Best PlacesHill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison, WI Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison ranks 637th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on few empty homes by a wide margin, and property taxes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison's strengths and weaknesses
Where Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison ranks high
- Low vacancyBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
Where Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison ranks low
- Low property taxBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 30% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 37% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$1,303 a month, better than only 38% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 81 pleasant days a year, better than only 41% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
A household needs to earn about $141,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $110,919, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison's effective rate of 1.89%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison.
Who works in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison, and how
Work in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison centers on education and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 57%
- Work from home 22%
- Transit, walk, or bike 21%
Life in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison.
What the weather is like in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison, month by month
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison sees roughly 81 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 85 degrees. January highs sit near 30, with lows near 14. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 22° | 14° |
| April | 60° | 46° | 34° |
| July | 85° | 73° | 62° |
| October | 64° | 51° | 41° |
Flying in and out of Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
The nearest airport, Dane County Regional/Truax Field, is about 8 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is General Mitchell International, about 80 miles away.
The best schools in and around Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
Schools across Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison average an A−, better than 93% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Van Hise ElementaryA · 72% proficient
- Stephens ElementaryB · 47% proficient
Top middle schools
- Hamilton MiddleA+ · 68% proficient
- Jefferson MiddleC · 31% proficient
Top high schools
- West HighB+ · 56% proficient
- Vel Phillips Memorial HighB · 48% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison
Is Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison ranks 637th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on few empty homes, an educated workforce, and health care access, and lowest on property taxes and distance from a big city. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $468,042. The overall cost of living runs about 3% above the national average. Set against a $110,919 median income, cost of living beats 81% of neighborhoods.
Is Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison safe?
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison is safer than 52% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $449 per resident a year.
Compare Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Hill Farms-University Neighborh, Madison detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.