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Place dossier plate
SheetWI-BROWN-DEER-WI · Brown Deer, WI 12,615 pop · income 72nd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Brown Deer
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Brown Deer on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Gaffney · lowest
41,214
Gaffney · lowest
41,214 median HH income
17.4% of the leader · rank #1
Mona · near
91,552
Mona · near
91,552 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #2
Elverta · near
91,563
Elverta · near
91,563 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #3
Monroe Center · near
91,563
Monroe Center · near
91,563 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #4
Brown Deer · this city
91,567
Brown Deer · this city
91,567 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #5
Lake Cherokee · near
91,571
Lake Cherokee · near
91,571 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #6
Paradise Vall… · highest
236,250
Paradise Vall… · highest
236,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Brown Deer on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 12,615.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Brown Deer - the verdict
Nationally, Brown Deer sits in the 72nd percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
72nd
percentile, household income
49th
percentile, home value
29th
percentile, median rent
16th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Brown Deer, WI
Wisconsin's Brown Deer is a small town, with 12,615 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $91,567 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.2%. Home values in Brown Deer run a median of $221,100, and the median resident age is 40.1 years. Educational attainment runs 40.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 64.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 157 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 10% from five years earlier. Brown Deer's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2959.8 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: the state registers 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,097 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Wisconsin run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 59.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Brown Deer's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to comparison shortlist to housing and income to population change to reported crime to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Brown Deer, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Brown Deer?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for Brown Deer?
Within Wisconsin, the closest population matches are Port Washington (12,569 residents, $81,582 income); Baraboo (12,506 residents, $73,515 income); Fort Atkinson (12,490 residents, $75,350 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Saddlebrooke, AZ (12,616 residents); St. Marys, PA (12,612 residents); Gaffney, SC (12,612 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
How far does income reach against housing in Brown Deer?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Is Brown Deer growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +308 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 157 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Brown Deer?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2959.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 30% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2611.6
Violent rate
348.2
Total reported rate
2959.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the education layer cover for Brown Deer?
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 40.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Matched public schools
2
Bachelor's degree+
40.9%
Poverty estimate
6.2%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Above median income · poverty 6.2% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average
C+
City profile score · Brown Deer, WI
60/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B+
40.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income B
$91,567
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living B-
94.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C
6.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
348 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Brown Deer profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 76/100 (B+) · 40.9%
Household income: 71/100 (B) · $91,567
Cost of living: 68/100 (B-) · 94.1 index
Poverty rate: 58/100 (C) · 6.2%
Violent crime: 26/100 (F) · 348 /100k
Where Brown Deer sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Brown Deer's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Brown Deer highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Brown Deer, WI (this city): home $221,100, crime 2,960/100k
Gaffney, SC : home $141,100, crime 4,404/100k
Fulton, MO : home $144,500, crime 1,295/100k
Paradise Valley, AZ : home $2,000,000+, crime 1,069/100k
Port Washington, WI : home $276,000, crime 605/100k
Fort Atkinson, WI : home $198,600, crime 994/100k
Cedarburg, WI : home $386,400, crime 443/100k
Grafton, WI : home $301,300, crime 696/100k
How does Brown Deer compare to other US cities?
Brown Deer measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income72% higher than other cities
Home value49% pricier than other cities
Median rent29% pricier than other cities
Safety16% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Wisconsin alone, Brown Deer ranks #194 of 202 Wisconsin cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Brown Deer against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Wisconsin-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Brown Deer near the bottom of Wisconsin's cities
Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Brown Deer ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Brown Deer only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#127 of 753
83rd percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 761
0th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#246 of 754
67th percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#346 of 761
54th percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#98 of 761
87th percentile in Wisconsin
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Wisconsin only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
72nd percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Brown Deer's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Brown Deer's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Brown Deer's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$221,100Among the most affordablemore affordable than 51% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Brown Deer's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,565 of 15,516
More affordable than 77% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#295 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.4×, Brown Deer sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,565 of 15,516 and #295 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$91,567Brown Deer, WI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Brown Deer, WI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Brown Deer, WI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)40.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
12,615
Median Income
$91,567
Median Home Value
$221,100
Median Age
40.1
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Labor force participation
64.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2959.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
348.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2611.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Brown Deer's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
12,513 residents
2021
12,729 residents
2022
12,582 residents
2023
12,524 residents
2024
12,523 residents
2025
12,821 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
157
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
156
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
12.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
175
16
159
$15.9M
2020
134
0
134
$14.4M
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
1
1
0
$0.2M
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
157
1
156
$25.2M
Permit volume decreased 10% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.1%
Carpool
7.5%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
0.2%
Work from Home
18.9%
Other
0.7%
Based on 6,731 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Wisconsin statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Wisconsin at $225 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Wisconsin statewide averages, not a meter reading for Brown Deer. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Wisconsin's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.1 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Brown Deer is $1,097/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Wisconsin statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 59.1 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Wisconsin statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Brown Deer sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Brown Deer compares to similar-size Wisconsin cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.