While big cities like Milwaukee offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Milwaukee. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Milwaukee without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Milwaukee are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Milwaukee area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Milwaukee for 2025:
What’s the best suburb of Milwaukee? Whitefish Bay ranks as the best suburb of Milwaukee for 2025 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Whitefish Bay, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Milwaukee ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about Wisconsin:
The 10 Best Milwaukee Suburbs To Live For 2025
/10
Population: 14,750
Median Income: $154,255
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 3.8%
More on Whitefish Bay: Data
Whitefish Bay is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Milwaukee area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Whitefish Bay.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $154,255 a year, which is the 2nd highest in the Milwaukee region. And only 2.87% are out of work. Homes average more than $498,700 each.
2. Summit, WI
/10
Population: 4,997
Median Income: $124,750
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
Poverty Rate: 7.0%
More on Summit:
Summit is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Milwaukee for 2025.
It ranks 9th for incomes in the area and only 1.9% of residents lack insurance, good for 16th best.
/10
Population: 6,428
Median Income: $133,304
Unemployment Rate: 0.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Elm Grove: Data
Here in Elm Grove, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Milwaukee metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Elm Grove.
/10
Population: 6,746
Median Income: $140,818
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
Poverty Rate: 2.6%
More on Fox Point: Data
Fox Point ranks as the 4th best suburb of Milwaukee for 2025.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Fox Point and the schools are some of the best around.
5. North Prairie, WI
/10
Population: 2,514
Median Income: $148,780
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
Poverty Rate: 2.8%
More on North Prairie:
Coming in as the fifth best is North Prairie.
North Prairie gets kudos for having the 12th most expensive homes in the Milwaukee area, where houses sell for an average of $396,800. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 11,806
Median Income: $135,774
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.2%
More on Richfield: Data
Richfield is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 1.28%.
According to online reports, Richfield is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Milwaukee area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 25,259
Median Income: $147,391
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
Poverty Rate: 3.2%
More on Mequon: Data
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Mequon.
Mequon schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 10.6 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
8. Merton, WI
/10
Population: 3,495
Median Income: $168,661
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 2.3%
More on Merton:
Merton is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 3.23% of people lack insurance, good for 36th in the area.
9. Wales, WI
/10
Population: 2,915
Median Income: $110,804
Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
Poverty Rate: 1.6%
More on Wales:
Is ‘Everything Better In Wales?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 41,592
Median Income: $124,026
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
More on Brookfield: Data
And rounding out the top ten for 2025 is Brookfield.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Milwaukee for 2025
