53094 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
54751
53094
Opportunity
80 · Top 7%
vs69 · Top 23%
Growth
45 · Bottom 42%
vs45 · Bottom 42%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 33%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs97 · Top 16%
Schools
53 · Top 49%
vs65 · Top 33%
Access
91 · Bottom 43%
vs86 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 48%
vs70 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | 54751 | 53094 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,193 | 17,998 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,028 | $73,443 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,687 | $35,446 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 115/sq mi | 203/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $253,000 | $237,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $995 | $988 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.5% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.4% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.9% | 21.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 10.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 19 | 75 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -20.8% | -47.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 6°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 37.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.0 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 13.06 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 39.4% | 44.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.7% | 37.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.0% | 51.3% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
54751
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.
53094
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: 54751 — Menomonie, WI · 53094 — Watertown, WI · How this is calculated: methodology