County FMR · HUD FY2026
Dane County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dane County, WI - 55% above the US average.
- $1,482
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,694
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +15.6%
- YoY change
- +55%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Dane is the 3rd most expensive of 72 counties in Wisconsin by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #314 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 15.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #314
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- most expensive of 72 in Wisconsin (2BR)
- +70%
- vs the state average
- $59,280
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (15.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (62.4%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dane County, WI. Verify with HUD →
Dane County, Wisconsin carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,482 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,694/mo and a studio is $1,268/mo. That's 55% above the national benchmark of $959 and 70% above the Wisconsin average of $872.
Rent increased15.6% from FY 2025 ($1,282), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $59,280/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 44.2% of the 104,037 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.0%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.7% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Wisconsin. Population: 559,891. Population grew 6.6% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Wisconsin's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DANE·COUNTY·WI·WI
Dane County, WI: $1,482/mo 1BR · #314 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA WI
- 1BR-FMR $1,482
- 2BR-FMR $1,694
- RANK-UPPER #314
- YOY-SURGE +15.6%
- VSUS-HIGH +55%
- VS-ST-HIGH +70% WI
- INC-MID 20%
- POP-MAJOR 560K
- PHOTO-NEAR Milwaukee County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,334–$1,630
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Milwaukee ($363 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,080 | $1,268 | +$188 (+17.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,282 | $1,482 | +$200 (+15.6%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,472 | $1,694 | +$222 (+15.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,935 | $2,236 | +$301 (+15.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,161 | $2,509 | +$348 (+16.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Dane County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Dane sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,694 Top 10% higher than 90% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Dane compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Wisconsin counties
- Dane
Dane County
$1,482 1BR FMR / mo
- Milwaukee
Milwaukee County
$1,119 1BR FMR / mo
- Waukesha
Waukesha County
$1,119 1BR FMR / mo
- Racine
Racine County
$988 1BR FMR / mo
- Outagamie
Outagamie County
$960 1BR FMR / mo
- Brown
Brown County
$931 1BR FMR / mo
- Winnebago
Winnebago County
$889 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Dane is highlighted. Nearby Wisconsin counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dane County (this county) ($1,482), Milwaukee County ($1,119), Waukesha County ($1,119), Racine County ($988), Outagamie County ($960), Brown County ($931), Winnebago County ($889).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,482/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Wisconsin BLS wages?
| Occupation | WI Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $113,170 | 15.7% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $103,360 | 17.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,070 | 20.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $78,980 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $78,150 | 22.8% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $75,090 | 23.7% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $60,690 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,380 | 31% | Stretched |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $56,520 | 31.5% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $45,980 | 38.7% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,620 | 40.8% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $36,050 | 49.3% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,850 | 49.6% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,640 | 52.9% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,500 | 62.4% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dane County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dane (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 46.0% overall, from $1,015 to $1,482. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.6% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑15.6% | $1,268 | $1,482 | $1,694 |
| FY 2025 ↑8.5% | $1,080 | $1,282 | $1,472 |
| FY 2024 ↓0.1% | $1,004 | $1,182 | $1,372 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.9% | $1,007 | $1,183 | $1,378 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.6% | $929 | $1,076 | $1,254 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.4% | $889 | $1,039 | $1,211 |
| FY 2020 | $861 | $1,015 | $1,186 |
Part of the Madison, WI Metro Area
Dane County is a central county of the Madison, WI metropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other metro-area counties.
Dane County ranks #1 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Dane County (this county) ($1,482), Columbia County ($911), Iowa County ($890), Green County ($840).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dane County, both outside Wisconsin so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside WI (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WI).
Nearby Counties in Wisconsin
Largest counties by population in Wisconsin
Showing the 8 largest of 71 other counties in Wisconsin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Dane County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dane County is $1,482 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,694 and a studio is $1,268.
How does Dane County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Dane County is 55% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,482 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dane County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dane County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,694 ranks #314 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Dane County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $59,280 ($4,940/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dane County.
Is rent going up or down in Dane County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dane County increased by 15.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,282 to $1,482.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dane County?
Based on Wisconsin BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,482/mo. 7 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dane County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dane County went from $1,015 in FY 2020 to $1,482 in FY 2026, a total change of +46.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dane County?
In Dane County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,482/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Dane County?
For Dane County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,482/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Dane County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.0%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Dane County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.7% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Dane's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,482 implies about $59,280/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Wisconsin counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Milwaukee
- See where Dane ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.