Fitchburg receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fitchburg
Madison
Opportunity
82 · Top 5%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
78 · Top 7%
vs70 · Top 16%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
56 · Top 44%
vs44 · Bottom 41%
Access
96 · Top 32%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
75 · Top 16%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Fitchburg | Madison | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,619 | 278,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,516 | $78,050 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,210 | $49,425 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 926/sq mi | 3,325/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $417,200 | $372,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,373 | $1,413 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.6% | 46.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.7% | 59.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 16.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 432 | 3,111 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.2 | 11.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.3% | 14.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.1" | 37.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.5 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 31.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 19 | 54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.96 | 12.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.9% | 31.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.9% | 36.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 29.0% | 44.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Fitchburg, WI · Madison, WI · How this is calculated: methodology