Menomonee Falls vs Milwaukee

Which is the better fit for you?

Menomonee Falls, WI
77
Area Score
Top 2% nationally
Milwaukee, WI
51
Area Score
Bottom 24% nationally

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Menomonee Falls 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 Menomonee Falls to Milwaukee

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 95.7 against 95.7 (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 $1,338 in Milwaukee against $1,338 in Menomonee Falls.
The median home
50% less
$184,000 in Milwaukee against $368,000 in Menomonee Falls.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 17°F in Milwaukee against 17°F in Menomonee Falls; July highs are 82°F against 82°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

Menomonee Falls
Milwaukee
Opportunity: Menomonee Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
78 · Top 11%
vs
44 · Bottom 25%
Growth: Menomonee Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
72 · Top 13%
vs
14 · Bottom 2%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs
61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience: Milwaukee is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
96 · Top 2%
vs
98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability: Menomonee Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
76 · Top 22%
vs
72 · Top 35%
Schools: Menomonee Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
81 · Top 11%
vs
9 · Bottom 3%
Access: Menomonee Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Access
66 · Bottom 9%
vs
61 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability: Menomonee Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
74 · Top 14%
vs
33 · Bottom 13%

Measured values

MetricMenomonee FallsMilwaukeeSource period
Population39,539566,9732024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$100,238 — more favorable$54,2342024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$55,472 — more favorable$30,9942024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,202/sq mi5,895/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$368,000$184,0002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,313$1,059 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,338$1,338FY2026
Cost of living index95.795.72023
Homeownership rate74.0%41.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.3% — more favorable4.9%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+0.7%+0.8% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher48.2% — more favorable27.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate5.1% — more favorable21.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)2857012 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents7.2 — more favorable0.112 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+19.2%−71.5%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high82°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low17°F17°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation34.6"34.6"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport61 mi — more favorable69 miNASR current cycle
Average commute22.4 min — more favorable24.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age42.432.42024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools81842024-25 school year
Students per teacher15.3 — more favorable16.82024-25 school year
Math proficiency59.3% — more favorable18.8%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency56.8% — more favorable22.2%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility15.2%75.8%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.

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.

Menomonee Falls
—
Menomonee Falls: Your Score
77
Area Score
Milwaukee
—
Milwaukee: Your Score
51
Area Score

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

Full profiles: Menomonee Falls, WI · Milwaukee, WI · How this is calculated: methodology