Guides in This Section
- Madison Property TaxEstimate your bill, understand your assessment, and appeal it.Read the Guide
- Property Tax Rates by TownWhat the same house pays in every Dane County town and school district, with a calculator and CSV.Read the Guide
- Your Tax Bill, Line by LineEvery box on a Dane County tax bill, what to check, and who to pay.Read the Guide
- Lottery and Gaming CreditUp to $287 off a Dane County bill if you live in the home. Who qualifies and how to claim it.Read the Guide
- Madison Municipal Services BillWater, sewer, stormwater and the other city charges, with 2026 rates and a bill checker.Read the Guide
- Madison Special AssessmentsStreet project charges from first letter to final bill, 2026 rates, installments and appeals.Read the Guide
How the Tax Year Works
- January 1: your municipal assessor values your property as of this date.
- Spring and summer: assessment notices, then Open Book (talk to the assessor) and Board of Review (a formal appeal).
- Fall: the county, your municipality, school district and technical college set their budgets.
- By the third Monday of December: your municipality calculates and mails the bill.
- January 31 and July 31: payments are due.(County Treasurer)
The bill is assessed value times the mill rate, minus the lottery and first dollar credits, plus any special assessments or charges. Your tax bill, line by line walks through each box.
Rates at a Glance
Rates on bills are per $1,000 of assessed value, and towns assess at different shares of market value, so we converted 2025 rates to dollars per $1,000 of market value.(County Treasurer) Countywide, the state puts the 2025 average at 16.41.(Wisconsin DOR)
| Municipality | Per $1,000 of market value | $400k home, before credits |
|---|---|---|
| Village of Cottage Grove | 17.66 | $7,066 |
| Village of DeForest | 16.25 | $6,501 |
| City of Fitchburg | 15.59–17.35 | $6,236–$6,941 |
| City of Madison | 16.64–18.69 | $6,654–$7,477 |
| Village of Maple Bluff | 17.95 | $7,181 |
| Village of McFarland | 16.24 | $6,496 |
| City of Middleton | 14.82–14.88 | $5,929–$5,950 |
| City of Monona | 17.62 | $7,050 |
| Village of Mount Horeb | 15.99 | $6,395 |
| Village of Oregon | 15.78 | $6,312 |
| Village of Shorewood Hills | 15.83 | $6,331 |
| City of Stoughton | 16.96 | $6,783 |
| City of Sun Prairie | 17.87 | $7,146 |
| City of Verona | 15.74 | $6,297 |
| Village of Waunakee | 14.49 | $5,796 |
All 143 rate groups, the method and a CSV are in our Dane County property tax rate study. For Madison's eight school districts and an estimator, see Madison property tax.
Due Dates and Who to Pay
- Outside Madison: full payment or the first installment by January 31 to your city, village or town treasurer; the second installment by July 31 to the Dane County Treasurer.(County Treasurer) Your bill names both.
- Madison: four installments, January 31, March 31, May 31 and July 31, all to the City Treasurer.(City of Madison)
- Late: miss an installment and the whole balance is due, plus 1.5% a month in interest and penalty counted back to February 1. Payment is on time by USPS postmark, so mail early or pay in person or online near a deadline.(County Treasurer)
- About 30% of Dane County taxpayers pay in full in December, 40% in full in January, and 30% in installments.
Credits on Your Bill
- School levy tax credit: automatic, already taken out of the school line.
- First dollar credit: automatic for any parcel with a building.(Wisconsin DOR)
- Lottery and gaming credit: $188 to $287 on 2025 bills in Dane County, but only for your primary residence and only if someone applied.(County Treasurer) How to check and claim it.
- Homestead credit: a state income tax credit for lower-income households.(Wisconsin DOR)
If Your Assessment Is Wrong
Raise it in the spring, at Open Book or the Board of Review. Once Board of Review ends, it's normally too late to appeal that year's value.(County Treasurer) The state's guide for property owners explains how.(Wisconsin DOR) Our appeal guide covers dates for each town, and the Madison guide covers Madison's process.
Questions
When are Dane County property taxes due?
Pay in full by January 31, or in installments. Outside Madison the first installment is due January 31 to your municipal treasurer and the second July 31 to the Dane County Treasurer. Madison has four installments, all paid to the City Treasurer.
What is the property tax rate in Dane County?
Across the whole county, 2025 taxes averaged 16.41 per $1,000 of market value after the school levy credit, according to the state. By municipality and school district it ran from about 9.60 to 18.69.
When do tax bills come out?
Municipalities mail them by the third Monday of December. They're based on your January 1 assessment and the budgets set that fall.
What's the penalty for paying late?
Miss an installment and the full balance is due at once, with 1.5% a month in interest and penalty counted back to February 1.