One isthmus, 100+ neighborhoods, and endless personality. | Photo by @egorchels
With Madison constantly growing and undertaking multiple high-profile developments this year, we figured it was time to talk about the cost of planting some roots in the 608.
The median household income in Dane County is $64,994 according to the US Census Bureau. State-wise, Madison is 24th in the country for median income at ~$63,923 per household.
The overall cost of living in the 608 is higher than the national average, and higher than the rest of the state.
In Madison, the cost of healthcare is lower compared to other parts of the state and the US. And the cost of groceries, housing, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses in the city have higher average costs than other cities in Wisconsin and the country overall.
Breaking down the numbers
Hypothetically speaking, if you live in a household that brings in $50,000 annually – according to experts — you shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your monthly gross income on rent and utilities. Don’t worry, we did the math for you — your max monthly budget would be $1,250. The average monthly rent for an apartment in Madison is $1,459 — putting you over budget.
According to a recent study by Attom Data Solutions, it’s actually more affordable to buy a home in Dane County than to rent.
Take a look at the chart below to see how 608’s cost of living compares to that of Milwaukee.
Interested in seeing 608’s cost of living compared to cities in other states? We played around on nerdwallet’s cost of living calculator, where you can put in any city along with your current pre-tax household income to find out what other cities you could actually afford to live in.
We took a look at the cost of living in Madison compared to Minneapolis. Here’s what we found:
The cost of living is 1% lowerin Minneapolis.
To maintain our standard of living, we would need to bring in $49,440 to our household.
The median cost for a two-bedroom home is $387,070, which is $38,933 less than Madison.
The 608 also has entities such as WHEDA — the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority — and other government-funded programs to help develop more affordable units.
There are a number of local development firms working on apartments seemingly all the time:
Peach Pit | Mon., Sept. 26 | 8 p.m. | Majestic Theatre, 115 King St. | $25 | Jam out with the Canadian indie pop band during their “Right Down The Street” tour. 🍑
Mindful Moments | Mon., Sept. 26 | 12:15 p.m. | Sequoya Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd. | Center yourself during this drop-in mediation class where you’ll focus on listening to your heart.
Tuesday
Open Mic / Open Jam | Tues., Sept. 27 | 6-9 p.m. | The Bur Oak, 2262 Winnebago St. | Sign up to show off your pipes or sit back + enjoy serenades from local artists. 🎤
Cyclocross Practice Ride | Wed., Sept. 28 | Olbrich Park, 3527 Atwood Ave. | Free | Get in gear for an instructional off-road cycling practice on a temporary cyclocross course set up at the park. 🚲
Dane County Farmers’ Market Wednesday Market | Wed., Sept. 28 | 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. | 200 Block of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. | Shop for local produce + artisanal goods during this more relaxed day at the market.
Thursday
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Lindenwood Lions | Thurs., Sept. 29 | LaBahn Arena, 105 E. Campus Mall | Watch the women’s hockey teams drop the puck on the Isthmus for the Badgers’ first home game of the season. 🏒
Friday
Verona Fall Fest | Fri., Sept. 30 | 4-10 p.m. | Hometown USA Festival Park, 111 Lincoln St., Verona | Free | Enjoy fall festivities like hay rides, bonfires, and an evening screening of “The Goonies.” 🍂
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*
When customers join the Remi Club, they receive brand new replacement night guards every 6 months for just $49. | Photo provided by Remi
Fact: Stress is really bad for your sleep. If you’re grinding + clenching your teeth at night, it might be time to focus on yourself to protect your physical and mental health.
Absentee ballots are on their way, Madison. Voters who requested the voting aid are encouraged to review best practices for the absentee voting procedure. 🗳️
Join the City of Madison for a virtual public meeting about the Complete Green Street program. Hear about the project framework + how the City will shape future 608 street infrastructure.
History
Lightning strikes twice. Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archeologists + Wisconsin’s Native Nations recovered another canoe from Lake Mendota last week dating back to 1000 B.C. The estimated 3,000-year-old boat is the oldest canoe discovered in the Great Lakes region. 🛶 (NBC 15)
Edu
The University of Wisconsin System saw its largest student enrollment since 2018. While overall enrollment is still down 1% from last fall, this year’s 26,442 first-year students indicate an upward trajectory. (Channel 3000)
Traffic
Slow your roll, 608. Portage Road is implementing a speed limit reduction. As part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative, the speed limit will be reduced from 30 to 25 mph starting today, Mon., Sept. 26. 🚦 (NBC 15)
Eat
Parthenon Gyros — State Street’s counter-service Greek eatery — is celebrating 50 years on the Isthmus. To commemorate the milestone, Parthenon hosted a gyro eating contest. The record — 14 gyros in 10 minutes. Think you can beat it? (NBC 15)
As fall creeps onto the Isthmus, so does the cold weather food scene. Ready your bibs + mark your calendars with these eleven fall food festivities for September and October. 🍂 (Madison Magazine)
Did you know? Our allergy triggers change and evolve over time as we age. Read: You might have new allergies you don’t even know about — to find out your most updated allergy triggers, take Picnic’s easy, at-home allergy quiz. Pro tip: Picnic can prescribe customized allergy medicine for relief, too.*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
Pro tip: Westridge Organic Farm offers eggs with its CSA share for an additional $50 per season. | Photo by @westridgefarm
Food for thought
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Local farms offer up shares of their crops — like a subscription or membership — to the community each season. Your subscription gets you a box of specially-selected local goodies. They vary per farm, but CSA boxes contain everything from fresh produce to meat + eggs.
Check out these three CSA shares that deliver directly to the Isthmus.
🧺 Small Family Farm | S2958 W. Salem Ridge Rd., La Farge | Late October-early November | $115 Stock up on storage vegetables like potatoes, winter squash, and parsnips.
🧺 Love Food Farm | 1679 Pleasant Hill Rd., Stoughton | Late October-mid November | $110 Get a taste of root vegetables, baby greens, and a box of storable goods for the Thanksgiving season.
🧺 Westridge Organic Farm | 26820 Kasts Ln., Blue River | Mid October-mid December | $325+ Fill the fridge with leafy greens and other winter produce like onions and beets. Pro tip: Westridge also offers eggs as part of its CSA share.
THE WRAP
Today’s issue was written by Ryan.
Editor’s pick: One event I’m looking forward to this week — cyclocross practice. For new riders and seasoned off-road racers all the same, this free event in the park is a great way to meet other cycle-paths + learn from community friends.
Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.
* This content is paid advertising, or contains links to our Six & Main marketplace, or affiliate partners which we may receive a commission from. ^ This content is created by our content studio.