City safety & data profile

WaukeshaWI

Waukesha, WI is a 72K-resident city in Waukesha County with a median household income of $83,837.

Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Waukesha, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Waukesha has a population larger than 88% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $315,500, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

72K
Population
Top 12%
By size
$83,837
Median income
$315,500
Median home
9.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Waukesha

Waukesha posts a median household income higher than 54% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Waukesha area.

Top 46%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Waukesha

Where Waukesha income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$83,837 Top 46% higher than 54% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WI $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Waukesha, WI beyond the headline numbers

Waukesha sits inside Waukesha County, Wisconsin, at roughly 43.01°N, -88.23°W. Population 71,970, $83,837 median household income. Median home value $315,500, median rent $1,219. Poverty rate 9.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Waukesha's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 35.6%, then short sleep duration at 33%. 2 hospitals in/around Waukesha, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Waukesha from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
71,970
Waukesha
Median Income
$83,837
+23% vs avg
Median Home Value
$315,500
+39% vs avg
Median Age
36.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Waukesha County) - Waukesha's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
412K+5%
Median Income
$106,076+40%
Median Home Value
$398,200+57%
Poverty Rate
5.2%-4%
Unemployment
2.3%-60%

Economics

Economics indicators for Waukesha, WI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,219/mo
Poverty Rate
9.8% -31% vs avg
Unemployment 2.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 41.7%
Work From Home 12.9%
Public Transit 0.5%

Population

White 81.7%
African American 2.8%
Asian 2.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
35.6%
Short Sleep Duration
33%
High Blood Pressure
31.2%
Physical Inactivity
23.1%
Binge Drinking
21.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.9%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.1%
Current Smoking
12%
Current Asthma
10.7%
Diabetes
10.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 69.7%
Annual Checkup 77.1%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.6%
Stroke
2.8%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
1
WAUKESHA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
WAUKESHA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Waukesha, WI? ▼
Waukesha, WI has a population of 71,970 people, located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
What is the median household income in Waukesha? ▼
The median household income in Waukesha, WI is $83,837 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 9.8%.
What is the median home value in Waukesha? ▼
The median home value in Waukesha, WI is $315,500. Median rent is $1,219/month.
What are the top health concerns in Waukesha? ▼
The top health indicators in Waukesha include Obesity (35.6%), Short Sleep Duration (33%), High Blood Pressure (31.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Waukesha? ▼
Waukesha has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Waukesha? ▼
The median age in Waukesha, WI is 36.7 years. 41.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Waukesha, WI is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. With a population of 72K and a $83,837 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Waukesha area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Wisconsin

Real-time AQI for every monitored Wisconsin location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Sussex, WI 11K New Berlin, WI 40K Brookfield, WI 38K Muskego, WI 25K Menomonee Falls, WI 36K West Allis, WI 61K Greenfield, WI 37K Wauwatosa, WI 48K
All cities in Wisconsin → Compare Waukesha vs Sussex → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Waukesha's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Waukesha area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Waukesha against Wisconsin peers on any ranking lens. Explore Wisconsin

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Waukesha County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.