Wauwatosa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wauwatosa
Brown Deer
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
28 · Bottom 15%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 17%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
63 · Bottom 8%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
74 · Top 21%
vs71 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Wauwatosa | Brown Deer | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,529 | 12,564 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,138 | $93,974 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,931 | $47,108 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,669/sq mi | 2,859/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $339,000 | $239,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,438 | $1,183 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 65.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.0% | 40.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 6.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.1 | 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 | 66 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 40.5 | 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.
Your best match
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Wauwatosa
70
Your Score
72
Area Score
Brown Deer
69
Your Score
70
Area Score
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Full profiles: Wauwatosa, WI · Brown Deer, WI · How this is calculated: methodology