Sun Prairie vs Verona

Which is the better fit for you?

Sun Prairie, WI
74
Area Score
Top 5% nationally
Verona, WI
78
Area Score
Top 1% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Verona 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 Sun Prairie to Verona

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 95.9 against 95.9 (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 $1,694 in Verona against $1,694 in Sun Prairie.
The median home
15% more
$420,400 in Verona against $365,700 in Sun Prairie.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 12°F in Verona against 12°F in Sun Prairie; 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

Sun Prairie
Verona
Opportunity: Verona is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
80 · Top 8%
vs
81 · Top 7%
Growth: Verona is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
46 · Bottom 40%
vs
75 · Top 8%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs
57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs
97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability: Verona is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
74 · Top 27%
vs
81 · Top 11%
Schools: Sun Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
70 · Top 24%
vs
62 · Top 34%
Access: Sun Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Access
97 · Top 31%
vs
92 · Bottom 48%
Economic stability: Verona is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
78 · Top 7%
vs
86 · Top 1%

Measured values

MetricSun PrairieVeronaSource period
Population37,57015,2322024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$90,942$119,606 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$47,609$58,577 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,869/sq mi1,841/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$365,700$420,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,419 — more favorable$1,6052024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,694$1,694FY2026
Cost of living index95.995.92023
Homeownership rate60.8%67.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate2.8% — more favorable2.9%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.1%−0.1%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher50.9%64.3% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate6.1%1.5% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)9320312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.513.3 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−40.4%+185.9%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high82°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low12°F12°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation37.1"37.1"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport6 mi — more favorable14 miNASR current cycle
Average commute23.6 min19.6 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.738.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools16112024-25 school year
Students per teacher12.4 — more favorable13.72024-25 school year
Math proficiency48.7% — more favorable44.3%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency44.8%45.2% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility33.1%23.3%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.

Sun Prairie
—
Sun Prairie: Your Score
74
Area Score
Verona
—
Verona: Your Score
78
Area Score

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

Full profiles: Sun Prairie, WI · Verona, WI · How this is calculated: methodology