Sussex and Grafton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Sussex
Grafton
Opportunity
80 · Top 8%
vs77 · Top 11%
Growth
60 · Top 32%
vs59 · Top 33%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
96 · Top 3%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs93 · Top 26%
Schools
86 · Top 7%
vs85 · Top 8%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
84 · Top 3%
vs80 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Sussex | Grafton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,066 | 12,445 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,041 | $89,861 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,001 | $47,360 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,428/sq mi | 2,335/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $430,600 | $328,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,369 | $1,310 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.3% | 61.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.2% | 47.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 3.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 107 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 8.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -15.7% | -63.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.6" | 34.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 55 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.2 | 41.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.63 | 15.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 67.3% | 66.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.7% | 54.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 11.9% | 15.6% | 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: Sussex, WI · Grafton, WI · How this is calculated: methodology