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
West Bend
Milwaukee
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
47 · Bottom 45%
vs16 · Bottom 5%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs83 · Top 46%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | West Bend | Milwaukee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,030 | 566,973 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,076 | $54,234 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,295 | $30,994 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,058/sq mi | 5,895/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,100 | $184,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,076 | $1,059 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 41.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 27.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 22.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 70 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.1% | -71.5% | 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 | 69 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 32.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 184 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.24 | 16.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.4% | 16.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.5% | 20.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.5% | 75.8% | 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 · Milwaukee, WI · How this is calculated: methodology