Hartford 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
Hartford
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 16%
Growth
47 · Bottom 45%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs93 · Top 25%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs70 · Top 27%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | West Bend | Hartford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,030 | 15,821 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,076 | $82,014 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,295 | $40,880 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,058/sq mi | 1,762/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,100 | $297,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,076 | $1,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 28.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.1% | 125.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 9°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.8" | 34.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.24 | 14.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.4% | 51.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.5% | 44.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.5% | 26.8% | 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: West Bend, WI · Hartford, WI · How this is calculated: methodology