CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.82° N · 88.35° W · GEOID 5564700

Potter Lake

Walworth County, Wisconsin · part of the Whitewater, WI metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

WisconsinPotter Lake, WIPotter LakePotter Lake

The short answer

Potter Lake is home to 807 people. Median household income is $94,750 a year and median rent is $1,150 a month, 14.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $309,600, about 3.3x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,150
16% below the median place
Median household income
$94,750
18% above the median place
Median home value
$309,600
3% below the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Potter Lake

  • 100% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 151 Wisconsin places.
  • 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 132 Wisconsin places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 101 Wisconsin places.
  • The median resident is 50.8 years old, older than in 92% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 158 Wisconsin places.
  • 92% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 92% of places its size.
01

Moving to Potter Lake

Walworth County gains about 1.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,857
Moved out4,708
Net+149

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Wisconsin, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WisconsinOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$98K
Leavers$74K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Walworth County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Walworth County report $97,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $74,000, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$46,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,150 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,032 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $309,600.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 14.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Halls, TN matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in5
$97,694
38% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.0%
22% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePotter LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.0%22% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people5County figure1.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in5County figure$97,69438% above
Income of households moving out5County figure$74,0365% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 100.0%, 98% above the median place.

Potter Lake14.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$46,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.6%
28% below the median place
Home price to income
3.3x
14% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$81,200
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Potter Lake, $1,150 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Potter Lake.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Potter Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
100.0%
98% above the median place
Homeownership1
91.8%
38% above the median place
Median year built1
1962
1% below the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasurePotter LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,15016% below
Rent to income114.6%28% below
Property tax rate11.2%33% above
Home price to income13.3x14% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,30020% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,75515% above
Median home value1$309,6003% below
Home prices, 1-year change3County figure5.8%81% above
Home prices, 5-year change3County figure58.7%14% above
Homeownership191.8%38% above
Renters paying 30%+1100.0%98% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,0329% above
Vacant homes1County figure20.4%189% above
Median year built119621% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$53,325
33% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$94,750 +18%
Works from home14.7% +18%
Mean commute25 min +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePotter LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$94,75018% above
Income per person1$53,32533% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay4County figure$53,63919% below
Pay growth, 1 year4County figure5.3%43% above
Jobs4County figure45,77270% below
Poverty rate1County figure9.4%13% below
Mean commute125 min0% above
Works from home114.7%18% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 0.0%, below the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
0.0%
below the median place (median 8.8%)
Median age1
50.8
30% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.1%
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.1 −15%
Homes with broadband92.1% −0%
Bachelor's or higher32.6% +2%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePotter LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18076646th largest
Median age150.830% above
Bachelor's or higher132.6%2% above
High school or higher198.1%6% above
Household size12.115% below
Born abroad10.0%below (median 8.8%)
No health insurance1County figure5.7%11% below
Homes with broadband192.1%0% below
05

Life in Potter Lake

51 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars28.7 +38%
Shops34.5 +14%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.8 +41%
Doctors' offices and clinics14.0 −31%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k6
28.7
38% above the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k6
14.0
31% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k6
1.8
22% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasurePotter LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools8County figure44389% above
Public school students8County figure14,224190% above
Students per teacher8County figure13.512% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k6County figure28.738% above
Shops per 10k6County figure34.514% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k6County figure5.841% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k6County figure14.031% below
Child care centers per 10k6County figure1.822% below
National Register listings7County figure51292% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 13°F, 50% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Potter Lake. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low9
13°F
50% below the median place
Hurricane risk10
12.6
82% below the median place
Average temperature9
47°F
14% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePotter LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high9County figure83°F5% below
January average low9County figure13°F50% below
Average temperature9County figure47°F14% below
Annual precipitation9County figure37.0 in16% below
Natural hazard risk10County figure74.819% below
Hurricane risk10County figure12.682% below
Tornado risk10County figure88.28% above
Wildfire risk10County figure25.359% below
Heat wave risk10County figure74.018% below
Median air quality index11County figure422% below
Good air days11County figure79.4%16% above
08

Potter Lake in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$94,750 (2024)$119,500$101,000 to $141,500+4.0%
Median home value$309,600 (2024)$423,000$307,000 to $583,000+5.4%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Potter Lake

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Halls, TN$1,178$90,933Compare
Economy, PA$1,009$95,313Compare
Crete, IL$1,309$97,147Compare
Temperance, MI$1,321$81,503Compare
Temperance, MICrete, ILEconomy, PAHalls, TNPotter Lake, WIPotter LakeHallsEconomyCretePotter LakeHallsEconomyCrete

Common questions

Is Potter Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 100% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 151 Wisconsin places. 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 132 Wisconsin places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Potter Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $309,600.

What salary do you need to live in Potter Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $46,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Potter Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Halls, TN, Economy, PA, Crete, IL and Temperance, MI.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  4. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  5. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  6. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  7. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  8. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  9. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  10. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  11. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Potter Lake with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Potter Lake itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/potter-lake-wisconsin

Citytistics. “Potter Lake, Wisconsin.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/potter-lake-wisconsin/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.