Racine receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Milwaukee
Racine
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 46%
vs92 · Top 27%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs15 · Bottom 6%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs71 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Milwaukee | Racine | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 566,973 | 77,633 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,234 | $57,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,994 | $29,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,895/sq mi | 5,018/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $184,000 | $166,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,059 | $1,033 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.8% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.8% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 1.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.5% | -57.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.6" | 31.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 69 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.4 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 184 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.95 | 13.41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.4% | 7.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 20.5% | 12.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.8% | 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.
Full profiles: Milwaukee, WI · Racine, WI · How this is calculated: methodology