Dane County, WI Average Home Price (2026)
The average home price in Dane County, Wisconsin is about $478,000 (the 2026 median across 33 ZIP codes, at ~$248/sq ft) — 54% more expensive than the Wisconsin median and 65% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
How Dane County compares
Dane County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $478,000 against $311,000 for Wisconsin and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $359,000 to $790,000.
| Area | Typical value | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Dane County | $478,000 | $248 |
| Wisconsin | $311,000 | $207 |
| United States | $289,000 | $193 |
Cities in Dane County
Cities with their own home-value page, largest first:
Dane County home prices by ZIP code
The 15 most valuable ZIP codes in Dane County (of 33 with data):
| ZIP code | Typical value | $ / sq ft | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53726 Madison | $790,000 | $365 | +65% |
| 53562 Middleton | $621,000 | $263 | +30% |
| 53597 Waunakee | $597,000 | $250 | +25% |
| 53593 Verona | $596,000 | $261 | +25% |
| 53705 Madison | $554,000 | $341 | +16% |
| 53528 Cross Plains | $537,000 | $266 | +12% |
| 53517 Vermont | $530,000 | $253 | +11% |
| 53717 Madison | $511,000 | $230 | +7% |
| 53598 Windsor | $510,000 | $213 | +7% |
| 53529 Dane | $506,000 | $314 | +6% |
| 53711 Madison | $506,000 | $256 | +6% |
| 53715 Madison | $502,000 | $318 | +5% |
| 53575 Oregon | $500,000 | $248 | +5% |
| 53558 McFarland | $491,000 | $227 | +3% |
| 53572 Blue Mounds | $480,000 | $243 | +0% |
Home value appreciation in Dane County
Home prices in Dane County have risen about 93% over the last 10 years (≈6.8% a year) and +98.7% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +4.1% — still rising. A home worth $478,000 today was worth roughly $247,668 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, Wisconsin is +95.5% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for Dane County
Run the numbers for Dane County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in Dane County
To buy the typical $478,000 home in Dane County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $130,000 a year (about $3,030 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $155,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $23,900 | $3,770/mo | $162,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $47,800 | $3,610/mo | $155,000/yr |
| 20% | $95,600 | $3,030/mo | $130,000/yr |
Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.
What your budget buys in Dane County
At about $248 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Dane County:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $250k | 1010 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $300k | 1210 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $400k | 1610 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $500k | 2020 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $600k | 2420 sq ft | around the typical home here |
Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to Wisconsin.
Estimate a specific home in Dane County
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Dane County home prices: frequently asked
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Browse all Wisconsin cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.