EAU CLAIRE Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – According to the Realtor’s Association of Northwestern Wisconsin, the median cost of housing has increased in western Wisconsin, but one county, in particular, has seen the opposite.

“In Eau Claire County the median home price actually decreased by 3.1% compared to last year.”

Julie Flor with Six Lakes Realty says that, and the low inventory of homes makes it hard to buy one. However, she says it’s better than the alternative.

“Renting prices have gone up significantly.”

The Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association says they’ve noticed another trend in Eau Claire County.

“What we’re seeing is that after COVID, a lot of people are leaving the larger cities and coming to communities like Eau Claire where there’s a lot of fantastic opportunities, things to do.”

The strain the pandemic had on getting resources to build homes is something Thurn says shouldn’t be an issue.

“Supply chains are improving. There are definitely still some items that may have longer delays or harder to get.”

Thurn says the association is relying on pending reports from the city and county to keep a grasp on how much housing is needed.