Grafton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Grafton
Hartford
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs74 · Top 16%
Growth
59 · Top 33%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 26%
vs93 · Top 25%
Schools
85 · Top 8%
vs70 · Top 27%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
80 · Top 7%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Grafton | Hartford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,445 | 15,821 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,861 | $82,014 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,360 | $40,880 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,335/sq mi | 1,762/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $328,800 | $297,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,310 | $1,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.2% | 28.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.7% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 107 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -63.2% | 125.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 9°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.6" | 34.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 55 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.66 | 14.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 66.4% | 51.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.8% | 44.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 15.6% | 26.8% | 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: Grafton, WI · Hartford, WI · How this is calculated: methodology