Dane County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Moderate

Dane County carries a county-wide average eviction risk score of 4.3/10, placing it in the moderate tier across its 25 tracked cities. That aggregate, however, masks real variation: individual city scores span from 3.6 to 5.2, meaning a landlord's operating environment can differ sharply depending on which municipality a property sits in. With roughly 45.9% of residents renting and an average rent of $1,392, Wisconsin eviction laws's capital region sustains a large and active rental market, but one that rewards due diligence on the specific submarket.

In the state context, Dane County ranks 3rd of 72 Wisconsin eviction laws counties for eviction risk, placing it in the higher-risk third of the state. Only 2 counties statewide score higher; 69 are less risky. Investors comparing this market to nearby peers should note that Rock County sits at 4.9, while Kenosha County and Winnebago County each hover in the low-to-mid 4s, making Dane County one of the more challenging operating environments in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee County.

The cities inside Dane County

The highest-risk city in the county is Sun Prairie, scoring 4/10 with a population of 37,570. Madison, the county seat and by far the largest city at 278,001 residents, scores 4.6/10, reflecting the combined pressure of a large renter population, a university-driven tenant base, and activist local policy. Stoughton comes in at 4/10 (population 13,033), rounding out the top three riskiest cities. These markets warrant closer attention to tenant screening and lease enforcement.

On the lower end of the risk spectrum, Waunakee scores 3.5/10, and both Fitchburg and Verona score 4/10, offering meaningfully better operating conditions than the county seat. Middleton comes in at 4.5/10. Risk in Dane County is genuinely hyper-local: the 1.6-point spread from lowest to highest city score means a single county line tells investors very little without drilling into the specific city.

State-level laws that apply here

All Dane County landlords operate under Wis. Stat. § 704 (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, state law requires a 5-day notice before filing; lease violations carry a 14-day cure notice, and no-cause or end-of-term terminations require 30 days. Understanding the full Wisconsin eviction laws eviction process is essential before acting, because procedural missteps reset timelines. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days; contested matters can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $95 to $175, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $150, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,000, so landlords should budget those components carefully when projecting Wisconsin eviction costs for a given dispute.

Wisconsin eviction laws does not impose just-cause requirements for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, meaning no municipality in Dane County can cap rent increases independent of the state. The required entry notice is 12 hours. Anti-retaliation rules apply under Wis. Stat. § 704.45, and habitability obligations are codified at Wis. Stat. § 704.07. Source of income is not a protected class under state law, though landlords should confirm local ordinances for any given city.

With an average poverty rate of 11.5% and nearly half of all residents renting, operating conditions across Dane County's 25 cities vary enough that city-level scores, shown in the grid above, are the most reliable starting point for evaluating any specific investment.