single down month in the past year. The pace did pick up in the back half — the market gained $5,000 from March 2025 to August 2025 (about $830/month), then added another $9,300 from August through February 2026 (closer to $1,550/month).
That’s a market that’s been accelerating, not cooling.
Is Oshkosh a Good Place to Buy in 2026?
Oshkosh is a seller’s market by the numbers. Twelve months of price gains, accelerating momentum in the back half of 2025, and a 5.3% annual appreciation rate all point in one direction.
For buyers, that means competition. You’re not getting a deal on a typical Oshkosh home right now. You’re paying 5% more than someone who bought a year ago paid.
But it’s not an overheated market either. Population growth is anemic. The city is small and the inventory of three ZIPs limits options. Prices are still well below national averages — $263K is genuinely affordable for a Wisconsin city of this size.
If you can afford the monthly payment and plan to stay long enough to build equity, the math works. If you’re flexible on timing and would rather wait out the current price climb, renting at $1,123 is meaningfully cheaper than owning right now.
Oshkosh Housing Market Outlook for 2026-2027
The 3-month trend shows prices climbing about $840 per month on average. The 6-month trend is steeper — closer to $1,550 monthly. Momentum has been building, not fading.
If the current pace continues, Oshkosh could cross $270,000 by mid-summer 2026 and approach $275,000 by year-end. That assumes nothing changes — interest rates hold, inventory stays tight, and no recession hits the Fox Valley.
The risks point both ways. Slow population growth (0.5% over four years) limits the structural demand pushing prices up, so a slowdown is plausible if mortgage rates climb further or local employment softens. On the other hand, the recent acceleration suggests there’s real buyer pressure that hasn’t yet found enough supply.
The 12-month streak of gains is the cleanest signal in the data. Markets that have moved up every month for a year tend to keep moving up until something breaks the pattern.
Similar Markets in WI
- Appleton — Oshkosh’s closest neighbor by feel and geography, just up the highway in the Fox Valley.
- Fond du Lac — Smaller and typically cheaper, a natural alternative if Oshkosh prices stretch your budget.
- Green Bay — Bigger market with more inventory and a broader price range.
- Madison — A different tier entirely; Madison buyers priced out often look at Oshkosh-area cities.
- Milwaukee — Wisconsin’s largest market, useful for benchmarking what your Oshkosh dollar buys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average home price in Oshkosh?
The average home price in Oshkosh, WI is $262,715 as of February 2026. That figure is the Zillow Home Value Index for the city, covering three ZIP codes that range from $215,380 to $350,247.
Are home prices going up or down in Oshkosh?
Prices are going up — 5.3% year over year. The market has posted gains every single month for the past 12 months, and the pace has actually picked up in the second half of 2025.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Oshkosh?
Renting is cheaper on a monthly basis. The typical rent runs about $1,123, while owning the median home costs around $1,850 a month after you factor in taxes and insurance. Buying still wins long-term if you stay 5+ years and capture equity gains.
What is the most affordable neighborhood in Oshkosh?
ZIP code 54901 is the cheapest at $215,380, about 18% below the city average. ZIP 54902 is a close second at $222,519. ZIP 54904 is the high-end option at $350,247.
Methodology
Home values are based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a smoothed measure of typical home values in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Rent estimates use the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2020-2024 vintage). All datasets are publicly available. Housing data updated 2026-02-28.