Property Tax in Dane County, Wisconsin
In Dane County, Wisconsin, the typical homeowner pays $6,276 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $366,100. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Dane County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Dane County pay more than $6,276, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 1.71% for Dane County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
The key figures for Dane County
| Measure | Dane County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $6,276 |
| Median home value | $366,100 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.71% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $523 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,714 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,856 |
For context, the Wisconsin medians are $3,746 of tax on $247,400 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Dane County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Wisconsin: #1 of 72 counties
- Median home value rank in Wisconsin: #3 of 72
- Population rank in Wisconsin: #2 of 72 (564,777 residents)
- Population density rank: #6 of 72 (472 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Wisconsin: #8 of 72 (1,196 sq mi, 2.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $523; per $1,000 of home value: $1.71
How Dane County compares
The median tax bill in Dane County is about 68% higher than the state median ($3,746 for Wisconsin) and about 111% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #1 out of 72 Wisconsin counties with published Census data — 0 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Dane County's derived rate of 1.71% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Dane County: the median bill works out to about $523 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,714 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 564,777 people — the #2 most populous county in Wisconsin, spread over 1,196 square miles, a density of about 472 people per square mile. Its median home value, $366,100, ranks #3 among the state's 72 counties with data.
Nationally, Dane County's median bill of $6,276 ranks #71 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 2% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 9.6% of Wisconsin's population, its median home value is about 48% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 17.14% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Dane County to the most expensive county, Dane County ($6,276), is $0 a year.
Counties nearest Dane County in the Wisconsin ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozaukee County, WI | $4,629 | $368,900 | 1.25% |
| Pierce County, WI | $4,552 | $308,600 | 1.48% |
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Dane County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.71%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $6,856 a year, or around $571 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Dane County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Dane County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Dane County, Wisconsin?
The median real estate tax paid in Dane County, Wisconsin is $6,276 per year, on a median home value of $366,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Dane County, Wisconsin?
The derived effective rate is 1.71% — the median bill ($6,276) expressed as a share of the median home value ($366,100). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Dane County compare with the rest of Wisconsin?
Dane County ranks #1 of 72 Wisconsin counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $6,276 is about 68% higher than the Wisconsin median of $3,746.
How are property taxes calculated in Dane County, Wisconsin?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Dane County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $6,276 on a median home value of $366,100.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Dane County, Wisconsin?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Dane County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.