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
53718
Opportunity
83 · Top 5%
vs81 · Top 7%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
57 · Bottom 8%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs90 · Top 32%
Access
97 · Top 32%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
85 · Top 5%
vs87 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | 53597 | 53718 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,426 | 18,989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $117,000 | $102,843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,751 | $51,048 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 405/sq mi | 911/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $493,200 | $363,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,376 | $1,696 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 55.2% | 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% | 49.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 170 | 3,111 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.8 | 11.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 37.1% | 14.7% | 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 | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 22.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.3 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.47 | 13.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 9.3% | 4.0% | 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 · 53718 — Madison, WI · How this is calculated: methodology