Housing and tax tradeoff: Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Ann Arbor vs Madison on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 26 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
Ann ArborMadison
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on sunshine.
Potential dealbreaker: Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 117,070 | 280,305 |
| Population Density | 4.3k /sq mi | N/A |
| Center Elevation | 883 ft(269 m) | 876 ft(267 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $502,403 | $412,118 |
| Median Rent | $2,303 | $1,624 |
| Median Income | $78,546 | $74,895 |
| Rent Burden | 35% | 26% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 274 days/yr | 283 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 59°F | 58°F |
| Avg. Low | 42°F | 41°F |
| Comfort Score | 46/100Mixed | 42/100Challenging |
| Temp Swing | 49°F | 53°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35"(89 cm) | 33"(84 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 30"(76 cm) | 38"(97 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 422024 modeled avg · 5 days > 100 | Typical: 392024 modeled avg · 0 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 78 | 64 |
| Safety Score | 72 / 100 | 72 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.6/10 | 7.1/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | N/A |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | N/A |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 26%Cable: 95% | Fiber: 44%Cable: 95% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 27.4 years | 31.6 years |
| College Educated | 78% | 59% |
| Remote Workers | 23% | 15% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Ann Arbor | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Madison |
Frequently Checked Pairings
City pairings people keep checking.
See the city pairings people come back to most, then open the full side-by-side comparison when one matches your shortlist.
Compare
329 logged
Chicago, IL & New York, NY
Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
269 logged
Boston, MA & Chicago, IL
Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
238 logged
Los Angeles, CA & New York, NY
Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
231 logged
Barcelona, Spain & Madrid, Spain
Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
207 logged
Colorado Springs, CO & Fort Collins, CO
Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
187 logged
Chicago, IL & Los Angeles, CA
Demand-backed pageOpen
Latest Editorial
New from WhyThere.
Essays and data-led lenses on climate, cost, geography, and the shape of daily life.
Collections
Browse the strongest WhyThere lenses.
Collections group cities around a decision lens, not just a category.
Climate LensWarm Leaning
No Real Winter
Cities where cold rarely takes over daily life.
Open collection
Climate LensHigh Elevation
The Altitude Hack
Sunny highland cities that stay much milder than you expect.
Open collection
Climate LensExpectation Breaker
Surprisingly Soggy
Places that quietly out-rain their sunny reputations.
Open collection