Figuring out the best suburbs around Milwaukee was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2019-2023 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Milwaukee.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 59 suburbs to evaluate around Milwaukee.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 59 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Milwaukee.” We’re lookin’ at you, Whitefish Bay.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Milwaukee suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Milwaukee ‘Burbs of 2025
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Milwaukee are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Milwaukee but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
Table: Best Milwaukee Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitefish Bay, WI | 14,750 | $154,255 | $498,700 |
| 2 | Summit, WI | 4,997 | $124,750 | $510,200 |
| 3 | Elm Grove, WI | 6,428 | $133,304 | $468,000 |
| 4 | Fox Point, WI | 6,746 | $140,818 | $414,900 |
| 5 | North Prairie, WI | 2,514 | $148,780 | $396,800 |
| 6 | Richfield, WI | 11,806 | $135,774 | $456,500 |
| 7 | Mequon, WI | 25,259 | $147,391 | $485,300 |
| 8 | Merton, WI | 3,495 | $168,661 | $539,900 |
| 9 | Wales, WI | 2,915 | $110,804 | $383,600 |
| 10 | Brookfield, WI | 41,592 | $124,026 | $419,300 |
| 11 | Cedarburg, WI | 12,317 | $82,110 | $386,400 |
| 12 | Delafield, WI | 7,192 | $101,482 | $504,500 |
| 13 | Bayside, WI | 4,398 | $144,500 | $419,400 |
| 14 | Wauwatosa, WI | 47,718 | $93,859 | $307,600 |
| 15 | Thiensville, WI | 3,277 | $93,208 | $342,800 |
| 16 | Muskego, WI | 25,156 | $116,361 | $390,900 |
| 17 | Shorewood, WI | 13,682 | $89,135 | $423,600 |
| 18 | Sussex, WI | 11,795 | $112,031 | $384,900 |
| 19 | Eagle, WI | 2,016 | $109,545 | $310,100 |
| 20 | New Berlin, WI | 40,384 | $97,414 | $343,500 |
| 21 | Grafton, WI | 12,274 | $88,634 | $301,300 |
| 22 | Rochester, WI | 3,780 | $104,429 | $340,900 |
| 23 | Greendale, WI | 14,656 | $95,015 | $289,600 |
| 24 | Dousman, WI | 2,043 | $87,011 | $371,500 |
| 25 | Hales Corners, WI | 7,627 | $88,068 | $291,100 |
| 26 | Menomonee Falls, WI | 38,963 | $98,460 | $341,600 |
| 27 | Port Washington, WI | 12,569 | $81,582 | $276,000 |
| 28 | Oak Creek, WI | 36,473 | $93,120 | $305,100 |
| 29 | Oconomowoc, WI | 18,385 | $105,833 | $367,700 |
| 30 | Slinger, WI | 6,173 | $99,457 | $337,700 |
| 31 | Waterford, WI | 5,627 | $80,380 | $312,700 |
| 32 | Hartland, WI | 9,716 | $87,297 | $358,000 |
| 33 | Mukwonago, WI | 8,411 | $96,096 | $335,900 |
| 34 | Jackson, WI | 7,882 | $95,960 | $295,600 |
| 35 | Union Grove, WI | 4,968 | $94,621 | $258,100 |
| 36 | Franklin, WI | 35,751 | $108,342 | $343,400 |
| 37 | Pewaukee, WI | 8,240 | $62,380 | $266,300 |
| 38 | Pewaukee, WI | 8,240 | $62,380 | $266,300 |
| 39 | Pewaukee, WI | 8,240 | $62,380 | $266,300 |
| 40 | Pewaukee, WI | 8,240 | $62,380 | $266,300 |
| 41 | Saukville, WI | 4,268 | $79,148 | $286,400 |
| 42 | Brown Deer, WI | 12,615 | $91,567 | $221,100 |
| 43 | Greenfield, WI | 37,361 | $69,016 | $247,800 |
| 44 | Waukesha, WI | 70,779 | $81,651 | $286,600 |
| 45 | Caledonia, WI | 25,292 | $91,053 | $279,400 |
| 46 | West Bend, WI | 31,722 | $75,043 | $244,500 |
| 47 | St. Francis, WI | 9,318 | $58,490 | $207,200 |
| 48 | Fredonia, WI | 2,382 | $86,442 | $261,400 |
| 49 | Glendale, WI | 13,134 | $77,096 | $260,300 |
| 50 | East Troy, WI | 4,689 | $77,698 | $251,500 |
| 51 | Cudahy, WI | 17,964 | $66,717 | $201,000 |
| 52 | South Milwaukee, WI | 20,547 | $70,146 | $216,400 |
| 53 | Hartford, WI | 15,761 | $74,252 | $261,300 |
| 54 | Sturtevant, WI | 6,787 | $84,479 | $231,000 |
| 55 | Mount Pleasant, WI | 27,694 | $90,189 | $269,900 |
| 56 | West Allis, WI | 59,588 | $69,685 | $191,700 |
| 57 | Butler, WI | 2,003 | $55,577 | $216,300 |
| 58 | West Milwaukee, WI | 4,064 | $48,976 | $203,500 |
| 59 | Racine, WI | 77,155 | $55,705 | $158,100 |