Compare the Towns
Tap a column heading to sort. Tax rate is per $1,000 of market value for the 2025 tax year, adjusted for each town's assessment ratio so towns compare fairly. Year built and housing units are Census estimates that include apartments and condos.
| Town | Type | Tax rate | Electric | Trash pickup | School districts | Median year built | Built before 1980 | Housing units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | city | $18.10 | Madison Gas and Electric (MGE); Alliant Energy (a small part of the city) | City crews | Madison, Verona, Middleton-Cross Plains, Sun Prairie, Monona Grove | 1980 | 50.6% | 133,530 |
| Cottage Grove | village | $17.66 | Alliant Energy | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Monona Grove, Sun Prairie | 2003 | 10.9% | 3,585 |
| DeForest | village | $16.25 | Alliant Energy | Contract: GFL Environmental | DeForest | 1993 | 22.6% | 4,838 |
| Fitchburg | city | $16.67 | Madison Gas and Electric (MGE); Alliant Energy | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Madison, Verona, Oregon | 1996 | 27.4% | 15,929 |
| Maple Bluff | village | $17.95 | Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) | Village crews | Madison | 1947 | 86.8% | 576 |
| McFarland | village | $16.24 | Alliant Energy; Madison Gas and Electric (north of Siggelkow Road) | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | McFarland | 1989 | 35.5% | 3,935 |
| Middleton | city | $14.88 | MGE (Madison Gas and Electric) | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Middleton-Cross Plains | 1986 | 40.4% | 10,793 |
| Monona | city | $17.62 | Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Monona Grove | 1963 | 68.2% | 4,341 |
| Mount Horeb | village | $15.99 | Mount Horeb Utilities | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Mount Horeb | 1993 | 31.2% | 3,097 |
| Oregon | village | $15.78 | Alliant Energy | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Oregon | 1993 | 31.4% | 4,854 |
| Shorewood Hills | village | $15.83 | Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Madison | 1968 | 54.7% | 932 |
| Stoughton | city | $16.96 | Stoughton Utilities | Contract: John's Disposal | Stoughton | 1979 | 51.3% | 5,796 |
| Sun Prairie | city | $17.87 | Sun Prairie Utilities | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Sun Prairie, DeForest | 1999 | 27.7% | 16,195 |
| Verona | city | $15.74 | Alliant Energy (Wisconsin Power and Light) | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Verona | 2002 | 18% | 6,651 |
| Waunakee | village | $14.49 | Waunakee Utilities | Contract: Pellitteri Waste Systems | Waunakee | 1998 | 19.7% | 6,091 |
What Stands Out
- Property tax: Waunakee had the lowest rate of the 15, $14.49 per $1,000 of market value; Madison the highest, $18.10. On a $400,000 home that is about $1,444 a year apart before credits.(Waunakee)(Madison)
- Madison is the only one with four tax installments, all paid to the City Treasurer.(Madison) The other towns use two, and each town page says where each one goes.
- 4 towns run their own electric utility: Mount Horeb (Mount Horeb Utilities)(source), Stoughton (Stoughton Utilities)(source), Sun Prairie (Sun Prairie Utilities)(source), Waunakee (Waunakee Utilities)(source). The rest are served by MGE, Alliant Energy or both.
- Housing age: Maple Bluff has the oldest housing (median year 1947), Cottage Grove the newest (2003).(Maple Bluff)(Cottage Grove) Inside Madison it varies by neighborhood; see the Madison home age map.
Town Fact Sheets
Each page lists that town's tax rate and due dates, utilities, trash pickup, school districts, building inspection, maps and housing age, every fact linked to its source.
- Madison
- Cottage Grove
- DeForest
- Fitchburg
- Maple Bluff
- McFarland
- Middleton
- Monona
- Mount Horeb
- Oregon
- Shorewood Hills
- Stoughton
- Sun Prairie
- Verona
- Waunakee
Where the Numbers Come From
- Tax rate: the Dane County Treasurer's 2025 mill rate table (Madison: the City Treasurer's tax roll), net of the school levy credit, times the town's assessment ratio. Where a town has several school districts, it's the parcel-weighted average; each town page lists the rate by district. Method: our rate study.(example)
- Electric, trash and schools come from each city's or village's own website; the town pages link the exact page.
- Median year built, share built before 1980 and housing units: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B25035 and B25034, for each city or village.(example)
- We include a town when we've sourced enough of its facts to be useful. More towns will follow.
Questions
Which town near Madison has the lowest property tax rate?
Of the 15 cities and villages here, Waunakee had the lowest 2025 rate, $14.49 per $1,000 of market value. Madison had the highest, $18.10. The full rate study covers every municipality in the county, including rural towns.
Which suburb has the newest homes?
Cottage Grove: its median housing unit was built in 2003, per the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Maple Bluff has the oldest housing, with a median year of 1947.
Is Dane County trash pickup the same everywhere?
No. Each city and village runs its own program. Madison and Maple Bluff use their own crews; the others contract with a private hauler, and the hauler differs by town. Each town page links its schedule.