Rents are right about where Madison's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,837 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Madison is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Madison changed +2.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 42 Wisconsin cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +5.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Madison rose 34.7% while median household income rose 19.5% ($65,332 to $78,050). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Madison is 40% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 9 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($78,050) is $1,951 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,554); a 3-bedroom is $2,042.
The priciest of 11 ZIP codes in Madison, 53715 ($2,280/mo), costs 1.6 times the cheapest, 53713 ($1,403/mo).
Middleton, 9 miles away, rents for 14% less ($1,584/mo), about $3,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Madison. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Madison, WI is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, 59.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Madison, WI has changed in 5 years
Rent in Madison, WI has climbed 35.7% since 2021, going from about $1,354 per month to roughly $1,837 today. Median household income grew from $70,466 to $78,050 between 2021 and 2024, a 10.8% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 24.9 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 265,447 to 278,001 between 2021 and 2024, a 4.7% change. About 54% of households rent today, against 52.4% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Madison, WI reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Madison on your salary?
At $1,837/mo, how Madison rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Madison rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Madison. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Madison
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Madison is $1,837/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,141/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,554/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,354/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,042/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($78,050/yr), Madison ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Madison rent compare to other cities in Wisconsin?
At $1,837/mo, rent takes ~28% of Madison's median household income ($78,050/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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