Dane County home prices moved higher in May, as both new listings and accepted offers increased. Here's our latest deep dive into the Madison area single family home market. Note: All of our data is sourced from the South Central Wisconsin MLS.
Dane County home prices
May Madison area home prices
- The price per square foot increased from $249 in May of 2025 to $265 in May of 2026, up 7 percent.
- The median price increased from $491,000 to $500,000, up 2 percent.
- The average price increased from $577,066 to $599,459, up 4 percent.
Year-to-date prices through the month of May
- The Dane County price per square foot increased from $249 through May of 2025 to $257 through May of 2026, up 3 percent.
- The median price increased from $474,900 to $494,650, up 4 percent.
- The average price increased from $548,467 to $572,221 up 4 percent.
A few comments about home prices in early 2026
The well-prepared and properly priced homes continue to sell quickly and for higher prices in 2026. However, buyers are more sensitive to costs this year. Homes that are over-priced and needing significant repairs and updates tend to sit on the market and require price reductions. Consequently we are seeing more single family listings expire without selling in 2026. More on this later in our report.
Also note from the chart above, home prices are up 61 percent from the 2019 pre-COVID market, and up 126 percent from the most recent market bottom in 2012. If you've purchased a Dane County home in the last 5 to 15 years, you've likely accumulated a significant amount of equity in your investment.
Reach out if you'd like one of our real estate experts help you determine how much equity you have in your home. We'd be happy to assist you.