Housing data for French Island, WI
French Island, WI has an estimated 4,188 residents and 2,067 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in La Crosse County.
25.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,030 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 4,188 (±16)
- Housing units
- 2,067 (±149)
- Households that rent
- 25.2%
- Median gross rent
- $1,030
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.5%
What stands out in French Island
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 17.6% (±17.7 points) in French Island, lower than in La Crosse County (43.6%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 6.9% (±4.8 points) in French Island, lower than in La Crosse County (20.3%).
Households that rent: 25.2% (±7.5 points) in French Island, lower than in La Crosse County (37.8%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 15.6% (±7.1 points) in French Island, lower than in La Crosse County (25.5%).
- Types of homes in French Island
- Renters and owners in French Island
- How long people stay in French Island
Housing in French Island at a glance
- Median rent: $1,030 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,122 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 17.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 25.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $60,202 median household income
- Home values: $207,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,418 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,360 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 6.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 57.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 59.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 5.2% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 70.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 15.4 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −3.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 15.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.8% of homes have more than 1 person per room
French Island against La Crosse County, its state and the nation
| French Island | La Crosse County | Wisconsin | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,188 (±16) | 120,488 (exact) | 5,914,872 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,067 (±149) | 54,011 (±111) | 2,778,572 (±1,533) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 25.2% (±7.5 points) | 37.8% (±1.5 points) | 32.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,030 (±$110) | $1,059 (±$31) | $1,087 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $60,202 (±$10,196) | $73,013 (±$2,790) | $77,485 (±$455) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $207,100 (±$25,369) | $257,000 (±$8,370) | $266,500 (±$1,051) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,360 (±$229) | $3,947 (±$89) | $3,792 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 59.6% (±14.1 points) | 53.0% (±2.4 points) | 57.0% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 15.4 minutes (±2.2) | 18.7 minutes (±0.6) | 22.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.5% (±3.9 points) | 89.9% (±1.1 points) | 90.3% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 48.2 years (±5.1) | 37.5 years (±0.4) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
French Island covers 2.0 square miles of land, about 2,072 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How French Island has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,341 (±14) | 4,188 (±16) | −3.5% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,123 (±116) | 2,067 (±149) | −2.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $833 (±$84) | $1,030 (±$110) | +23.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $161,400 (±$6,273) | $207,100 (±$25,369) | +28.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $62,424 (±$5,616) | $60,202 (±$10,196) | −3.6% | Down after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,278 (±$93) | $1,418 (±$175) | +11.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,808 (±$208) | $3,360 (±$229) | +19.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 27.9% (±6.1 points) | 25.2% (±7.5 points) | −2.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.7% (±8.8 points) | 5.2% (±8.9 points) | −0.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in La Crosse County
French Island has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for La Crosse County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for La Crosse County recorded 214 violent and 1,983 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in French Island
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54603 | 23% | 13,738 | $966 | $181,900 | $52,012 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near French Island
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse | 3.0 mi | $1,010 | $210,100 | 53.9% |
| La Crescent | 3.0 mi | $889 | $272,400 | 14.0% |
| Onalaska | 3.5 mi | $1,130 | $288,900 | 36.9% |
| Dresbach Township | 4.3 mi | $625 | $433,300 | 7.0% |
| Town of Medary | 5.2 mi | $1,229 | $355,500 | 3.4% |
| Town of Onalaska | 5.3 mi | $1,754 | $320,100 | 5.2% |
| La Crescent Township | 5.4 mi | $930 | $373,600 | 10.6% |
| Brice Prairie | 5.9 mi | $1,578 | $297,300 | 8.4% |
Places in Wisconsin most like French Island
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitelaw | $950 | $182,800 | $57,027 | 28.7% |
| Town of St. Germain | $891 | $255,600 | $62,875 | 21.1% |
| Town of Thornapple | $1,014 | $180,900 | $62,083 | 21.8% |
| Town of Cameron | $1,104 | $255,800 | $72,917 | 21.5% |
| Town of Maple Grove (Barron County) | $925 | $206,400 | $59,000 | 21.1% |
| Town of Florence | $869 | $196,200 | $58,832 | 12.1% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Wisconsin.
HUD Fair Market Rent for French Island, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $935 | $1,027 | $1,343 | $1,721 | $2,167 |
HUD income limits for French Island, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,250 | $37,050 | $59,300 |
| 2 people | $25,400 | $42,350 | $67,750 |
| 3 people | $28,600 | $47,650 | $76,200 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $52,900 | $84,650 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $57,150 | $91,450 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $61,400 | $98,200 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $65,600 | $105,000 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $69,850 | $111,750 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $105,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
French Island is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
It lies inside the Town of Campbell, whose figures include it.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about French Island
What is the average rent in French Island, WI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in French Island is $1,030 (±$110) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in French Island?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in French Island, WI is $804 (±$584) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in French Island?
French Island has an estimated 506 (±157) renting households, 25.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in French Island?
The median household income in French Island is $60,202 (±$10,196) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in French Island, WI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $207,100 (±$25,369) for owner-occupied homes in French Island (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in French Island?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in French Island, WI is $1,418 (±$175) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is French Island growing?
In French Island, the number of residents went from 4,341 in 2015–2019 to 4,188 in 2020–2024 (−3.5%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in French Island?
The ZIP code that covers French Island is 54603.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 54603?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 54603 is $966 (±$36) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — French Island CDP, Wisconsin
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for French Island CDP, Wisconsin (place:27875, in state:55).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .