CITY PROFILE
Madison, WI
WHAT LIVING HERE IS LIKE
Madison is a smaller metro with a temperate four-season climate, moderate sunshine, and moderate rainfall—expect real winters and a full seasonal cycle. Housing costs run among the most expensive in our dataset, so budget accordingly if you're planning a move here.
By the numbers
| Typical home value | $453K · Zillow, May 2026 (ZHVI) |
|---|---|
| Typical rent | $1,683/mo · Zillow, May 2026 (ZORI) |
| Average temperature | 8.1°C · warmest 22.5°C · coolest -7.9°C · NASA POWER |
| Annual precipitation | 969 mm · NASA POWER |
| Sunshine (solar energy) | 3.85 kWh/m²/day · NASA POWER (annual mean) |
| Metro size rank (US) | #88 · Zillow SizeRank |
Match scores
- Affordable to buy77
- Affordable to rent70
- Climate comfort31
- Plenty of sunshine38
- Big-city amenities79
Scores are 0–100, normalised across the metros we cover, derived from the sourced figures above (higher = better on that factor). A research aid, not a recommendation to move. Job market, safety, and healthcare access need key-gated feeds (BLS, FBI, Census) not yet wired — see the methodology.
Where to look next
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