The 10 Best Milwaukee Suburbs To Live In For 2024


The best Milwaukee suburbs are Fox Point and Elm Grove for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

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


What’s the best suburb of Milwaukee? Fox Point ranks as the best suburb of Milwaukee for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Fox Point, 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 2024

Fox Point, WI

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 6,811
Median Income: $130,865
Unemployment Rate: 0.4%
Poverty Rate: 3.1%
More on Fox Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Fox Point is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Milwaukee area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Fox Point.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $130,865 a year, which is the 5th highest in the Milwaukee region. And only 0.45% are out of work. Homes average more than $481,451 each.

Elm Grove, WI

Source: Wikipedia User ChristOnABike | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 6,445
Median Income: $126,996
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Elm Grove: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Elm Grove is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Milwaukee for 2024.

It ranks 8th for incomes in the area and only 0.75% of residents lack insurance, good for best.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,914
Median Income: $125,298
Unemployment Rate: 0.5%
Poverty Rate: 6.0%
More on Summit: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Here in Summit, 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 Summit.

Whitefish Bay, WI

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 14,804
Median Income: $142,356
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Whitefish Bay: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Whitefish Bay ranks as the 4th best suburb of Milwaukee for 2024.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Whitefish Bay and the schools are some of the best around.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 11,757
Median Income: $128,165
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.1%
More on Richfield: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is Richfield.

Richfield gets kudos for having the 7th most expensive homes in the Milwaukee area, where houses sell for an average of $493,223. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

6. North Prairie, WI

North Prairie, WI

Source: Flickr User hmalsch | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 2,485
Median Income: $143,068
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
Poverty Rate: 3.1%
More on North Prairie: Crime | Real Estate

North Prairie 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 0.66%.

According to online reports, North Prairie is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Milwaukee area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Mequon, WI

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 25,102
Median Income: $141,996
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
More on Mequon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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.

Delafield, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Panoramio upload bot | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 7,181
Median Income: $99,239
Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
Poverty Rate: 6.6%
More on Delafield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Delafield 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 1.0% of people lack insurance, good for 3rd in the area.

Merton, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Porterhse | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,463
Median Income: $159,577
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
More on Merton: Data | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In Merton?’

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.

Brookfield, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Merenta | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 41,342
Median Income: $121,837
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 3.0%
More on Brookfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2024 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 2024

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 2018-2022 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 58 suburbs to evaluate around Milwaukee.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 58 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, Fox Point.

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 2024. 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 2024

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 Fox Point, WI 6,811 $130,865 $481,451
2 Elm Grove, WI 6,445 $126,996 $580,004
3 Summit, WI 4,914 $125,298 $656,576
4 Whitefish Bay, WI 14,804 $142,356 $553,113
5 Richfield, WI 11,757 $128,165 $493,223
6 North Prairie, WI 2,485 $143,068 $422,869
7 Mequon, WI 25,102 $141,996 $572,570
8 Delafield, WI 7,181 $99,239 $638,617
9 Merton, WI 3,463 $159,577 $623,419
10 Brookfield, WI 41,342 $121,837 $450,774
11 Cedarburg, WI 12,213 $79,610 $475,448
12 Wauwatosa, WI 47,919 $93,812 $362,434
13 Grafton, WI 12,160 $83,500 $377,473
14 Bayside, WI 4,506 $129,348 $488,586
15 Wales, WI 2,880 $114,286 $468,496
16 Thiensville, WI 3,279 $85,542 $368,575
17 Shorewood, WI 13,707 $87,161 $467,870
18 Sussex, WI 11,549 $105,435 $437,059
19 Muskego, WI 25,073 $112,537 $444,024
20 Eagle, WI 2,050 $110,500 $449,848
21 Rochester, WI 3,776 $91,000 $369,973
22 Waterford, WI 5,587 $81,575 $383,978
23 New Berlin, WI 40,387 $94,769 $388,822
24 Menomonee Falls, WI 38,610 $96,986 $367,403
25 Greendale, WI 14,722 $89,684 $342,979
26 Jackson, WI 7,814 $94,621 $367,088
27 Oconomowoc, WI 18,178 $99,104 $435,095
28 Hales Corners, WI 7,677 $84,911 $351,737
29 Port Washington, WI 12,446 $76,609 $322,974
30 East Troy, WI 4,669 $79,504 $403,061
31 Mukwonago, WI 8,311 $91,827 $423,592
32 Pewaukee, WI 8,227 $60,202 $459,571
33 Pewaukee, WI 8,227 $60,202 $459,571
34 Pewaukee, WI 8,227 $60,202 $459,571
35 Pewaukee, WI 8,227 $60,202 $459,571
36 Union Grove, WI 4,916 $103,005 $281,006
37 Oak Creek, WI 36,286 $86,408 $356,263
38 Slinger, WI 6,055 $92,984 $404,668
39 Dousman, WI 2,099 $85,909 $410,876
40 Franklin, WI 36,513 $100,524 $380,895
41 Hartland, WI 9,599 $82,238 $421,737
42 Saukville, WI 4,274 $65,294 $335,245
43 St. Francis, WI 9,288 $51,749 $250,548
44 Glendale, WI 13,227 $79,861 $312,896
45 Brown Deer, WI 12,593 $88,164 $253,305
46 Cudahy, WI 18,087 $66,592 $248,599
47 Waukesha, WI 70,945 $77,558 $328,532
48 Caledonia, WI 25,277 $90,346 $327,335
49 Fredonia, WI 2,446 $86,518 $342,677
50 Greenfield, WI 37,521 $67,536 $291,988
51 West Bend, WI 31,682 $71,904 $300,826
52 Mount Pleasant, WI 27,640 $83,827 $292,158
53 South Milwaukee, WI 20,678 $68,801 $256,703
54 Hartford, WI 15,667 $70,887 $324,957
55 West Allis, WI 59,907 $64,888 $236,211
56 Sturtevant, WI 6,823 $83,816 $245,292
57 Racine, WI 77,453 $52,766 $174,516
58 West Milwaukee, WI 4,096 $46,220 $218,801
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.