Waukesha County · Wisconsin · Midwest · 71k residents
Waukesha, WI: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Waukesha: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Wisconsin median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,380/wk. Wisconsin's corporate income tax rate is 7.9%. Commercial electricity averages 12.6¢/kWh.
Compare Waukesha side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,380/wk
Corporate income tax
7.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
41.7%
Commercial electricity
12.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Waukesha's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
61/100
Steady
Ranks Waukesha's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $315,500 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $180 |
| Property tax rate | 1.61% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,023/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,270/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.17% |
| Sales tax | 5.7% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.9% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,380/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 12.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 36.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $123,730 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $97,360 |
| Wage: General manager | $125,490 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,840 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $34,470 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,580 |
| Wage: Electrician | $77,800 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $34,410 |
| Cost of living index | 91 |
| Groceries index | 96 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $58/mo |
| Gas price | $3.05/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,150/mo |
| Median household income | $83,837 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% |
| Population | 71k |
| Crime index | 38/100 |
| School rating | 6.7/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 89/100 |
| Avg. commute | 22 min |
| Sunny days / year | 190 days |
| July high | 81°F |
| January low | 12°F |
| Annual snowfall | 37 in |
| Home price YoY | +5.8% |
| Home price MoM | +0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +4.3% |
| Rent MoM | -0.1% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.3% |
| Building permits YoY | +25.8% |
| Ocean coast | 747 mi |
| Big lake | 17 mi |
| Mountains | 398 mi |
| Major airport | 17 mi |
| Ski resort | 152 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- New Berlin, WI · 40k
- Pewaukee, WI · 16k
- Brookfield, WI · 41k
- Muskego, WI · 25k
- Greenfield, WI · 37k
Similar size
- Eau Claire, WI · 70k
- Appleton, WI · 75k
- Oshkosh, WI · 67k
- Janesville, WI · 66k
- Racine, WI · 78k
Real listings in Waukesha
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Waukesha a good place to run a business?
- Wisconsin's corporate income tax rate is 7.9%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,380/wk; commercial electricity averages 12.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Waukesha, WI?
- Waukesha indexes at 91 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,270/mo and a acs median home value of $315,500.
- How much does a house cost in Waukesha?
- The acs median home value in Waukesha is $315,500 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Waukesha?
- A two-bedroom in Waukesha rents for about $1,270/mo.