Map the Block › Places › Wisconsin › Dane County
What are the crime rate and median income in Dane County, Wisconsin?
Dane County averaged 2.1 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 29% lower than the Wisconsin rate (2.9). The median household earns $89,975 and the unemployment rate was 2.9% in August 2026. Population: about 572,674 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Dane County?
Police agencies in Dane County reported an average of 1,189 violent crimes and 8,900 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 2.1 per 1,000 people, is 29% lower than the Wisconsin rate (2.9); nationally it is 3.7. Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 15.5 per 1,000 residents, compared with 12.7 across Wisconsin. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (74%). CDC death records show about 12 homicide deaths a year in the county (2.1 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Dane County | Per 1,000 | Wisconsin per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,189 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 13 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 158 | 0.28 | 0.39 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 141 | 0.25 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 878 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 8,900 | 15.5 | 12.7 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 1,000 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 7,161 | 12.5 | 9.3 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 738 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (20 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Dane County?
Median household income is $89,975, 16% higher than the statewide figure ($77,485). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $394,800, and the median rent is $1,398 a month. 8.1% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 11.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 9,855 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Dane County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 572,674 | 5,914,872 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $89,975 | $77,485 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $394,800 | $266,500 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,398 | $1,087 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 2.4% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 10.6% | 10.6% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.1% | 11.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 55.3% | 33.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 57.1% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 92.9% | 90.3% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 3.6% | 5.2% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Dane County?
Dane County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are tornadoes (Relatively High) and river flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 5 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Dane County: Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Lagoons, Hagen Farm, Refuse Hideaway Landfill, City Disposal Corp. Landfill and Stoughton City Landfill. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 2 high-hazard dams in Dane County. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Mt Horeb (34 ft) and Mendota Locks (16 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
45 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 240,983 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Dane County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 46 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 38 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 3 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Dane County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 99 highway work zones in Dane County (11 active that day). Roads listed: US 51 SB, US 51 NB and WIS 19 EB. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Dane County?
Dane County has 170 public schools (2024-25) and 44 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 16 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 41 fire or EMS stations and 35 police or sheriff stations. National Park Service sites here: Ice Age National Scenic Trail. 4 state parks or recreation areas: Capital Springs State Recreation Area, Cross Plains State Park, Governor Nelson State Park and Lake Kegonsa State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Dane County?
7 ancient or sacred sites are on the map here: Burrows Park Effigy Mound and Campsite, Elmside Park Mounds, Mills Woods Mound, Monona Mound, Observatory Hill Mound Group and Vilas Circle Bear Effigy Mound and the Curtis Mounds and 1 more. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
See them on the map: sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Dane County
Gun shops
13 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Dane County, plus 28 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World 465 (Sun Prairie), Fleet Farm (Deforest), Max Creek Outdoors (Oregon), Pawn America (Madison), Protect And Polish LLC (Cottage Grove), Sunrise Auction Company INC (Deforest), Tims Workshop LLC (Sun Prairie), Tom's Guns (Marshall) and 5 more.
Liquor stores
59 liquor stores are on the map in Dane County: 7 Seas Liquor and Beer, All-American Liquor-Video-Tan, Alpine Liquors (Deforest), Badger Liquor (Madison), BarleyPop Tap & Shop (Madison), Barriques Wine and Spirits, Best Plaza Liquor (Stoughton), Cambridge Liquor Store (Cambridge) and 51 more. Wisconsin has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
2 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Dane County: Planned Parenthood (2 in Madison).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Dane County?
Dane County averaged 1,189 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.1 per 1,000 residents, 29% lower than the Wisconsin rate (2.9). The property-crime rate was 15.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Dane County?
$89,975 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $77,485 for Wisconsin and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Dane County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 9,855 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Dane County?
Dane County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are tornadoes (Relatively High) and river flooding (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Dane County?
EPA lists 5 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Dane County: Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Lagoons, Hagen Farm, Refuse Hideaway Landfill, City Disposal Corp. Landfill and Stoughton City Landfill.
Is there road construction in Dane County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 99 highway work zones in Dane County (11 active that day). Roads listed: US 51 SB, US 51 NB and WIS 19 EB.
How many nursing homes are in Dane County?
16 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Dane County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 58,272 | 1.6 | $85,351 |
| Dodge County | 88,742 | 1.5 | $75,929 |
| Green County | 37,017 | 0.42 | $82,852 |
| Iowa County | 23,867 | 0.93 | $82,182 |
| Jefferson County | 86,003 | 1.4 | $83,750 |
| Rock County | 164,350 | 2.2 | $75,673 |
| Sauk County | 66,009 | 1.4 | $79,541 |
Cities in Dane County with their own page: Madison.
More: Wisconsin statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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