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City · 11,501 residents · Dane County, Wisconsin

DeForest , Wisconsin

In DeForest, a typical home is worth $359,600 and typical rent is $1,442 a month. Compared with all of Dane County, typical household income is 18% higher, the typical home value is 9% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 21 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $359,600

    9% below the county

    35% above Wisconsin

    • DeForest
    • Dane
    • Wisconsin

  • Typical rent

    $1,442a month

    3% above the county

    33% above Wisconsin

    • DeForest
    • Dane
    • Wisconsin

  • Typical household income

    $106,419a year

    18% above the county

    37% above Wisconsin

    • DeForest
    • Dane
    • Wisconsin

  • Households that own their home

    78%

    21 points above the county

    10 points above Wisconsin

    • DeForest
    • Dane
    • Wisconsin

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

DeForest is in Dane County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Dane County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets DeForest apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 78% of households in DeForest own their home, against 57% in Dane County.

  2. DeForest has the 6th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 141 cities in Wisconsin with more than 5,000 people (29%).

  3. The typical household income in DeForest is $106,419, 18% more than in Dane County as a whole ($89,975).

  4. DeForest has the 15th highest typical rent of the 154 cities in Wisconsin with more than 5,000 people ($1,442).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in DeForest

What homes there are in DeForest, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in DeForest: 60% of homes, more than in Dane County (51%).

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 1993 or later; in Dane County, from 1986 or later.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,075 a month

Dane County: $2,200 a month

Without a mortgage

$787 a month

Dane County: $901 a month

Owners with a mortgage

70%

Dane County: 68%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in DeForest is $2,075 a month, less than in Dane County ($2,200); without one, $787.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in DeForest rose 53% since 2015–2019, more than in Dane County (49%).

The typical rent in DeForest rose 43% over the same time; in Dane County, it rose 29%.

Here income did not keep up with housing: it rose 21%, while home values changed +53% and rent +43%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureDeForestDane CountyWisconsinUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.9%4.5%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.4%0.5%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.6%1.7%3.4%
People per household 2.482.212.332.53
Drive alone 72%64%74%69%
Carpool 6%6%7%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate3%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate7%3%3%
Work from home 20%20%13%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutesUnreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 2.48 on average, against 2.21 in Dane County.

The car rules in DeForest: 72% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 20 to 29 minutes.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in DeForest?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in DeForest, worth $359,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 36% of the typical household income in DeForest, which is $106,419 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $136,298 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Dane County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in DeForest. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $12,586 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,180

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$353,087
Total interest
$508,009
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $6,073 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,483 a month

  • Tight

    $2,483 to $3,193 a month

    Your payment · 36%

  • Hard

    more than $3,193 a month

Compared with the typical household income in DeForest ($106,419 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,180
Principal & interest$2,392
Property tax$480
Home insurance$150
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$159

You need at least $12,586 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

DeForest and Dane County

DeForest is in Dane County, Wisconsin. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

DeForest's own numbers

Typical home value
$359,600
Typical monthly rent
$1,442
Typical yearly household income
$106,419
Households that own their home
78%
Effective property tax rate
1.6%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Dane County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,565
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+54%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.5%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Dane County.

Everything about Dane County

Buying

Buying a home in DeForest

A typical home in DeForest is worth $359,600: 9% below the county and 35% above Wisconsin. With the typical household income in DeForest ($106,419 a year), a typical home costs 3.4 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • DeForest 3.4 years
  • Dane 4.4 years
  • Wisconsin 3.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Dane County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Dane County rose 93% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Dane County.

Period County Wisconsin U.S.
Last year (2025) +4.1% +5.4% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +54% +57% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +93% +96% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

DeForest next to Dane County, Wisconsin and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • DeForest $359,600
  • Dane $394,800
  • Wisconsin $266,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • DeForest $1,442
  • Dane $1,398
  • Wisconsin $1,087
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • DeForest $106,419
  • Dane $89,975
  • Wisconsin $77,485
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
DeForest next to Dane County and Wisconsin
Measure DeForest Dane County Wisconsin U.S.
Typical home value $359,600 $394,800 $266,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,442 $1,398 $1,087 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $106,419 $89,975 $77,485 $80,734
Households that own their home 78% 57% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $5,747 $6,420 $3,792 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.6% 1.63% 1.42% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 29% 48% 44% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Dane County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in DeForest

For a typical $359,600 home in DeForest, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, DeForest's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,180a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $12,586
    Cash to close
    $23,374
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $159

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,114a month

    Down payment
    $17,980
    Cash to close
    $28,768
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $171

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,578a month

    Down payment
    $71,920
    Cash to close
    $82,708
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,911a month

    Down payment
    $53,940
    Cash to close
    $64,728
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for DeForest and for Dane County.

