West Bend receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Shorewood
West Bend
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
13 · Bottom 3%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs94 · Top 23%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs77 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
64 · Top 41%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Shorewood | West Bend | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,627 | 32,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,726 | $74,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,879 | $40,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,570/sq mi | 2,058/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $443,700 | $263,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,347 | $1,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.6% | 65.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 75.6% | 28.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -50.0% | 11.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.6" | 35.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 70 mi | 43 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.6 | 41.0 | 2024 ACS 5-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: Shorewood, WI · West Bend, WI · How this is calculated: methodology