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
Watertown
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs69 · Top 25%
Growth
47 · Bottom 45%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs85 · Top 16%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs60 · Top 39%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs86 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | West Bend | Watertown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,030 | 22,774 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,076 | $70,107 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,295 | $32,897 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,058/sq mi | 1,888/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,100 | $222,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,076 | $1,052 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 62.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 75 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.1% | -47.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.8" | 37.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.24 | 13.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.4% | 45.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.5% | 39.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.5% | 45.6% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
West Bend
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Watertown
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: West Bend, WI · Watertown, WI · How this is calculated: methodology