West Bend receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wauwatosa
West Bend
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
28 · Bottom 15%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 17%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
64 · Top 34%
vs68 · Top 30%
Access
63 · Bottom 8%
vs77 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
74 · Top 21%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Wauwatosa | West Bend | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,529 | 32,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,138 | $74,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,931 | $40,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,669/sq mi | 2,058/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $339,000 | $263,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,438 | $1,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 65.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.0% | 28.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.9 | 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 | 66 mi | 43 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 41.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.70 | 15.24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.5% | 53.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.7% | 41.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 29.6% | 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: Wauwatosa, WI · West Bend, WI · How this is calculated: methodology