Franklin receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
West Bend
Franklin
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
47 · Bottom 45%
vs40 · Bottom 31%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs79 · Top 15%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | West Bend | Franklin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,030 | 35,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,076 | $106,894 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,295 | $52,190 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,058/sq mi | 1,038/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,100 | $364,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,076 | $1,458 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 77.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 44.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 6.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 1.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.1% | -26.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.8" | 34.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 24.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 43.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.24 | 15.25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.4% | 57.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.5% | 48.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.5% | 22.0% | 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: West Bend, WI · Franklin, WI · How this is calculated: methodology