About

Life in Middleton

Middleton is a community of 22,235 people in Wisconsin. The median household income is $89,524, median rent runs about $1,437 per month, and median home values are around $484,200. Unemployment is low at 2.6%, suggesting a relatively healthy local job market.

Middleton at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

39.1 yrs

Poverty Rate

7.6%

Foreign-Born

12.8%

Broadband Internet

94.0%

of households

Population Growth

+5.7%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Middleton$89,524
Wisconsin avg$77,485
US$80,734

Demographics12.8% foreign-born, most often from Mexico

Who lives in Middleton: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Middleton, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (20.2%), and 8.8% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

19.9%

of residents

65 and Older

17.8%

of residents

Households with Kids

25.3%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

37.7%

of households

Married Couples

41.7%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.13

people

Race & Ethnicity

White71.8%
Hispanic or Latino13.6%
Asian7.3%
Two or more races4.6%
Black2.6%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Mexico20.2%
China10.6%
India10.5%
Colombia9.1%
Venezuela7.5%
Brazil4.7%
Nicaragua3.1%
Saudi Arabia2.6%
Guatemala2.6%
Bangladesh2.4%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only82.5%
Spanish8.8%
Other Indo-European3.2%
Chinese2.9%
Other Asian/Pacific0.7%
Arabic0.6%
Russian/Slavic0.6%
French/Haitian0.3%

Cost of Livingrent 32% above WI average

Rent, home values, and income in Middleton

In Middleton, rent runs 32% above the WI average, and home values are 82% above the WI average.

Median rent (per month)

Middleton$1,437
Wisconsin avg$1,087
US$1,413

Median home value

Middleton$484,200
Wisconsin avg$266,500
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

38.3%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

11.5%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

97.3

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$7,397

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

45.7%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1986

median year built

Home Value Trend

$476,741
$614,311
202120222023202420252026

Latest: $614,311 (September 2026)

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.6 pts below WI average

Unemployment in Middleton and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Dane County, which includes Middleton, is 0.6 percentage points lower than the WI average.

Unemployment rate

Middleton2.6%
Wisconsin avg3.2%
US4.3%

Middleton: Dane County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

2.8%
2.4%
2.3%
2.4%
5%
2.9%
2.1%
2.2%
2.4%
2.6%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Dane County (county-wide) · Annual averages

Middleton is about 4% of Dane County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What Middleton Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care30.2%
Professional & business services17.8%
Manufacturing10.3%
Retail7.6%
Finance & real estate6.6%
Arts, hospitality & food service5.6%
Construction5.0%
Public administration4.8%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$125,050
Computer & Math$89,170
Healthcare$84,360
Business & Finance$76,410
Education$57,580
Production$46,600
Office & Admin$46,030
Transportation$40,340

Madison, WI metro area

Commute19.3 min avg

How Middleton residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Middleton, most residents drive alone to work (70%), and 82% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone69.5%
Carpool5.1%
Public transit1.5%
Walk1.6%
Work from home20.3%
Other2.1%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min35.5%
15–29 min46.0%
30–44 min12.3%
45–59 min2.4%
60+ min3.8%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN)

    Small hub1.2M passengers boarded in 2025

    9 mi
  • General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

    Medium hub2.9M passengers boarded in 2025

    82 mi
  • Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

    Major hub40.7M passengers boarded in 2025

    112 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 67% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in Middleton runs 67% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

110.1

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

889.8

per 100,000 residents

Below average (1,552 national, 2025)

Middleton Police Department

Natural DisastersWinter Weather most common — 22 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Relatively Moderate

93.9 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Cold wave · Very HighHail · HighIce storm · HighLightning · HighInland flooding · High

Dane County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Dane County, which includes Middleton, the most common type is winter weather, with 22 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

Winter WeatherThunderstorm WindHailWinter StormFlood

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202522Winter Weather$40,000
202434Thunderstorm Wind$4.3M
202318Winter Storm$144,000
202233Winter Weather$388,000
202122Winter Weather$32,000
202019Winter Weather$40,500
201933Winter Weather$204,500
201829Winter Weather$37.9M

