Madison appears moderately affordable relative to its income and housing benchmarks. With a median household income of $78,050, the median gross rent of $1,413 represents about 21.7% of monthly income, which is within a range often considered manageable. However, affordability depends on individual circumstances, and the uniform non-housing calculator baseline of $1,250 per month is a model assumption, not a local observation.
Madison at a glance
What the default budget models
A one-person renting household begins with a modeled annual core-cost baseline of $31,956. It combines the ACS median gross-rent estimate with a uniform $1,250 monthly non-housing baseline. State income tax is excluded until a current official reference is approved; the calculator labels that limitation instead of guessing.
| 2024 ACS population estimate | 278,001 |
| 2024 ACS median household income | $78,050 |
| 2024 ACS median gross rent | $1,413 |
| 2024 ACS median owner-occupied home value | $372,900 |
| Derived one-way commute estimate | 21 minutes |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded — official reference pending |
| Rent-to-income reference | 22% |
The trade-off
Relative strength: Median rent is 21.7% of median income.. Watch closely: higher home values may reflect long-term equity potential despite monthly costs..
Compare Madison
Frequently asked questions
Is Madison affordable for renters based on income?
Median gross rent of $1,413 per month is about 21.7% of the median monthly household income ($6,504), suggesting rent is within a commonly cited affordability threshold, though individual budgets vary.
How does Madison’s median home value compare to income?
The median owner-occupied home value is $372,900, which is approximately 4.8 times the median household income—a ratio often used to assess housing affordability, though context like interest rates and down payments affects actual burden.
Source ledger
Every production input below is retained with its publisher and dataset. The ACS figures are five-year estimates, not live listings or guarantees.
- PopulationU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B01003
- Median household incomeU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B19013
- Median gross rentU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25064
- Median owner-occupied home valueU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25077
- Commute-time distributionU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B08303
Interpretation: The ACS 2024 five-year estimates generally summarize observations across 2020–2024. The commute number is a weighted midpoint estimate from table B08303. State income tax is not included in the modeled take-home result. Verify a current address, quote, commute, and tax situation before making a decision.