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

All states·Wisconsin·Wauwatosa

Milwaukee County · Milwaukee-Waukesha · population 48,794

Wauwatosa, WI
Image: Wikipedia · Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Wauwatosa stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.4% in the last year.

Median home $422,436
1-year +4.4%
5-yr CAGR +6.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$422k$214k$289k$364k$439k201620182020202220242026

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
76/100
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
$1,675/mo$1,216$1,496$1,775202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent134129100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.0
Lean rent

At a 21.0 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Wauwatosa. 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
72 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
49 · w16%
Rent YoY
58 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Wauwatosa is a Rust Belt market with +0.2% 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

Wauwatosa'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 Wauwatosa

Wauwatosa is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, with an estimated population of 48,794. It anchors the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro area. The median home value in Wauwatosa is $422,436 as of 2026-04, up 4.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Wauwatosa average $1,675 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.0%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●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 Wauwatosa (Wikipedia)

Wauwatosa is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 48,387 at the 2020 census. Wauwatosa is a suburb located immediately west of Milwaukee and is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It is named after the Potawatomi Chief Wauwataesie and the Potawatomi word for firefly.

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.

Neighborhoods of Wauwatosa

20 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Swan Park$577,786+3.0%
2Wellauer Heights$563,134+10.9%
3Lowell Damon Woods$562,425+4.9%
4Olde Hillcrest$540,079+0.1%
5Parkway Estates$537,765+3.9%
6Pasadena$517,463+6.8%
7Ravenswood$466,228+2.7%
8Glenview Heights$452,752+4.8%
9Inglewood$445,744+1.9%
10Charles Jacobus Park$415,312+6.9%
11Tosa East Town$413,974+3.6%
12Pabst Park$404,001+3.6%
13Tosa Village$391,484+3.4%
14Quarry Heights$387,900+2.5%
15Mayfair Park$387,857+6.1%
16Fisher Woods$380,542+2.6%
17Park Ridge$370,153+3.3%
18Currie Park Estates$342,141+4.7%
19Lovers Lanes Estates$341,472+4.5%
20Tosa Heights$313,497+5.0%

Cities like Wauwatosa

New Berlin, WI69 · RisingBrookfield, WI68 · RisingFranklin, WI69 · RisingMount Pleasant, WI73 · Rising

Run the numbers for Wauwatosa

ToolCan I afford Wauwatosa?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Wauwatosa rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Wauwatosa to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWauwatosa 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 Wauwatosa 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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