Rent vs Buy in Madison, WI

Madison, WI Assumptions

Home Purchase
Ongoing Costs
Rental
Growth
Tax
Projection

Buy Net Worth

Rent Net Worth

Break-Even

Verdict

Net Worth Over Time — Madison, WI

Year-by-Year Comparison

Year-by-year rent vs buy comparison for Madison, WI
Year Buy
Net Worth
Rent
Net Worth
Difference Monthly
Buy Cost
Monthly
Rent

Cities & Towns in Madison, WI

This calculator's defaults reflect the broader Madison, WI metropolitan area, including:

  • Madison
  • Sun Prairie
  • Fitchburg
  • Middleton
  • Verona
  • Stoughton
  • Waunakee
  • DeForest
  • Oregon

Region: Midwest. Housing cost-of-living index: 106 (national avg = 100). Composite cost-of-living: 101.

About this Madison, WI estimate

The default home price and rent come from the Madison, WI metropolitan area's housing cost-of-living index applied to national 2025 medians ($420,000 home, $1,850/mo rent for a typical 2-3 BR). The property tax rate is the average effective rate for Wisconsin per the Tax Foundation. These are starting points — adjust to match your specific listing, neighborhood, and tax bill.