Not quite the Towering Isthmus: 8-story, multi-family development with 48 dwelling units on North Orchard near UW-Madison campus

 

From this....

 

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Photos by Retiring Guy

 

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Rendering:  Madison Plan Commission

The Badger Herald, 9/17/2026

Julia Walkowicz reports:

Apartment availability in downtown Madison has increased by nearly 60% since 2011, while Madison has seen the fastest-rising rent of any major city in the United States, according to the 2025 State of Madison report by Downtown Madison and a CapTimes analysis of an Apartment List report. 

Madison rent prices have increased over 14.1% in the past year and 30.4% since March 2020, according to the CapTimes analysis. 

Despite the increase in housing, high rent rates are not shocking, according to Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture Professor Kurt Paulsen. 

In the last two years, the increase in housing availability has come with increased vacancies, according to Paulsen. As a result, rent rates have remained consistent, Paulsen said. 

It is unlikely rent prices will decrease much more, according to Paulsen. Higher rent prices in Madison reflect the higher income level and economic opportunity in the area, which in turn creates a high demand for housing, according to Paulsen