Sussex receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sussex
West Bend
Opportunity
80 · Top 8%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
60 · Top 32%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
96 · Top 3%
vs98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
86 · Top 7%
vs68 · Top 30%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs77 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
84 · Top 3%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Sussex | West Bend | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,066 | 32,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,041 | $74,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,001 | $40,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,428/sq mi | 2,058/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $430,600 | $263,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,369 | $1,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.3% | 65.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.2% | 28.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -15.7% | 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 | 56 mi | 43 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.2 | 41.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.63 | 15.24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 67.3% | 53.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.7% | 41.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 11.9% | 31.5% | 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 · West Bend, WI · How this is calculated: methodology