53098 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
53098
54937
Opportunity
67 · Top 25%
vs70 · Top 21%
Growth
45 · Bottom 42%
vs40 · Bottom 34%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 4%
vs95 · Top 3%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs96 · Top 18%
Access
85 · Bottom 28%
vs92 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
74 · Top 23%
vs68 · Top 35%
Measured values
| Metric | 53098 | 54937 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,353 | 21,687 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,431 | $81,841 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,089 | $43,920 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 112/sq mi | 181/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $253,600 | $272,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,134 | $1,132 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 72.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 23.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.1% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 75 | 32 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.6% | 10.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.3" | 28.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.0 | 46.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.15 | 15.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.6% | 48.9% | 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 · 54937 — Fond du Lac, WI · How this is calculated: methodology