Can you afford to live in Madison?

Median household income, home values and rent in Madison, WI — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Madison.

Median household income: $76,983 — +40.2% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,364/mo — +45.3% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 212500
• 2023: 346900

Median household income

• Madison: 76983
• Dane County: 88108
• WI: 75670
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Madison: 1364
• Dane County: 1345
• WI: 1045
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 29.5% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

Households here earn about what households nationally earn ($76,983 versus $78,538).

The typical renter here spends 29.5% of household income on rent, below the 30% cost-burden line.

Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+45.3% versus +40.2%), before adjusting for inflation.