Oak Creek, WI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Wisconsin·Oak Creek

Milwaukee County · Milwaukee-Waukesha · population 38,373

OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Oak Creek stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 7.2% in the last year.

Median home $412,075
1-year +7.2%
5-yr CAGR +6.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +1.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$412k$212k$284k$356k$429k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,660/mo$1,459$1,611$1,76320242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10810710020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.7
Lean rent

At a 20.7 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Oak Creek. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
82 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
72 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
69 · w16%
Rent YoY
45 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Oak Creek is a Rust Belt market with +1.3% population growth — a rare combination. You're buying real housing for less than the cost of a coastal studio in a city the data says is finally turning.

Short thesis

Oak Creek's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Oak Creek

Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, with an estimated population of 38,373. It anchors the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro area. The population grew 1.3% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Oak Creek is $412,075 as of 2026-04, up 7.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Oak Creek average $1,660 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.0%). The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 7.2% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Net positive migration: population up 1.3% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Oak Creek (Wikipedia)

Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It sits on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and is located immediately south of Milwaukee. The population was 36,497 at the 2020 census. In 2011, the city was one of the fastest growing in Milwaukee County and all of Wisconsin. The area has experienced an economic boom in recent years, with the addition of large companies such as Amazon, IKEA, the Astronautics Corporation of America & Meijer

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Milwaukee County right now.

NWS active alerts (WI)Wisconsin Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Milwaukee County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Oak Creek

Pleasant Prairie, WI76 · RisingWest Bend, WI76 · RisingGermantown, WI73 · RisingGlendale, WI78 · Hot

Run the numbers for Oak Creek

ToolCan I afford Oak Creek?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Oak Creek rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Oak Creek to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolOak Creek cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
27° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
81° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
188
~52% of year
Annual precip
33″ rain
47″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Milwaukee-Waukesha area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Oak Creek listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$72,500
Wisconsin state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareDairy/Food

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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