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Around Madison
View of the Capitol Building grounds during Concerts on the square · Photo: Ricofaccini, CC BY-SA 4.0
Of about 112,627 rented homes in the Madison area, 89% rent for under $2,000 a month and 98% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 24%
$1,000 to $1,499: 42%
$1,500 to $1,999: 24%
$2,000 to $2,499: 7%
$2,500 to $2,999: 2%
$3,000 or more: 2%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in the Madison area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Wisconsin: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Wisconsin DMV.
15 public school districts in this county, with about 76,842 students in all. The county also has 14 public charter schools and 43 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private District that covers the center of Madison: Madison Metropolitan School District
District lines: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of Madison
Elementary
Shorewood Hills Elementary0.9 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 5 · 382 students · 12.7 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 78%, math about 81% (state: reading about 38%, math about 40%)
Randall Elementary School1.5 mi
Public
grades 3 to 5 · 316 students · 14.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 70%, math about 72% (state: reading about 38%, math about 40%)
Van Hise Elementary2.1 mi
Public
grades K to 5 · 421 students · 15.6 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 75%, math about 80% (state: reading about 38%, math about 40%)
Middle
Hamilton Middle2.1 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 768 students · 15.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 65%, math about 67% (state: reading about 38%, math about 40%)
Spring Harbor Middle2.2 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 270 students · 13.5 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 56%, math about 47% (state: reading about 38%, math about 40%)
James Wright Middle3.1 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 259 students · 11.3 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 17%, math about 17% (state: reading about 38%, math about 40%)
High school
West High1.3 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 2,137 students · 16.6 per teacher
East High3.9 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 1,644 students · 15.2 per teacher
Vel Phillips Memorial High School3.9 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 2,005 students · 16.8 per teacher
Private
Blessed Sacrament School1.5 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 185 students · 10.6 per teacher
St James School1.9 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 101 students · 7.8 per teacher
Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart2.0 mi
Private
grades 9 to 12 · 528 students · 15.7 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of Madison, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on Wisconsin's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
5,484 students · 17 students per teacher · 9 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
School choice and pre-K in Wisconsin
Going to school in another district
State law says districts must accept students from other districts when they have room, under set rules. Ask the district you'd like about space and deadlines.
Picking a different school in your district
State law lets each district decide whether families can pick a different school within the district.
Free state pre-K
59% of 4-year-olds in Wisconsin attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
Wisconsin keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$293/week
about $15,200 a year
$220/week
about $11,400 a year
Toddler (2)
$259/week
about $13,500 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$259/week
about $13,500 a year
$200/week
about $10,400 a year
School-age
$205/week
about $10,700 a year
For an infant at a center: $293/week here, $257 across WI, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 13% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 2,001 students · $34,850 a year
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$445,747
What a typical home sells for across the Madison area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Average commute
22 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Homeowners insurance
About $1,812 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in WI. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively High
Hail is a real cost here: roof claims are common and some insurers charge a separate, higher deductible for wind and hail. Covered parking helps protect a car.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
6 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
11.7 per 100,000 people a year
69 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. WI average: 16.1 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 13.4 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 790 people without housing in the Madison/Dane County area: 696 in shelters and 94 outside, up from 736 in 2024. WI: 8.8 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$88,108
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.71% of home value a year
About $1,710 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 7.65%
WI's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
