53597 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
53597
53562
Opportunity
83 · Top 5%
vs82 · Top 6%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs71 · Top 14%
Climate
57 · Bottom 8%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs76 · Bottom 44%
Schools
91 · Top 3%
vs86 · Top 6%
Access
97 · Top 32%
vs97 · Top 33%
Economic stability
85 · Top 5%
vs78 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | 53597 | 53562 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,426 | 29,790 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $117,000 | $101,381 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,751 | $64,683 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 405/sq mi | 958/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $493,200 | $532,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,376 | $1,484 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.7% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.4% | 6.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 170 | 433 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.8 | 19.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 37.1% | -10.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.1" | 37.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 20.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.3 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.47 | 13.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 64.5% | 55.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 52.5% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 9.3% | 18.8% | 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: 53597 — Waunakee, WI · 53562 — Middleton, WI · How this is calculated: methodology