Waunakee, WI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Why look at Waunakee?

  • Mid-tier housing market. Median home is $587k.
  • Stable market. Home values +2.2% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
  • Higher tax state. Top marginal income tax rate around 7.7% — factor into salary comparisons.
View watchlist →
74
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Waunakee stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 2.4% per year.

Median home $586,622
1-year +2.2%
5-yr growth +6.2%
vs 5-yr peak -0.2%
Population +2.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-03$587k$302k$405k$508k$611k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
78/100
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 vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 24.0
Lean rent

At a 24.0 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Waunakee. Buying makes more sense the longer you plan to stay and the more confident you are that prices will keep appreciating roughly in line with rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
61 · w22%
Home 5-yr growth
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
84 · w16%
Home 10-yr growth
68 · w10%

Local safety & alerts

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

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

Wisconsin context

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.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Waunakee listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

Local sports teams

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

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.

Find more cities like Waunakee

Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Waunakee’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.

Find more like Waunakee →

Cities similar to Waunakee

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Wisconsin cities →    Browse best-of lists →

Cost-of-ownership at the median

Tax burden
7.7% top marginal
~29% all-in for a $150k earner
Property tax / yr
$10k
1.76% × median home $587k
Climate / hazard
limited data
Plan for the local hazard profile.

Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.

Schools & crime context

Schools

School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.

Crime

Wisconsin: 300 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.

Compare to where you live now

Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.