City comparison
La Crosse, WI is about 100 miles (175 km) from Madison, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from La Crosse, WI to Madison, WI takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Madison has a population of 268,516, vs 52,043 in La Crosse — about 5.2× larger by population. By land area, Madison covers about 84 sq mi vs 22 sq mi for La Crosse.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | La Crosse | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $941/mo | $1,291/mo | 37.2% higher in Madison |
| Median home value | $183,300 | $326,600 | 78.2% higher in Madison |
| Median household income | $51,836 | $74,895 | 44.5% higher in Madison |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (La Crosse slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.7 | 90.0 | ≈ equal (Madison slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 99.2 | ≈ equal (La Crosse slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 99.4 | ≈ equal (La Crosse slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in La Crosse, you'd need $114,986 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
La Crosse, WI is about 13% cheaper overall than Madison, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% higher in Madison than in La Crosse. If you earn $80,000 in La Crosse, you'd need about $91,989 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.