Moving to Waukesha
Walworth County gains about 1.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Wisconsin, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
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
- 3.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.4% from another state.
- 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
- $51,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $1,292 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,126 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $415,500.
- Getting to work
- 26 minutes each way on average; 17.8% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Country Knolls, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Waukesha | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 3.9% | 32% below | |
| Moved from another state1County figure | 2.4% | 23% above | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure | 1.7 | above (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in6County figure | $97,694 | 38% above | |
| Income of households moving out6County figure | $74,036 | 5% above |
What it costs to live here
93% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 93% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Waukesha, $1,292 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like Waukesha, but easier on the budget
Places that match Waukesha on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.
| Place | Match | Rent to income | More left a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country Knolls, NY | 96 | 10.0% vs 11.8% | n/a | Compare |
| Mountain Top, PA | 95 | 9.3% vs 11.8% | n/a | Compare |
| Miller Place, NY | 92 | 9.6% vs 11.8% | n/a | Compare |
| Kirtland, OH | 91 | 9.5% vs 11.8% | n/a | Compare |
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Waukesha.
All 14 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Waukesha | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $1,292 | 5% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 11.8% | 42% below | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.9% | 2% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 3.2x | 17% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure | $1,300 | 20% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $3,681 | 13% above | |
| Median home value1 | $415,500 | 30% above | |
| Home prices, 1-year change3County figure | 5.8% | 81% above | |
| Home prices, 5-year change3County figure | 58.7% | 14% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 92.6% | 39% above | |
| Renters paying 30%+1County figure | 42.4% | 16% below | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $2,126 | 14% above | |
| Vacant homes1County figure | 20.4% | 189% above | |
| Median year built1 | 1978 | 0% above |
Work and pay
Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | Waukesha | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $130,978 | 63% above | |
| Income per person1 | $54,057 | 35% above | |
| Unemployment1County figure | 2.9% | 41% below | |
| Average annual pay4County figure | $53,639 | 19% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year4County figure | 5.3% | 43% above | |
| Jobs4County figure | 45,772 | 70% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 3.0% | 72% below | |
| Mean commute1 | 26 min | 3% above | |
| Works from home1 | 17.8% | 43% above | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
3% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 96% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track.
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | Waukesha | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 8,514 | 4704th largest | |
| Population change since 20205 | 0.5% | 55% below | |
| Median age1 | 47.2 | 21% above | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 49.4% | 54% above | |
| High school or higher1 | 98.0% | 6% above | |
| Household size1 | 2.7 | 7% above | |
| Born abroad1 | 3.6% | 59% below | |
| No health insurance1 | 1.4% | 78% below | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 96.2% | 4% above |
Life in Waukesha
OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 158 Wisconsin places we track.
Founded or incorporated in 1839. 51 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
National Park Service sites nearby
- Ice Age Trail 81 miles
- Pullman National Historical Park 93 miles
- Indiana Dunes National Park 108 miles
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 18 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Waukesha | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools11County figure | 44 | 389% above | |
| Public school students11County figure | 14,224 | 190% above | |
| Students per teacher11County figure | 13.5 | 12% below | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure | 28.7 | 38% above | |
| Shops per 10k7County figure | 34.5 | 14% above | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure | 5.8 | 41% above | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure | 14.0 | 31% below | |
| Child care centers per 10k7County figure | 1.8 | 22% below | |
| Parks per 10k8 | 10.6 | 4% above | |
| Playgrounds per 10k8 | 3.5 | 63% below | |
| Grocery stores per 10k8 | 0.0 | below (median 2.1) | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8 | 1.2 | 90% below | |
| Libraries per 10k8 | 0.0 | below (median 0.9) | |
| Named paths and bike trails8 | 5.1 | 155% above | |
| Transit stops per sq mi8 | 0.0 | below (median 0.2) | |
| Nearest National Park Service site9 | 81.2 | 164% above | |
| National Park Service sites within 60 miles9 | 0 | below (median 2) | |
| National Register listings10County figure | 51 | 292% above |
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 Waukesha. Larger places are fetched first.
All 11 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Waukesha | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high12County figure | 83°F | 5% below | |
| January average low12County figure | 13°F | 50% below | |
| Average temperature12County figure | 47°F | 14% below | |
| Annual precipitation12County figure | 37.0 in | 16% below | |
| Natural hazard risk13County figure | 74.8 | 19% below | |
| Hurricane risk13County figure | 12.6 | 82% below | |
| Tornado risk13County figure | 88.2 | 8% above | |
| Wildfire risk13County figure | 25.3 | 59% below | |
| Heat wave risk13County figure | 74.0 | 18% below | |
| Median air quality index14County figure | 42 | 2% below | |
| Good air days14County figure | 79.4% | 16% above |
How it is changing
Compared with the 24 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Lisbon, WI, Rib Mountain, WI and Summit, WI), home value growth here is higher: 8.2% a year against a typical 6.7% a year.
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2021 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 9.9% to 11.8% of the median income.
Median gross rent
Median household income
Median home value
Population estimate
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Waukesha in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 12% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 12% now.
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. On projected 2030 affordability, Waukesha does better than 83% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 34%.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,292/mo (2024) | $1,680/mo | $1,380 to $2,050/mo | +4.5% |
| Median household income | $130,978 (2024) | $164,000 | $138,500 to $194,000 | +3.8% |
| Median home value | $415,500 (2024) | $589,000 | $428,000 to $812,000 | +6.0% |
| Population | 8,507 (2025) | 8,590 | 8,240 to 8,960 | +0.2% |
The median home would be worth 3.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.2 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Waukesha
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tichigan, WI | $1,201 | $126,933 | Compare |
| Mokena, IL | $1,254 | $123,889 | Compare |
| Oak Ridge, NJ | $1,372 | $121,875 | Compare |
| Richfield, WI | $1,388 | $143,963 | Compare |
Nearby
- Waukesha, WI3 mi
- Vernon, WI6 mi
- New Berlin, WI6 mi
- Pewaukee, WI7 mi
- Mukwonago, WI8 mi
- Muskego, WI8 mi
Compare Waukesha with
Places built like Waukesha
Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Waukesha performs against places like it.
| Place | Rent to income | Income growth | Pop. change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukesha, WI | 11.8% | 3.1%/yr | 0.5% | |
| Lisbon, WI | 13.3% | n/a | 7.9% | Compare |
| Rib Mountain, WI | 16.4% | 6.2%/yr | -0.4% | Compare |
| Summit, WI | 13.8% | 4.3%/yr | 11.1% | Compare |
| Macedonia, OH | 25.9% | 0.8%/yr | -0.2% | Compare |
| Highland Heights, OH | 17.9% | 2.3%/yr | -1.8% | Compare |
| Palos Heights, IL | 28.2% | 4.0%/yr | -3.0% | Compare |
Common questions
Is Waukesha a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 86 out of 100, better than 86% of the places we rate and 87th of 158 in Wisconsin. On cost, space and class size it scores 99 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Waukesha expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 11.8% 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 $415,500.
What salary do you need to live in Waukesha?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $51,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.
What places are similar to Waukesha?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Tichigan, WI, Mokena, IL, Oak Ridge, NJ and Richfield, WI.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- 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
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- 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.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 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
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- 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 Waukesha with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Waukesha itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/waukesha-walworth-county-wisconsin
Citytistics. “Waukesha, Wisconsin.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/waukesha-walworth-county-wisconsin/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.