Rent Averages $1,856 in Madison, Squeezing UW-Madison Student Budgets

Nolan Schultz is six weeks into his freshman year at UW-Madison, and he is already looking at apartments for next fall. He has emailed landlords about two units and looked at roughly a dozen more. "It's been a little nerve-wracking and stressful just because there's no guarantee for any housing," Schultz said. He has to weigh how many roommates he needs against what he can pay.

The numbers explain the rush. A 2024 UW-Madison housing analysis put the average monthly rent in and around campus at $1,273 and called it "among the highest in the Big Ten Conference." The same analysis set an affordable monthly rent for a UW-Madison student at $980. A 2026 RentCafe analysis put Madison's average monthly rent at $1,856, up 2.28% from a year earlier.

That gap shapes what students are willing to sign. Freshman Kaia Bodden wants to stay under $1,000 for a house but said she cannot see that happening without sharing a room. Her target is $1,200, with a ceiling of $1,300 to $1,400. Sophomore Maddie Gerhardt said she would not likely go above $1,000. "The closer you get to campus, it's gonna be the more expensive it's gonna be," Gerhardt said, adding that she and her roommates are looking "just for a place to live rather than a nice place."

Students are starting the search early because of it. Schultz began contacting landlords before he moved into his dorm, after upperclassmen told him that by October students need a plan. Gerhardt started in August, saying houses and apartments fill up quickly; she has contacted two individual houses and two or three housing offices. The timing falls hard on first-year students, who may have known potential roommates for less than two months. Freshman Maria Sells called it "such a short period of time to find people to live with for such a long commitment."

The buildings around campus have changed too. Gerhardt grew up in Madison, and her parents, both UW-Madison graduates, have told her the houses they once rented were torn down and replaced by apartment buildings. High-rise construction has grown in recent years, and the new units are not priced for every student.

The university runs Off-Campus Housing Services, which posts rental listings, offers advice on apartment tours and budgeting, and holds events such as the Student Housing Fair. Brendon Dybdahl, director of Marketing & Communications for University Housing, said affordability "can be very subjective" and that his office works with students on a personal budget and on options that fit what they need.

Students are handling that budgeting themselves while carrying full course loads. Schultz said he must decide how many roommates to take on and whether he can cover the rent. Bodden is looking at houses rather than apartments and said she cannot hit her preferred price without sharing a room. The search continues into late October, with leases signed for next year before spring registration opens.