Waunakee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Waunakee
Middleton
Opportunity
83 · Top 4%
vs80 · Top 8%
Growth
78 · Top 6%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Schools
91 · Top 3%
vs84 · Top 8%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
83 · Top 4%
vs72 · Top 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Waunakee | Middleton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,687 | 22,301 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $125,220 | $89,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,261 | $59,443 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,120/sq mi | 2,372/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $515,900 | $484,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,324 | $1,437 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.4% | 45.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.8% | 61.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.8% | 7.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 170 | 433 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.8 | 19.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 37.1% | -10.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.1" | 37.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 21.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.6 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.47 | 13.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 64.5% | 55.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 52.5% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 9.3% | 18.8% | 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: Waunakee, WI · Middleton, WI · How this is calculated: methodology