53074 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
53098
53074
Opportunity
67 · Top 25%
vs73 · Top 16%
Growth
45 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 4%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs92 · Top 28%
Access
85 · Bottom 28%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
74 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | 53098 | 53074 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,353 | 13,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,431 | $79,423 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,089 | $44,157 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 112/sq mi | 452/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $253,600 | $296,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,134 | $1,011 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 66.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 37.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.1% | 7.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 75 | 41 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.6% | -30.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.3" | 29.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.0 | 40.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.15 | 13.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.6% | 26.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: 53098 — Watertown, WI · 53074 — Port Washington, WI · How this is calculated: methodology