In Waunakee, a typical home is worth $515,900 and typical rent is $1,324 a month. Compared with all of Dane County, typical household income is 39% higher, the typical home value is 31% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 20 points higher.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $444,221 to $582,438.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Waunakee 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
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Waunakee has the 4th highest typical home value of the 156 cities in Wisconsin with more than 5,000 people ($515,900).
2
77% of households in Waunakee own their home, against 57% in Dane County.
3
The typical household income in Waunakee is $125,220,39% more than in Dane County as a whole ($89,975).
4
Nearby, in DeForest, the typical home value is $359,600: 30% less than in Waunakee ($515,900).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Waunakee
What homes there are in Waunakee, 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
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
United States
Kind of home: Waunakee and its comparisons
Measure
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
United States
Detached house
65%
51%
66%
61%
Attached house
9%
7%
4%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
Unreliable estimate
9%
9%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
20%
34%
17%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
The detached house rules in Waunakee: 65% of homes, more than in Dane County (51%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
United States
Year built: Waunakee and its comparisons
Measure
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
United States
Before 1960
8%
21%
33%
26%
1960–1979
12%
23%
24%
24%
1980–1999
36%
24%
22%
25%
2000–2009
20%
17%
13%
14%
2010 or later
24%
16%
9%
11%
The typical home in Waunakee was built in 1998, 12 years after the typical one in Dane County.
Homes in Waunakee are bigger: 74% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Dane County, 54%.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100KUnreliable
$100K–$200KUnreliable
$200K–$300K11%
$300K–$500K30%
$500K–$750K41%
$750K–$1M10%
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Waunakee and its comparisons
Measure
Waunakee
Under $100K
Unreliable estimate
$100K–$200K
Unreliable estimate
$200K–$300K
11%
$300K–$500K
30%
$500K–$750K
41%
$750K–$1M
10%
$1M or more
Unreliable estimate
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$999Unreliable
$1,000–$1,49946%
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Waunakee and its comparisons
Measure
Waunakee
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
Unreliable estimate
$1,000–$1,499
46%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
With a mortgage
$2,735 a month
Dane County: $2,200 a month
Without a mortgage
$1,007 a month
Dane County: $901 a month
Owners with a mortgage
76%
Dane County: 68%
Owning costs more in Waunakee: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $2,735 a month; in Dane County, $2,200. Without one, $1,007.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Waunakee+49%
Dane County+49%
Wisconsin+48%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Waunakee+31%
Dane County+29%
Wisconsin+27%
United States+33%
Typical household income
WaunakeeNo clear change
Dane County+22%
Wisconsin+26%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Waunakee and its comparisons
Measure
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
United States
Typical home value
+49%
+49%
+48%
+53%
Typical rent
+31%
+29%
+27%
+33%
Typical household income
No clear change
+22%
+26%
+29%
Much as in Dane County, the typical home value in Waunakee rose 49% since 2015–2019.
The typical rent in Waunakee rose 31% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Dane County (29%).
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Waunakee and its comparisons
Measure
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
2.9%
4.5%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
0.4%
0.5%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.6%
1.7%
3.4%
People per household
2.66
2.21
2.33
2.53
Drive alone
65%
64%
74%
69%
Carpool
8%
6%
7%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
3%
1%
3%
Walk or bike
2%
7%
3%
3%
Work from home
24%
20%
13%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
20 to 29 minutes
Unreliable estimate
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
On average, a household in Waunakee has 2.66 people, more than in Dane County (2.21).
Many people here do not commute at all: 24% work from home; in Dane County, 20%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Waunakee?
A typical home costs more than the typical income allows
We start with a typical home in Waunakee, worth $515,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 43% of the typical household income in Waunakee, which is $125,220 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $194,250 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Dane County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Waunakee. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $18,057 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$4,533
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$506,555
Total interest
$728,814
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $8,712 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $2,922 a month
Tight
$2,922 to $3,757 a month
Hard
more than $3,757 a month
Your payment · 43%
Compared with the typical household income in Waunakee ($125,220 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$3,432
Property tax
$658
Home insurance
$215
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$228
You need at least $18,057 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
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.
