Junk Removal in Madison, WI
Updated
Madison in short
- 128,261
- households in Madison
- 38.8%
- moved in 2020 or later (county 32.1%)
- 54%
- rent their home (county 42.9%)
- 1980
- median year built (county 1986)
The local numbers
Who lives in Madison, and how long they stay
Madison turns over faster than the county around it. 49,719 of its 128,261 households, 38.8%, arrived in 2020 or later, against 32.1% county-wide. That is the highest share of recent movers of the 58 Dane County municipalities we compared. Moves are when junk surfaces: the couch that won't fit the new place, the unit a tenant left full, the basement nobody emptied.
54% of Madison's households rent (69,252 of them), above the county's 42.9%. Only one of the 58 Dane County municipalities we compared has a higher renter share. Among those renters, 58.1% moved into their current unit in 2020 or later. For landlords that is a steady run of turnovers; see rental cleanouts and what Wisconsin allows with property a tenant leaves behind.
The median home in Madison was built in 1980 (county: 1986); 50.6% predate 1980 and 28.8% went up in 2000 or later.
43.6% of Madison's housing units are in buildings with five or more units (county: 33.6%). Apartment cleanouts mean stairwells, elevators and loading-zone parking, so say which floor when you book. In Madison that matters twice: since 2025 the city skips buildings over 8 units for large items. See what changed.
Madison housing and households vs Dane County
| Measure | Madison | Dane County |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 278,001 | 572,674 |
| Housing units | 133,530 | 261,061 |
| Occupied (households) | 128,261 | 251,529 |
| Moved in 2020 or later | 49,719 (38.8%) | 80,666 (32.1%) |
| Renter households | 69,252 (54%) | 107,847 (42.9%) |
| Renters who moved in 2020 or later | 58.1% | 55.4% |
| In the same home since 1989 or earlier | 6.3% | 7.5% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1986 |
| Built before 1940 | 13% | 10.4% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28.8% | 32.6% |
| Mobile homes | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| In buildings of 5+ units | 43.6% | 33.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), tables B01003, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035 and B25038.
Local rules
Trash, bulk pickup and drop-off in Madison
- Trash hauler
- The City of Madison Streets Division collects trash and recycling with city carts. Since January 1, 2025 it no longer provides large item collection to properties with more than 8 units; those buildings use the private hauler that empties their dumpsters. source
- Bulk and large items
- Eligible homes file a Large Item Work Order online, pick a Sunday to set items out, and crews collect them during the following work week. Items must be under 8 feet long, kept 4 feet from trees, cars, poles, mailboxes and hydrants, off the street and sidewalk, and metal and appliances go in a separate pile from furniture and lumber because different crews collect them. source
- Appliances and electronics
- Fees apply only to homes whose recycling is not collected by the city (dumpster buildings, private drives). For them: $35 for refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, water heaters, dehumidifiers, air conditioners and hot tubs; $15 for microwaves, dorm fridges, gas grills, lawn mowers and snow throwers; $10 for large truck tires or tires on the rim; $5 for car tires off the rim. source
- Drop-off
- Three city drop-off sites take large items, appliances, electronics, brush and extra trash from residents with proof of residency: 4602 Sycamore Ave (east), 402 South Point Rd (west) and 1504 Quann-Olin Parkway (central, opened April 11, 2026). One trip a day, no bigger than a pickup bed or a 5 x 8 foot trailer, and contractors may not use them. Through December 3, 2026 they open Monday and Friday 7:30am to 2:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 7:30am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm. source
- Also worth knowing
- TVs and computers can never go to the curb: the city may remove them and charge $30. In 2026 the August student move-out ran from August 3 to August 21 in the area from the Yahara River to N Allen St, with roving crews taking couches, mattresses and tables without a work order from August 2. source
About Madison. Madison is Wisconsin's capital and second-largest city, with 269,840 people at the 2020 census, and its downtown sits on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona. Wikipedia
ZIP codes. 53704 (20% of its land), 53718 (18% of its land), 53711 (10% of its land), 53719 (9% of its land), 53705 (7% of its land), 53713 (7% of its land), 53593 (6% of its land), 53714 (6% of its land), 53716 (5% of its land), 53717 (5% of its land), 53703 (2% of its land), 53562 (2% of its land), 53715 (2% of its land). Census 2020
Inside Madison
Historic districts and ZIP code areas
Madison is big enough that the same rule plays out differently by neighborhood: student housing and fraternity houses in Mansion Hill, 1920s bungalows in Marquette, and a far east side ZIP code where the median home dates from 2006. Each page below leads with its own Census numbers and the rules that matter there.
Historic districts
ZIP code areas
Common questions
Madison junk removal questions
Does Madison have bulk trash pickup?
Eligible homes file a Large Item Work Order online, pick a Sunday to set items out, and crews collect them during the following work week. Items must be under 8 feet long, kept 4 feet from trees, cars, poles, mailboxes and hydrants, off the street and sidewalk, and metal and appliances go in a separate pile from furniture and lumber because different crews collect them.
Who picks up trash in Madison?
The City of Madison Streets Division collects trash and recycling with city carts. Since January 1, 2025 it no longer provides large item collection to properties with more than 8 units; those buildings use the private hauler that empties their dumpsters.
Where can Madison residents drop off junk?
Three city drop-off sites take large items, appliances, electronics, brush and extra trash from residents with proof of residency: 4602 Sycamore Ave (east), 402 South Point Rd (west) and 1504 Quann-Olin Parkway (central, opened April 11, 2026). One trip a day, no bigger than a pickup bed or a 5 x 8 foot trailer, and contractors may not use them. Through December 3, 2026 they open Monday and Friday 7:30am to 2:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 7:30am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm.
What about appliances and electronics in Madison?
Fees apply only to homes whose recycling is not collected by the city (dumpster buildings, private drives). For them: $35 for refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, water heaters, dehumidifiers, air conditioners and hot tubs; $15 for microwaves, dorm fridges, gas grills, lawn mowers and snow throwers; $10 for large truck tires or tires on the rim; $5 for car tires off the rim.
How many Madison households moved in recently?
Per the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, 49,719 of 128,261 households (38.8%) moved into their current home in 2020 or later, compared with 32.1% in Dane County overall.
What does junk removal cost in Madison?
National cost guides put a single bulky item at $60 to $150, a half truckload at $200 to $400 and a full truckload at $400 to $800. Madison's own large item pickup is free for homes on city recycling, by work order.
Clearing something out in Madison?
Tell us the address and what needs to go. A local crew that covers Madison replies with a price before anything is loaded.