Madison vs Rochester
The short version
- Rochester is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Madison area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $310,500 in Rochester and $372,900 in Madison.
- Households earn more in Rochester ($89,389 vs $78,050 median).
- Madison has the warmer winter: January highs of 27°F vs 23°F.
Side by side
| Madison, WI | Rochester, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 286,233 | 124,292 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.2% | +2.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,423 | 2,193 |
| Median age | 31.8 | 36.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60% | 51% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $78,050 | $89,389 |
| Median home value | $372,900 | $310,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.8× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,413 | $1,399 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 97.3 | 90.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 99.7 | 78.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,000 | $68,100 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | 7.65% | 9.85% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.72% | 8.14% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 17.4 |
| Work from home | 21% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 27° / 12° | 23° / 7° |
| July high / low | 82° / 62° | 80° / 61° |
| Precipitation per year | 37 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 52 in | 53 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 9 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 147 | 156 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.9 | 82.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 66% | 69% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49% | +32.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Madison: May and August to September. Rochester: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Madison weather by month and Rochester weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,000 in Madison and $68,100 in Rochester. Moving from Madison to Rochester, you would need about $70,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Madison and Rochester
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Madison and Rochester.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.