West Bend and Waukesha receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
West Bend
Waukesha
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
47 · Bottom 45%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs55 · Top 45%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs72 · Top 25%
Measured values
| Metric | West Bend | Waukesha | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,030 | 71,233 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,076 | $83,837 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,295 | $44,943 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,058/sq mi | 2,791/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,100 | $315,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,076 | $1,219 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 58.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 114 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.1% | 72.7% | 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 | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 22.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.24 | 13.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.4% | 41.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.5% | 37.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.5% | 39.3% | 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 · Waukesha, WI · How this is calculated: methodology