Total monthly payment $4,533; principal and interest $3,432.
The city and its county
Waunakee and Dane County
Waunakee 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).
Waunakee
Map of Dane County, Wisconsin, with Waunakee marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Waunakee
Dane County
Other cities with a page
Waunakee's own numbers
Typical home value
$515,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,324
Typical yearly household income
$125,220
Households that own their home
77%
Effective property tax rate
1.53%
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.
A typical home in Waunakee is worth $515,900: 31% above the county and 94% above Wisconsin. With the typical household income in Waunakee ($125,220 a year), a typical home costs 4.1 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.
Waunakee4.1 years
Dane4.4 years
Wisconsin3.4 years
United States4.1 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.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Dane County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +5.3% +5.3% 2016
2017: +6.1% +6.1% 2017
2018: +5.6% +5.6% 2018
2019: +3.7% +3.7% 2019
2020: +2.7% +2.7% 2020
2021: +9.5% +9.5% 2021
2022: +14.9% +14.9% 2022
2023: +9.9% +9.9% 2023
2024: +6.7% +6.7% 2024
2025: +4.1% +4.1% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Dane County, Wisconsin and the United States
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
Waunakee 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
Waunakee$515,900
Dane$394,800
Wisconsin$266,500
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Waunakee$1,324
Dane$1,398
Wisconsin$1,087
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Waunakee$125,220
Dane$89,975
Wisconsin$77,485
United States$80,734
See the full table
Waunakee next to Dane County and Wisconsin
Measure
Waunakee
Dane County
Wisconsin
U.S.
Typical home value
$515,900 ▲31% above the county
$394,800
$266,500
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,324 ▼5% below the county
$1,398
$1,087
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$125,220 ▲39% above the county
$89,975
$77,485
$80,734
Households that own their home
77% ▲20 points above the county
57%
68%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$7,899 ▲23% above the county
$6,420
$3,792
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.53% ▼0.1 points below the county
1.63%
1.42%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
37% ▼11 points below the county
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 Waunakee
For a typical $515,900 home in Waunakee, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Waunakee's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$4,532a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$18,057
Cash to close
$33,534
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $228
Conventional, 5% down$4,438a month
Down payment
$25,795
Cash to close
$41,272
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $245
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$3,669a month
Down payment
$103,180
Cash to close
$118,657
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$4,146a month
Down payment
$77,385
Cash to close
$92,862
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Waunakee
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$4,532
$18,057
$506,556
7.18%
FHA MIP · $228
$33,534
580
Conventional, 5% down
$4,438
$25,795
$490,105
7.18%
PMI · $245
$41,272
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$3,669
$103,180
$412,720
7.18%
None
$118,657
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$4,146
$77,385
$438,515
8.18%
None
$92,862
Set by the lender
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.
Typical rent in Waunakee is $1,324 a month: 5% below the county. In Waunakee, 37% 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.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Dane County (Fiscal year 2027)
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 Waunakee
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Waunakee is in ZIP code 53597.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,560: $5 less than the fair market rent for Dane County ($1,565).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Waunakee, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
53597
$1,190
$1,370
$1,560
$2,040
$2,260
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
53597 $1,560$2,040
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Waunakee 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 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
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.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Waunakee or Dane County. The ones below are statewide in Wisconsin: they work in Waunakee the same as in the rest of the state.
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).
$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).
No legal help resource on our list is for Waunakee or Dane County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Waunakee 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 Waunakee?
The typical home value in Waunakee is $515,900, 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 Waunakee?
Typical rent in Waunakee is $1,324 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 Waunakee?
Waunakee 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 Waunakee?
The typical homeowner in Waunakee pays $7,899 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.53% of the home’s value; in Dane County, the rate is 1.63%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Waunakee?
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.
