Caledonia vs Racine

Which is the better fit for you?

Caledonia, WI
66
Area Score
Top 24% nationally
Racine, WI
57
Area Score
Bottom 42% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Caledonia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Caledonia to Racine

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 95.2 against 95.2 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,235 in Racine against $1,235 in Caledonia.
The median home
45% less
$166,500 in Racine against $303,400 in Caledonia.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 16°F in Racine against 16°F in Caledonia; July highs are 81°F against 81°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Caledonia
Racine
Opportunity: Caledonia is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
68 · Top 27%
vs
50 · Bottom 37%
Growth: Caledonia is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
54 · Top 40%
vs
39 · Bottom 27%
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs
60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs
97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability: Caledonia is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
88 · Top 3%
vs
69 · Top 42%
Schools: Caledonia is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
18 · Bottom 11%
vs
16 · Bottom 7%
Access: Racine is the more favorable of the two.
Access
68 · Bottom 10%
vs
71 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability: Caledonia is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
71 · Top 22%
vs
40 · Bottom 22%

Measured values

MetricCaledoniaRacineSource period
Population25,25777,6332024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$93,152 — more favorable$57,7402024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$46,626 — more favorable$29,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Population density559/sq mi5,018/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$303,400$166,5002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,141$1,033 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,235$1,235FY2026
Cost of living index95.295.22023
Homeownership rate80.9%60.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.9% — more favorable4.6%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+1.1%+1.1%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher32.2% — more favorable21.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate4.6% — more favorable18.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)6309712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.2 — more favorable1.212 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+11.5%−57.1%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high81°F81°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low16°F16°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation31.8"31.8"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport57 mi52 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute27.2 min23.9 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age43.834.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools4122024-25 school year
Students per teacher12.8 — more favorable13.42024-25 school year
Math proficiency21.1% — more favorable15.6%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency20.2% — more favorable17.0%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility66.3%66.9%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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Caledonia
—
Caledonia: Your Score
66
Area Score
Racine
—
Racine: Your Score
57
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Caledonia, WI · Racine, WI · How this is calculated: methodology