Fuhremann Canning Company Factory · Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Sun Prairie costs more to live in than 83% of U.S. towns
It ranks #320 of 362 in Wisconsin for affordability. Up 3.6% in a year, 31% above the Wisconsin typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Madison, WI metro area ($89K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Sun Prairie’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($89K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 19% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 46% of renters.
In dollars
- $442Ktypical home, 31% above the Wisconsin typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,710a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 97prices across the Madison metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 100)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 4.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$89K, Madison-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 46%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Wisconsin: 44%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Sun Prairie
Mostly newer homes
Half of Sun Prairie’s homes were built after 1999, against 1975 for Wisconsin as a whole. Property taxes ↓
Most new homes are apartments and condos
Of the 3,574 homes permitted in Sun Prairie’s past 10 years, 65% were in buildings with two or more homes, not single-family houses. New homes ↓
A median income doesn’t stretch to the towns next door
At Sun Prairie’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $316K covers neither the typical home here ($442K) nor in any of the four neighboring towns. The least expensive is Madison at $425K. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for May 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Sun Prairie’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Sun Prairie is more affordable than 17% of U.S. towns, #320 of 362 in Wisconsin. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Wisconsin: up 27.7% in five years, against 31.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 27.7% in five years
Slower than Wisconsin (31.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Sun Prairie | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $254,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $271,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $282,000 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | $293,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $319,000 | $235,000 |
| 2022 | $353,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $379,000 | $279,000 |
| 2024 | $401,000 | $296,000 |
| 2025 | $424,000 | $314,000 |
| 2026 | $435,000 | $330,000 |
| September 2026 | $442,000 | $337,000 |
A typical Sun Prairie home worth $249K in October 2016 is worth about $442K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, May 2026.
A typical home costs 4.1 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Sun Prairie’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $133K short of a typical Sun Prairie home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,710 a month here, $1,260 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Sun Prairie’s typical property tax (1.77% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,710
Renters already here pay a median of $1,419, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
100 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 100 new homes in Sun Prairie in 2025: 94 single-family houses and 6 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $45.6 million to build. That's 2.7 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Wisconsin (4.3). Over the past 10 years, Sun Prairie has permitted 3,574 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Sun Prairie gained 6,603 residents while 2,369 new homes were permitted: about 2.8 new residents per new home, more than across Wisconsin (1.3): growth outpaced building.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 63 | 57 | 6 | $29.9 million |
| 2025 | 100 | 94 | 6 | $45.6 million |
| 2024 | 267 | 82 | 185 | $66.7 million |
| 2023 | 445 | 95 | 350 | $113.2 million |
| 2022 | 654 | 100 | 554 | $113.1 million |
| 2021 | 571 | 143 | 428 | $125.9 million |
| 2020 | 217 | 154 | 63 | $63.2 million |
| 2019 | 220 | 112 | 108 | $60.8 million |
| 2018 | 376 | 173 | 203 | $66.7 million |
| 2017 | 555 | 139 | 416 | $81 million |
| 2016 | 169 | 149 | 20 | $43.6 million |
| 2015 | 170 | 160 | 10 | $39 million |
| 2014 | 266 | 114 | 152 | $38.4 million |
| 2013 | 302 | 119 | 183 | $41.4 million |
| 2012 | 157 | 50 | 107 | $18.5 million |
| 2011 | 105 | 35 | 70 | $11.9 million |
| 2010 | 49 | 43 | 6 | $9 million |
| 2009 | 96 | 44 | 52 | $14.7 million |
| 2008 | 235 | 63 | 172 | $30.5 million |
| 2007 | 188 | 71 | 117 | $25.5 million |
| 2006 | 492 | 167 | 325 | $54.7 million |
| 2005 | 515 | 303 | 212 | $62.7 million |
| 2004 | 530 | 324 | 206 | $64.9 million |
| 2003 | 561 | 331 | 230 | $69.3 million |
| 2002 | 464 | 270 | 194 | $49.1 million |
| 2001 | 516 | 264 | 252 | $52.7 million |
| 2000 | 377 | 155 | 222 | $38.8 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs above the Wisconsin norm
The median bill is $6,458 (Wisconsin: $3,792), 1.77% of a home’s value a year, against 1.42% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Sun Prairie
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Madison, WI metro area, or Wisconsin. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 97 | WI 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 94 | WI 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 90 | WI 90 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | WI 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Sun Prairie vs. its neighbors
Of the 5 towns here with a Zillow value, Sun Prairie has the 2nd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Prairie | C− | $442K | $366K | 1.77% | $1,710 |
| Windsor | C | $524K | $426K | 1.47% | $1,720 |
| Bristol | C− | $647K | $493K | 1.29% | $1,680 |
| Burke | C+ | $532K | $369K | 1.25% | $1,740 |
| Madison | D | $425K | $373K | 1.75% | $1,750 |
Questions about the cost of living in Sun Prairie
Is Sun Prairie expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Sun Prairie costs more than 83% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #320 of 362 in Wisconsin. The typical home costs 4.1 years of the median household income of the Madison, WI metro area ($89K).
How much does a house cost in Sun Prairie?
About $442K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.6% in a year. The Wisconsin typical home is $337K.
What salary do you need to live in Sun Prairie?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $127,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,970 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $68,000.
How much is rent in Sun Prairie?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,710 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,419 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Sun Prairie?
The median bill is $6,458 a year, 1.77% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Sun Prairie going up?
Yes: up 3.6% in the past year and 27.7% in five years, against 31.4% across Wisconsin (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Sun Prairie buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.