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  2. Madison, WI
Updated

Average Rent in Madison, WI

14 apartment buildings, 510 units. Real asking prices, refreshed daily.

Avg Rent

$2,591/mo

Cheapest

$1,049/mo

Properties

14

Units

510

Analysis

Rent Price Breakdown

Compare pricing across all 14 properties in Madison, WI.

Average Rent by Property

Starting Price vs Average

Rent by Bedroom Count

Price per Square Foot

Madison, WI Rent Prices

All 14 properties ranked by lowest available rent.

Explore Each Property

Madison, WI Average Rent Prices 2026

The average rent in Madison, WI is $2,591 per month, based on 510 units across 14 apartment communities. Prices range from $1,049 at Axton Madison to $1,950 at The Continental.

Average Rent by Bedroom Type

Type Avg Rent Starting From Units
Studio $1,812/mo $1,299/mo 129
1 Bed $2,416/mo $1,138/mo 214
2 Bed $3,340/mo $1,518/mo 151
3 Bed $4,814/mo $1,590/mo 13
4 Bed $1,249/mo $1,199/mo 2
5 Bed $1,049/mo $1,049/mo 1

Every price comes directly from each property's leasing system, updated that morning. Request a neighborhood we don't cover and we add it within 24 hours.

Market Context

Who rents in Madison, WI, and what they pay

Tracked one-bedroom rent in Madison, WI averages $2,416/mo, with two-bedroom units averaging $3,340/mo. At the local median household income of $76,983, that works out to 40% of gross income, above the 30 percent affordability ceiling, a stretched-budget market.

The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2023 release pegged median gross rent in Madison, WI at $1,364/mo. The current tracked market average runs 90% higher than that benchmark, reflecting both two to three years of rent growth and the fact that the Census figure covers all renter-occupied housing in Madison, WI while the tracked market average covers units currently listed in larger apartment communities.

Who employs renters in Madison

Demand in the Madison rental market is shaped by the metro's largest private and public employers. The following organizations anchor local hiring and influence what renters can pay:

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Epic Systems
  • American Family Insurance
  • UW Health

Mean one-way commute in Madison, WI is 19 minutes, per the Census ACS, useful context when weighing which properties sit inside reasonable reach of these employers.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Madison, WI?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$104,000/year

30 percent rule -- using our average rent of $2,591/mo.

Comfortable income

$124,000/year

25 percent rule -- leaves more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($1,049/mo), you need to earn at least $42,000/year.

Median household income in Madison, WI is $76,983 , about 38% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Cost of living in Madison, WI

Overall prices in Madison, WI runs below the national average by about 4% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 95.9, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Madison, WI's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $2,591
Utilities $413
Groceries $507
Transportation $983
Healthcare $480
Other goods and services $768
Estimated total $5,741/mo

Population

275,568

Median household income

$76,983

Census median rent

$1,364/mo

Rent as % of income

29.5%

Median age

31.8

Mean commute

19 min

Methodology

Rent data

Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.

Compare

Nearby cities in Wisconsin

How Madison, WI rent compares to other markets in the state.

City Avg Rent vs Madison, WI Properties
Kenosha, WI $1,675 -35% 6
Eau Claire, WI $1,352 -48% 6
Milwaukee, WI $1,713 -34% 5

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Madison, WI?

The average rent in Madison, WI is $2,591 per month, based on 510 units across 14 apartment buildings tracked by Average Rent. Prices are updated every morning through our proprietary data sourcing.

What is the cheapest apartment rent in Madison, WI?

The lowest available rent in Madison, WI starts at $1,049 per month. Availability changes daily as leasing data is refreshed each morning.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Madison, WI?

1-bedroom apartments in Madison, WI average $2,416/mo. The lowest listed 1-bedroom starts at $1,138/mo across 214 units tracked.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Madison, WI?

2-bedroom apartments in Madison, WI average $3,340/mo. Units start from $1,518/mo across 151 units currently listed.

Rent Trends in Madison, WI

Track how apartment prices are changing over time.

View Rent Trends
Adding new buildings daily

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