Madison property tax: rates, credits and your bill

2025 rates by school district

These rates are on the 2025 bills, mailed in December 2025 and paid in 2026. Every district shares the same county (2.3564 mills), Madison College (0.6154) and city (7.0032) rates; the school rate is what differs. A mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. The net rate is after the state's school levy credit of 1.7285 mills, which applies automatically.

The City doesn't publish a rate table by school district. We calculated these from the City Treasurer's official 2025 tax roll(tax roll); the Madison Metropolitan figure matches the City's published rate exactly(City Assessor). Monona Grove's rate is based on 14 parcels.

Credits on your bill

• Lottery & Gaming credit: for a home you own and use as your primary residence on January 1. You apply once on a state form, through City Treasury from December through July. It comes off the first installment.(Wisconsin DOR) On 2025 Madison bills it was $232 to $288, depending on the district.
• First Dollar credit: automatic for every taxable parcel with a building, no application.(Wisconsin DOR)
• Homestead credit: a state income tax credit for lower-income households. For 2025 claims, household income must be under $24,680, and the most it pays is $1,168. You claim it on Schedule H with your state return.(Wisconsin DOR)
• If the Lottery credit is missing from your bill, ask the Treasurer by January 31. After that, you can file a late claim with the state by October 1 for the prior year's bill only.

Your assessment, and how to appeal it

The City Assessor values every property every year at full market value as of January 1.(City of Madison) The 2026 average single-family assessment is $500,300, up 3.9%.

1. Notices go out around May 1 (May 1 in 2026, posted online May 2).
2. Open Book (May 4–8 in 2026) is the informal window to fix wrong records, such as a missing bathroom or the wrong square footage.
3. Objection: to dispute the value, file the objection form by the deadline (May 15 at 4:30 p.m. in 2026). It goes first to Madison's Board of Assessors, which reappraises the home.(City Assessor)
4. Board of Review: if you disagree with the Board of Assessors, you have 15 days after its decision to give written notice that you're appealing to the Board of Review, a panel of appointed residents.(DOR guide)

What wins appeals: the state's guide ranks evidence in this order: a recent arm's-length sale of your own home, then recent sales of comparable homes (same area, style, age, size and features). Asking prices, appraisals and cost estimates count for less. The Assessor's "Sales by Area" lookup lists comparable sales.

Paying

• Pay in full by January 31, or in four installments due January 31, March 31, May 31 and July 31. All four go to the City Treasurer.(City Treasury)
• Online by bank account is free; by card costs 2.45% ($3.50 minimum). You can also pay by phone at (877) 822-8418, by mail to City of Madison Treasury, P.O. Box 2999, Madison, WI 53701, or in person at City-County Building Room 101.(City Treasury)
• To count toward the prior tax year (for an income tax deduction), payment must be postmarked by December 31.
• Miss an installment and the whole balance comes due, with 1% interest plus 0.5% penalty a month counted back to February 1. Anything unpaid after July 31 goes to the Dane County Treasurer.(City Treasury)

Remodeling and your taxes

• A building permit can change your assessment even without an inspection.
• The increase is what the work adds to market value, not what it cost. Normal repairs and maintenance usually don't raise it.
• Work in progress on January 1 is assessed only for what's done by then.(DOR guide)
• A project finished in 2026 shows up in the January 1, 2027 assessment and first hits the December 2027 bill. Put its added value in the estimator's optional field to see roughly what it adds each year.

For whether a project needs a permit, see the Madison remodel permit guide.

Questions

What is Madison's property tax rate?

For 2025 bills (paid in 2026), the net rate in the Madison Metropolitan School District is 18.656 mills, or about $18.66 per $1,000 of assessed value. Parts of seven other school districts are inside Madison, and their rates run from about 17.07 to 19.19 mills.

How do I estimate my Madison property tax bill?

Multiply your assessed value by your district's net rate and divide by 1,000, then subtract the Lottery & Gaming credit if the home is your primary residence and the First Dollar credit. The estimator on this page does that for each school district.

When are Madison property taxes due?

Pay in full by January 31, or in four installments due January 31, March 31, May 31 and July 31. All of them go to the City Treasurer. Missing one makes the rest due, with 1% interest and 0.5% penalty a month counted back to February 1.

How do I appeal my Madison assessment?

Notices go out around May 1. File an objection by the mid-May deadline (May 15 in 2026). It goes to the Board of Assessors first, then you have 15 days after its decision to give notice for the Board of Review. The best evidence is a recent sale of your home or of comparable homes.

Will a remodel raise my property taxes?

Usually, if it adds market value. Building permits can trigger a new value even without an inspection. The increase reflects what the work adds to market value, not what it cost, and normal repairs usually don't count.

Who qualifies for the Lottery and Gaming credit?

A Wisconsin resident who owns the home and uses it as their primary residence on January 1. You apply once on a state form through the City Treasurer. Rentals, business property and vacant land don't qualify.

Who to contact

• City Assessor: City-County Building, Room 103, 608-266-4531, assessor@cityofmadison.com (Open Book and objections: openbook@cityofmadison.com).
• City Treasury: City-County Building, Room 101, 608-266-4771.
• State credits: Homestead, DORHomesteadCredit@wisconsin.gov; Lottery and First Dollar, lgs@wisconsin.gov.