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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater sends about 11,989 Warhawks into Whitewater, a small southern Wisconsin city tucked against the Kettle Moraine. Downtown is a 15-minute walk up Main Street, lined with historic homes, the Birge fountain, and the Cultural Arts Center, so you don't need a car to reach the heart of town. The Kettle Moraine State Forest and the Ice Age National Scenic Trail sit minutes away, so mountain biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing are part of the deal. Cravath Lakefront Park anchors summer with the City Market, weekly concerts, and a four-day Fourth of July festival. Fall belongs to football: students pack 13,500-seat Perkins Stadium for the Warhawk Walk, and you'll see Warhawk Drive painted purple before the season.
UW-Whitewater follows the University of Wisconsin System rule requiring first- and second-year students to live in university housing unless they qualify for an exemption. Plan on two years of on-campus living as the default. After that second year, most Warhawks move off campus.
The most common exemption is distance: if you live with a parent or legal guardian within 40 miles and commute daily, you can apply to skip the dorms. The other path is time, since students who graduated high school two or more years ago are not bound by the rule. Apply for the exemption rather than assuming you qualify.
The rental process is fairly informal, but landlords still run credit checks and usually want a parent or guardian cosigner if you do not have steady income. Leases typically run a full 12 months, so plan to cover summer even if you go home. Watch for occupancy limits, since Whitewater caps how many unrelated tenants can share a single-family house, and confirm who handles snow removal and lawn care.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with University of Wisconsin-Whitewater before signing a lease.
Whitewater leases for the next school year remarkably early for such a small town. Because so much housing is student-driven, preleasing kicks off in fall, and a lot of groups lock in their house or apartment as early as September and October. If you have a roommate group, settle it and sign before the holidays or shortly after. Moving this early is the surest way to land a house near campus or downtown.
By winter, the best houses near campus and downtown are largely spoken for, so the real competition runs through fall and early winter. Classes start in late August or early September, with university move-in built around Drop N Go in late August. Settle your roommate group and sign before the holidays if location matters. The earlier you commit, the more of the walkable inventory is still on the table.
If you are still hunting in late spring or summer, you will be working with leftovers, often farther from campus, though Whitewater is not so big that you will be left with nothing. Spring is prime sublease season, with students leaving for student teaching, internships, or graduation. Watch the off-campus listings and the campus boards if you need a spot for one semester. They also work if you want to join an existing lease mid-year.
The walkable spine between campus and downtown, with older student houses and apartments that lease fast.
A quieter residential pocket near the park, popular with students who want a calmer street and more space.
Houses and units near the water and the city's summer events, a short walk or ride to class.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A bedroom in a shared house or apartment near UW-Whitewater usually runs about $400-$700/month per person, and splitting a larger 4 or 5-bedroom house can push your share toward the low end. Smaller one-bedroom units run higher when you're on your own. Plan on another $50-$120/month for utilities, especially heat through a Wisconsin winter.