Written by Amber Kolner, Communications and Stewardship Manager of Madison Area Community Land Trust

Madison Area Community Land Trust (MACLT) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing affordable and sustainable homeownership opportunities for low-income families in Dane County. MACLT is Dane County's only non-profit focused on permanently affordable homeownership, and part of a movement of over 300 community land trusts across North America. 

Through their innovative land trust model, MACLT helps individuals and families purchase homes at below-market rates, while preserving long-term affordability of the homes in the land trust. MACLT’s resale formula ensures that these homes remain affordable for future generations, which helps to

Supply is improving for Madison area buyers, as mortgage rates have been improving, too. Here's an up-to-date look at available homes in Dane County priced at $500,000 and less. Note all listings shown are active listings without an accepted offer, per the South Central Wisconsin MLS. 

Madison homes $500,000 and under

• Downtown Madison 
• Madison near east 
• Madison east 
• Madison near west 
• Madison west 
• Madison far west 
• Madison southwest  

Surrounding communities $500,000 and under

• Baraboo
• Belleville 
• Black Earth 
• Cambridge 
• Cottage Grove 
• Cross Plains 
• Deerfield 
• Deforest 
• Edgerton 
• Evansville 
• Fitchburg 
• Janesville 
• Lake Mills 
• Lodi 
• Marshall 
• McFarland 
• Middleton

While many of us enjoy backyard gardening, not everyone has access to land to grow their own gardens and there are barriers to successful community-based gardening efforts. Rooted, a local nonprofit based in Madison, is helping to create “healthy, equitable, and sustainable neighborhoods'' that embrace the positive impact of sharing fresh, quality food through community gardening. Rooted’s Community Gardens Network is just one of the organization’s programming efforts focused on food, land, and learning.

The Community Gardens Network is a partnership between Rooted, UW Madison Extension Dane County, and the City of Madison that connects people with the land, education, and resources to create and sustain community gardens. There are 72 gardens in the

Why do so many people choose to buy a home in the Madison area? Below we share some of the big themes that we keep hearing from our clients year-after-year. Some of these reasons are due to the attractions and reputation of our region, while others are more personal and matters of the heart. 

Top 10 reasons for buying a home in Madison

#1) Quality of life 

The city of Madison has established a national reputation for being a great place to live, and for a host of reasons. Our lakes, parks, bike trails, festivals, restaurants, entertainment venues, the arts, and the many educational opportunities that are available through the University -- all of these are big draws to the Madison area.

#2) Alignment of values

Our local culture is known

The city of Madison has been receiving a lot of national attention lately after being named the #1 place to live in America by Livability.com. According to Livability, Madison ranks highly in the areas of health, economic health, housing, and civics. Madison also scores highly for its variety of local amenities and for its ability to support a remote workforce. 

Do home buyers pay attention to rankings like this? 

They sure do.  

In the last few days alone we've received calls from buyers who are thinking of relocating from Illinois, Southern California, South Carolina, and Idaho. None of them really know much about Madison, other than they've heard it's a great place to live. We've received dozens of calls like these over the last two years,

The trails and surrounding waterways that provide recreation, tourism, and transportation opportunities contributed to the Village of McFarland’s branding initiative in 2018, which generated a new logo and slogan: Naturally Connected. “We are a place of nature...with a small town feel but not too far from Madison,” said village President Brad Czebotar.

When the Lower Yahara River Trail opened in 2017, it created an important link between the southeast side of Madison at the newly renamed William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park and McFarland at McDaniel Park. Bicycle commuters now have a safer and quicker way to get to work using the floating boardwalk and pedestrian bridge -- the longest in the state and what village Administrator Matt Schuenke

Monona is conveniently located just 15 minutes from downtown Madison with beautiful sunset views of the Capitol over the lake and close proximity to the Beltline and Hwy. 51. Even though its roughly 3 square miles are completely surrounded by water or land owned by other municipalities, Monona is carving out its niche as a small waterfront community with easy access to amenities. 

“It’s the best kept secret in Dane County,” said Kathy Thomas, who has served on Monona City Council for about 35 years.  

Thomas moved to Monona in 1969, the same year it became a city. Monona was incorporated as a village in 1938 when more housing and businesses started taking over the farmland that was previously part of the town of Blooming Grove. Her husband

If Madison is considered the heart of Dane County, then its veins are the network of highways circulating people and goods throughout surrounding communities. Among them are I-94 and Hwy. 12/18, which branch out to another pulsing artery east of I-39/90: the village of Cottage Grove.

Having experienced a 500% growth rate since 1990, the village of Cottage Grove now has a population of nearly 7,000. Surrounded by open rolling prairies and farm fields, there is enough room for continued residential and business growth.

“Dane County is one of the fastest growing in the state,” said village Trustee Melissa Ratcliff, “And our communities all get stronger because of it.” In the five years her family has lived here, Ratcliff said she’s enjoyed

Whether you enjoy running, walking, skating, or biking, the Madison area offers countless paths to explore.

Fitchburg is one of 18 communities in Wisconsin that has been named a Bicycle Friendly Community by The League of American Bicyclists since 2012. For a map of the trails in this growing city, click here.

Fitchburg is also home to the area’s first bike roundabout, which can be accessed from the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Community near Arrowhead Park. Here you’ll have the option to connect to five paved trails depending on which direction you take from the roundabout.

• Badger State Trail (pass required): 40-mile trail from Fitchburg south to Illinois border

• Capital City State Trail (pass required): 17-mile trail from Fitchburg

The Village of Oregon is over 175 years old, but the last few years have been particularly noteworthy for the nearly 10,000 residents in this community just 10 miles south of Madison.

New building projects have been popping up all over -- from single-family homes on the south and west sides to the village’s first hotel in recent history on the east side. And downtown, several Main Street buildings have been refurbished while others have been cleared to make room for a high-demand apartment complex.

But perhaps the most memorable project has been the village’s new welcome center, located in the restored 1899 pump house beneath the “Tin Man” water tower on Janesville Street. Shortly after moving here around 2013 for the “small-town and