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Dane County, WI

Rent vs Own in Dane County, Wisconsin

HUD prices a 2-bedroom in Dane County at $1,694/mo while the ownership stack lands near $2,646/mo. That mid-sized gap is large enough that rate or down-payment tweaks usually cannot close it alone. Owner-occupied homes: 143,682.

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Renting is cheaper in Dane County

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $1,694/mo, meaningfully below the $2,646/mo ownership stack on the default assumptions. That is a $952/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Dane County

Primary driver

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $89,975, for a 4.4x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 7.1% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 2

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Dane County from $1,472/mo in FY2025 to $1,694/mo in FY2026: it increased by $222/mo (+15.1%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 3

The tax rate is a national headwind

Dane County's 1.63% effective rate is among the highest of 3,135 tracked counties: only about 93% pay more. Treat that recurring tax line separately from principal and interest.

Decision signal 4

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Dane County ranks 66 of 72 Wisconsin counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 6 other Wisconsin counties on this measure.

Decision signal 5

Renting wins by a mid-sized monthly gap

Dane County lists a $394,800 median home with $6,420/yr property tax (1.63%). HUD's $1,694/mo 2-bedroom rent undercuts the ~$2,646/mo ownership stack by a mid-range margin of about $952/mo. Closing that gap usually takes more than a cosmetic rate tweak, price, tax load, or both.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$2,646
Mortgage (P&I) $1,996
Property Tax $535
Insurance (est.) $115
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,694
Studio$1,268
1-Bedroom$1,482
2-Bedroom$1,694
3-Bedroom$2,236
4-Bedroom$2,509

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$89,975
$7,498/mo
Home Price / Income
4.4x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
7.1%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Dane County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Dane County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

With ownership already mid-range more expensive than rent month-to-month, that annual bill reinforces why cash-flow renters stay put unless they are deliberately buying for tenure rather than monthly savings.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Milwaukee County
Home: $230,700 Tax: $4,444/yr
Waukesha County
Home: $398,200 Tax: $4,554/yr
Brown County
Home: $266,000 Tax: $3,663/yr
Racine County
Home: $251,400 Tax: $4,099/yr
Outagamie County
Home: $267,300 Tax: $3,668/yr
Rock County
Home: $231,600 Tax: $3,703/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dane County, Wisconsin? ▼
Renting the HUD 2-bedroom is the clearer monthly path in Dane County by roughly $952/mo under default loan assumptions. Closing a gap this size usually needs a meaningfully lower price or rate, not a cosmetic tweak.
How much house can you afford in Dane County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $89,975 household here can afford up to $269,925 -- about $124,875 short of this county's $394,800 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the average rent in Dane County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,694/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,241/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
What is the median home price in Dane County? ▼
$394,800, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 1.63% effective rate sits near the high end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
Is rent going up or down in Dane County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 15.1% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Dane County compare to other Wisconsin counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 72 Wisconsin counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Dane County lands at spot 66, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/wisconsin">Wisconsin state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →