What is the largest city in Dane County, WI?

Madison is the largest city or town in Dane County, with about 278,001 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Dane County?

Dane County includes 36 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 53508, 53515, 53517, 53523, 53527.

What is the population of Dane County, WI?

About 572,674 people live in Dane County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Dane County?

Dane County borders Rock County, Dodge County, Jefferson County, Sauk County, Columbia County, Green County, Iowa County.

Dane County, WI: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

572,674

Land area

1,196sq mi

People per sq mi

479

ZIP codes

36

Dane County at a glance

Dane County is about 4.4 times as dense as Wisconsin as a whole.
It is the 2nd most populous of 72 counties in Wisconsin.
Households here earn a median of $89,975 a year, 16% more than the Wisconsin figure of $77,485.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $394,800 (48% above Wisconsin) and median rent is $1,398 a month.
The biggest population centers are Madison (278,001), Sun Prairie (37,570) and Fitchburg (32,619).

Local data for Dane County, WI

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Dane County, WI, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$89,975

Poverty rate

10.6%

Median home value

$394,800

Prices +4.1% in a year

Median rent

$1,398/mo

Homeownership

57.1%

Bachelor's or higher

55.3%

Median age

35.7

Average commute

20.6 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (185,249), Irish Americans (74,465), Norwegian Americans (47,028).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

2.9%

Aug 2026, +0.3 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$77,260

361,286 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$81,203

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$51.9B

FY 2026, $92,504 per person

PPP loans

$1.7B

18,648 loans, 186,611 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$7.8M

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Dane County, WI, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone63.8%
Carpooled5.6%
Public transit2.9%
Walked4.9%
Bicycle1.7%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.1%
Worked from home20.0%

Average one-way commute: 20.6 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Dane County, WI, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Moderate

Top: cold wave

Storm events since 1996

1,553

Most often hail

Flood insurance policies

713

0.4% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

82° / 11°F

40.2 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 175 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Dane County, WI, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

32.4%

U.S. 33.3% -0.9 pts

Diabetes

8.2%

U.S. 12.1% -3.9 pts

Smoking

9.8%

U.S. 12.8% -3.0 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

6.6%

U.S. 11.1% -4.5 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Dane County

Population shown

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Dane County, WI?: Madison is the largest city or town in Dane County, with about 278,001 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Dane County?: Dane County includes 36 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 53508, 53515, 53517, 53523, 53527.
What is the population of Dane County, WI?: About 572,674 people live in Dane County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Dane County?: Dane County borders Rock County, Dodge County, Jefferson County, Sauk County, Columbia County, Green County, Iowa County.