Milwaukee, WI vs Waukee, IA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Milwaukee

73.5

#727 nationally

vs

Waukee

77.3

#263 nationally

Waukee leads in median household income ($106,846 vs $45,318). Milwaukee leads in cost of living index (89 vs 106). Waukee leads in average commute (19.6 min vs 23.1 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Milwaukee, WI Waukee, IA
WhereAtHome Score 73.5 (#727) 77.3 (#263)
Population 569,330 31,645
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $230,242 $343,274
Median Household Income $45,318 $106,846
Average Commute 23.1 min 19.6 min
Walk Score 62 N/A
Crime Level High 3.9
School Rating 4.5 N/A
Cost of Living Index 89 106
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+38.5 R+4.8

Data coverage note: Waukee is missing data for 1 metric that Milwaukee has. Scores with less coverage are penalized — see our methodology.