Property tax

Effective rate in DeForest

1.6%of the home’s value each year

$5,747 a year for the typical owner in DeForest.

  • DeForest 1.6%
  • Dane 1.63%
  • Wisconsin 1.42%

What Wisconsin publishes Lottery and Gaming Credit for your primary residence (Wisconsin Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Wisconsin

Flood risk in Dane County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Dane County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.5%
757
Of those, with NFIP insurance
17%
County Wisconsin U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.5% 1.4% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 17% 19% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in DeForest

Typical rent in DeForest is $1,442 a month: 3% above the county. In DeForest, 29% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Dane County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,565 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $30.10 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Dane County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,196 $23.00 $47,840
1 bedroom $1,375 $26.44 $55,000
2 bedrooms $1,565 $30.10 $62,600
3 bedrooms $2,047 $39.37 $81,880
4 bedrooms $2,264 $43.54 $90,560

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in DeForest

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). DeForest is in ZIP code 53532.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,590: $25 more than the fair market rent for Dane County ($1,565).

  • 53532 $1,590$2,080

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for DeForest when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in DeForest

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in DeForest. These are the largest.

  • Williamstown Bay - Deforest 500 Bassett St, Deforest 53532 34 low-income homes · 1 bd: 30 · 2 bd: 4 · In service since 1995
  • Deforest Elderly Housing 830 Southbound Dr, Deforest 53532 20 low-income homes · For older adults (608) 846-2441

See all 148 buildings in Dane County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in DeForest

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Dane County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in DeForest

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for DeForest or Dane County. The ones below are statewide in Wisconsin: they work in DeForest the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Wisconsin

  • WHEDA Easy Close Advantage DPA

    Statewide in Wisconsin

    Wisconsin state agency second mortgage for the down payment: up to 6% of the price, over 10 years with a monthly payment and the same rate as the WHEDA first mortgage. Offered by Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • WHEDA Capital Access DPA

    Statewide in Wisconsin

    Limited funds remain, per the source

    $7,500 loan from the Wisconsin state agency for the down payment and closing costs, over 30 years, at 0% and with no monthly payments, alongside a WHEDA mortgage; limited funds, first come, first served. Offered by Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near DeForest

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of DeForest, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Movin' Out, Inc.

    902 Royster Oaks Dr, Madison · 10 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Hmong.

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (608) 518-4446

  • Urban League of Greater Madison

    2222 S Park St Ste 200, Madison · 13 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 4 more
    (608) 729-1200

  • Foundation for Rural Housing Inc

    156 N Main St, Oregon · 21 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 1 more
    (608) 238-3448

Every agency in Dane County All counseling agencies in Wisconsin

Help in Spanish near DeForest

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of DeForest

HUD’s record names them for DeForest or Dane County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • DeForest Housing Authority Public housing (608) 846-4082
  • Dane County Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (608) 224-3636

2 other authorities have an office in Dane County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Dane County

These cities are also in Dane County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Dane County Housing in Wisconsin
See 1 more city in Dane County, with its price and rent

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to DeForest, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Dane County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in DeForest.

All guides
Three women of one family talk as they cook vegetables in the kitchen.

Questions

Housing questions about DeForest

Short answers with the numbers for DeForest and all of Dane County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in DeForest?

The typical home value in DeForest is $359,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Dane County it is $394,800.

How much does it cost to rent in DeForest?

Typical rent in DeForest is $1,442 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Dane County is $1,565.

What is the FHA loan limit in DeForest?

DeForest uses the FHA limit for all of Dane County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in DeForest?

The typical homeowner in DeForest pays $5,747 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.6% of the home’s value; in Dane County, the rate is 1.63%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in DeForest?

There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Dane County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).