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Dane County, county-wide

Middleton is about 4% of Dane County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality41 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Dane County, which includes Middleton, is typically good — 246 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

41

Good Days

246

per year

Moderate Days

113

per year

Unhealthy Days

1

per year

Dane County, county-wide

Middleton is about 4% of Dane County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate80°F summers, 13°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Middleton has mild summers (avg high 80°F) and very cold winters (avg low 13°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

56°/35°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

80°/60°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

59°/39°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

30°/13°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

39.4"

Annual Snowfall

38.5"

Hot Days/Year

7

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

146

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

120

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
0°20°40°60°80°6"Jan: 1.50" precipitationFeb: 1.60" precipitationMar: 2.35" precipitationApr: 4.14" precipitationMay: 4.57" precipitationJun: 5.51" precipitationJul: 4.72" precipitationAug: 4.11" precipitationSep: 3.59" precipitationOct: 2.94" precipitationNov: 2.25" precipitationDec: 1.96" precipitation10°JJan: high 27°F, low 10°FFFeb: high 31°F, low 13°FMMar: high 43°F, low 24°FAApr: high 56°F, low 35°FMMay: high 68°F, low 47°FJJun: high 78°F, low 58°F82°JJul: high 82°F, low 62°FAAug: high 80°F, low 60°FSSep: high 73°F, low 52°FOOct: high 60°F, low 39°FNNov: high 45°F, low 27°FDDec: high 32°F, low 16°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan27°F10°F1.50"
Feb31°F13°F1.60"
Mar43°F24°F2.35"
Apr56°F35°F4.14"
May68°F47°F4.57"
Jun78°F58°F5.51"
Jul82°F62°F4.72"
Aug80°F60°F4.11"
Sep73°F52°F3.59"
Oct60°F39°F2.94"
Nov45°F27°F2.25"
Dec32°F16°F1.96"

Healthcare1 hospital

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Middleton

Middleton has 1 hospital.

Hospitals

1

within city limits

Uninsured

4.2%

of residents

Miramont Behavioral Health

Psychiatric

Not rated

Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles

University of Wi Hospitals & Clinics Authority

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.4 mi away · Madison

Madison VA Medical Center

Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER available · 4.5 mi away · Madison

Mendota Mental Health Institute

Psychiatric · 5.9 mi away · Madison

Not rated

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity31.6%US 36.8%
Diabetes8.3%US 12.6%
High blood pressure26.5%US 37.1%
Current smoking8.6%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity18.9%US 26.6%
Depression23.3%US 23.0%
Asthma9.7%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year75.5%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education13.5:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Middleton

Middleton's student/teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 61.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

7

within city limits

Private Schools

0

within city limits

College Degree Rate

61.7%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

13.5:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Middleton (within 15 miles)

University of Wisconsin-Madison

5.6 mi away

Public · 4-year · 36,902 students · in-state tuition $12,166 · 90% graduate · median earnings $80,330 (10 yrs after entry)

Edgewood University

5.4 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,107 students · in-state tuition $37,120 · 64% graduate · median earnings $64,869 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Ice Age National Scenic Trail, 61 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Middleton

Middleton has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Ice Age National Scenic Trail (61 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Ice Age National Scenic Trail

National Scenic Trail

61 mi away

Effigy Mounds National Monument

National Monument

85 mi away

Public Libraries in Middleton

Middleton Public Library

7425 Hubbard Ave., Middleton

Central library~61 hrs/week

Cities Near Middleton

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Middleton?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

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Middleton FAQ

Is Middleton, Wisconsin affordable?⌄

Middleton's median rent is $1,437/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $89,524/year. Median home value is $484,200.

Is Middleton, Wisconsin safe?⌄

Middleton's violent crime rate was 110 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 890 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Middleton, Wisconsin?⌄

Dane County, which includes Middleton, has an unemployment rate of 2.6%, which is strong — well below the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Middleton, Wisconsin?⌄

The cost of living in Middleton is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,437/month and median household income is $89,524/year. The median home value is $484,200. About 38% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Middleton, Wisconsin?⌄

The average commute in Middleton is 19 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from