Oak Creek vs West Allis

Which is the better fit for you?

Oak Creek, WI
71
Area Score
Top 11% nationally
West Allis, WI
64
Area Score
Top 31% nationally

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Oak Creek 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 Oak Creek to West Allis

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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 West Allis against $1,338 in Oak Creek.
The median home
39% less
$203,800 in West Allis against $331,700 in Oak Creek.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 17°F in West Allis against 17°F in Oak Creek; 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

Oak Creek
West Allis
Opportunity: Oak Creek is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
77 · Top 12%
vs
64 · Top 34%
Growth: West Allis is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
32 · Bottom 16%
vs
50 · Top 50%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs
61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs
98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability: Oak Creek is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
87 · Top 4%
vs
82 · Top 9%
Schools: Oak Creek is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
62 · Top 33%
vs
23 · Bottom 16%
Access: Oak Creek is the more favorable of the two.
Access
65 · Bottom 8%
vs
62 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability: Oak Creek is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
77 · Top 9%
vs
54 · Bottom 42%

Measured values

MetricOak CreekWest AllisSource period
Population37,32559,6122024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$96,555 — more favorable$67,6112024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$48,445 — more favorable$39,7412024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,312/sq mi5,238/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$331,700$203,8002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,452$1,007 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,338$1,338FY2026
Cost of living index95.795.72023
Homeownership rate57.5%55.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.3% — more favorable3.7%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+0.8%+0.8%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher39.4% — more favorable29.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate4.8% — more favorable11.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)4026612 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.14.5 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−82.8%−6.3%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 airport62 mi — more favorable67 miNASR current cycle
Average commute24.4 min22.4 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age39.439.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools11132024-25 school year
Students per teacher15.914.2 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency47.6% — more favorable26.4%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency46.8% — more favorable32.6%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility34.3%65.9%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.

Oak Creek
—
Oak Creek: Your Score
71
Area Score
West Allis
—
West Allis: Your Score
64
Area Score

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

Full profiles: Oak Creek, WI · West Allis, WI · How this is calculated: methodology