City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Wauwatosa, WI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Wauwatosa - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

47,718
Residents
$93,859
Median income
$307,600
Median home
$1,338
Median rent (state)

Wauwatosa - the verdict

Wauwatosa ranks in the 74th percentile for household income and the 19th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

74th
percentile, household income
66th
percentile, home value
49th
percentile, median rent
19th
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: Wauwatosa, WI

Wauwatosa is a small city in Wisconsin, home to 47,718 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Wauwatosa households earn a median of $93,859 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.9%. Home values in Wauwatosa run a median of $307,600, and the median resident age is 38.7 years. About 61.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 50% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2689.0 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as 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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,338 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Wisconsin's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 98.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

47,718 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$93,859 /yr

Poverty 1.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.1 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average

How does Wauwatosa compare to other US cities?

Wauwatosa measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 74% higher than other cities
Home value 66% pricier than other cities
Median rent 49% pricier than other cities
Safety 19% 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, Wauwatosa ranks #192 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 Wauwatosa against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Wisconsin-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Wauwatosa's strongest outlier among Wisconsin cities

Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Wauwatosa ranks #24 - the 97th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Wauwatosa only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#111 of 753
85th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#56 of 761
82nd percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#100 of 754
87th percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#591 of 761
21st percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#24 of 761
97th percentile in Wisconsin

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.

74thIncome percentile
19thSafety percentile

74th percentile nationally for median household income · 19th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Wauwatosa's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Wauwatosa'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 45 Avg. percentile National median
Wauwatosa'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 Wauwatosa's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$307,600 34th percentile more affordable than 34% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Wauwatosa $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Wauwatosa, WI Wauwatosa, WI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wauwatosa, WI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Wauwatosa, WI median $93,859/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Wauwatosa, WI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Wauwatosa, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 61.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
47,718
Median Income
$93,859
Median Home Value
$307,600
Median Age
38.7
Poverty Rate
1.9%
Labor force participation
65.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
61.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2689.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
206.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2482.5
per 100,000 residents

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
17
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
48,000 residents48,200 residents48,400 residents48,600 residents48,800 residents49,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 48,332 residents 48,649 residents ▲ +0.7%
Wauwatosa's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2022 2
2023 2
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 50% from 2022 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
71.8%
Carpool
5.5%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
18.1%
Other
1.4%

Based on 25,418 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Wisconsin - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Wisconsin state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Wisconsin state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Wauwatosa sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,338/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Wisconsin

Sheboygan
49,812 people
Fond du Lac
44,491 people
La Crosse
51,791 people
Brookfield
41,592 people
New Berlin
40,384 people
Wausau
39,893 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wauwatosa's 47,718 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Wilson, NC
47,740 people
Mansfield, OH
47,686 people
Glenview, IL
47,682 people
Middletown, CT
47,646 people
Roswell, NM
47,823 people
Oro Valley, AZ
47,595 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wauwatosa's $93,859 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

East Lake, FL
$93,862 median income
Lazy Mountain, AK
$93,854 median income
Adairsville, GA
$93,854 median income
Noblestown, PA
$93,864 median income
Hilham, TN
$93,864 median income
Mount Washington, KY
$93,852 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wauwatosa, WI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Wauwatosa, WI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 79.9% 7.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.2% White 79.9% Black or African American 7.2% Asian 4.7% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.8% Two or more races 5.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Wauwatosa compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Wauwatosa (this city) 47,718 $93,859
Sheboygan 49,812 $62,953
Fond du Lac 44,491 $61,620
La Crosse 51,791 $53,803
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wauwatosa, WI?

What is the population of Wauwatosa, WI? +

Wauwatosa, WI has a population of 47,718 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Wauwatosa, WI? +

Median annual household income in Wauwatosa runs $93,859, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wauwatosa? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Wauwatosa; the closest available measure is the Wisconsin state average, a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Wisconsin vary by metro area.

Is Wauwatosa, WI safe? +

Wauwatosa has a total crime rate of 2689.0 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Wauwatosa, WI? +

The median home value in Wauwatosa is $307,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.