Wondering whether DeForest or Windsor is still a smart place to buy as prices rise and new development keeps moving forward? You are not alone. If you are trying to balance budget, home type, and long-term value, the latest local data paints a clearer picture of where this market is heading and what that could mean for your next move. Let’s dive in.
For this topic, it helps to think of DeForest and Windsor as one connected housing market rather than two totally separate places. The local housing inventory tracks the DeForest-Windsor area as the parts of both villages within the DeForest Area School District, which includes all of DeForest and most of Windsor, so many lot and permit figures are reported on that shared basis in the 2024 DeForest-Windsor housing inventory.
That matters because growth trends do not stop at a municipal line. If you are comparing options on either side of the area, you are really looking at one broader market with slightly different supply conditions depending on product type and timing.
One reason buyer demand has remained steady is simple: more people are moving into this part of Dane County. According to U.S. Census QuickFacts, DeForest reached an estimated population of 12,260 in 2024, up 13.5% from 2020, while Windsor reached 10,005, up 14.2% over the same period.
The same Census profile shows relatively high median household incomes, at $106,419 in DeForest and $120,048 in Windsor during the 2020-2024 ACS period. It also shows strong residential stability, with 89.0% of DeForest residents and 94.8% of Windsor residents living in the same home one year earlier. For you as a buyer, that points to a growing but not highly volatile suburban market.
If you have been worried that supply is not growing at all, the data shows the opposite. In 2024, the combined DeForest-Windsor market area had 593 new housing-unit permits, the highest annual total since at least 2005, according to the local housing inventory report.
That total included 177 single-family permits, which was the second-highest combined single-family year since 2010. So while buyers may still feel competition, this is a market where new development continues to add inventory and shape future choices.
The headline number on permits is only part of the story. The bigger trend is that the housing pipeline is leaning much more toward attached and higher-density options.
In the combined 2024 pipeline, about 30% of new units were single-family, 9% were duplexes, and 61% were multifamily, based on the same housing inventory. In DeForest alone, 2024 approvals totaled 444 units, including 77 single-family homes, 52 two-family units, and 315 multifamily units, according to the village’s housing affordability report.
For you, this means future inventory may not look like the suburban market of ten years ago. More of the growth is coming through multifamily and attached housing, which can create more entry points for some buyers, even if detached homes remain in demand.
If your goal is a single-family home, especially a new build, lot availability becomes one of the most important numbers to watch. As of January 1, 2025, the DeForest-Windsor area had about 143 vacant improved single-family lots on the market, down sharply from the year before, according to the inventory report.
The split is especially important. DeForest had only 25 improved lots, while Windsor had 118. That suggests Windsor currently offers more immediate single-family lot opportunity, while DeForest appears tighter if you want to move quickly on a detached home site.
The same local inventory identifies near-term phases that could add more detached-home opportunities. DeForest expects new lot supply from the Homestead Addition in Savannah Brooks, the final phase of River's Turn 3rd Addition in Conservancy Place, and Buhler Farm near Highway 51.
In Windsor, expected new supply includes new phases of Bear Tree Farms and Windsor Gardens. If you are serious about new construction, tracking these specific phases can be more useful than waiting for broad market shifts.
Another trend buyers should understand is the gap between approvals and move-in-ready inventory. As of January 1, 2025, the DeForest-Windsor area had 2,812 approved but unbuilt housing units, up 11% from one year earlier and nearly 850 more than January 1, 2023, according to the housing inventory report.
Most of that future pipeline is not single-family. About 74% of approved-but-unbuilt units were planned multifamily homes, while only 19% were future single-family homes. In practical terms, that means a large future pipeline does not automatically solve the short-term challenge for buyers who want a detached house.
Growth has not stayed hidden in the data. It is already showing up in prices.
In 2024, the median sale price of a single-family home in the DeForest-Windsor area was $442,900, up 11% from 2023 and up 121% from 2014, according to the local inventory report. The same report notes that this local median moved slightly above Dane County’s $440,000 median for the first time since at least 2008.
That is a meaningful shift. DeForest and Windsor are no longer simply the lower-cost alternative many buyers may remember from earlier years. They are acting more like established growth communities where demand, higher incomes, and constrained detached-home supply all put upward pressure on pricing.
If you are comparing resale versus new construction, expect a sizable price gap. The 2024 median sale price for a new single-family home in the DeForest-Windsor area was $580,534, based on the inventory report.
The village’s housing affordability report adds helpful context. In DeForest, the average pre-existing single-family home sells for well over $300,000, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to build a new home for under $400,000 or buy a new vacant lot for under $100,000.
For many buyers, this means resale may offer a more approachable path than building from scratch. For others, the value of a new home may still make sense, but it is wise to go in with realistic expectations about lot costs, build costs, and timing.
The best buying strategy depends on what type of home you want and how flexible your timeline is. Based on the local data, here are a few smart things to watch:
For many buyers, the decision is less about which community is better and more about which market condition fits your goals right now. The current inventory suggests Windsor may offer a bit more breathing room if you are focused on detached-home lots, while DeForest’s recent permit pattern shows stronger growth in higher-density housing types, according to the DeForest-Windsor inventory.
Both communities are planning for growth rather than reacting to it. DeForest’s housing affordability report says the village aims to maintain lot supply, direct housing to planned neighborhoods and mixed-use areas, and support workforce and elderly housing. Windsor’s official planning framework is designed to guide housing, land use, transportation, infrastructure, and related decisions over time.
DeForest and Windsor remain important growth markets in Dane County, but they are no longer hidden-value plays. You are looking at a market with strong population growth, steady demand, rising prices, and an expanding housing pipeline that is increasingly tilted toward multifamily and attached options.
If you want a detached home, especially a new one, timing and lot availability matter more than ever. If you are open to a wider range of housing types, you may find more opportunities as the area continues to grow. With the right strategy, you can still buy well here, but it helps to understand exactly where supply is opening up and where it remains tight.
If you want help comparing resale homes, new construction opportunities, or lot availability in DeForest and Windsor, Lessing Real Estate can help you make sense of the data and plan your next step with confidence.
7633 Ganser Way Suite 101 Madison, WI 53719
7633 Ganser Way Suite 101 Madison, WI 53719