City in Wisconsin, United States

Wauwatosa

$396kMedian Home
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View on MapPopulation48kElevation666 ft
Quick Read

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.

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Where It Is

Location Context
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Latitude43.05°
Longitude-88.01°
Population48k
Altitude666 ft

State Context

WisconsinU.S. state

Wisconsin is a state in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. With a population of about 6 million, and an area of about 65,500 square miles (170,000 km2), Wisconsin is the 21st-largest state by population and the 23rd-largest by area. Wisconsin has 72 counties.Wikipedia

Income tax: 3.50% - 7.65%Avg sales tax: 5.43%Property tax: 1.51%Official school data available

About the Region

Great Lakes Midwest

The Great Lakes Midwest is undergoing a quiet, steady reassessment. Cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo — long associated with industrial decline — have seen genuine neighborhood revivals driven by very low housing costs and incoming professional and creative workers. Chicago remains the undisputed anchor: a world-class city that, particularly in its residential neighborhoods, is underpriced relative to coastal equivalents. Minneapolis consistently ranks among the best-governed large cities in the country, with a walkable downtown and access to 10,000 lakes.

Winters are genuinely cold — lake-effect snow shapes life along the Great Lakes shores, and Minneapolis regularly logs the coldest temperatures of any major American city — but summers compensate with warmth and greenness that surprises transplants from the coasts. The economic base has diversified significantly: advanced manufacturing, major healthcare systems, agriculture tech, and financial services anchor the broader region, while university towns like Ann Arbor, Madison, and Bloomington punch well above their weight culturally.

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Nature Access

Nature & Park Feeds

Closest protected landscapes, reserves, and big park systems surfaced from the same nearby feeds used in compare.

Distances in miles
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National Parks

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Local Nature & Reserves

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Sources: National Park Service and OpenStreetMap
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City Profile

Median Age38 yrs
College Educated61%bachelor's or higher
Work From Home15%of workforce
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Cost of Living

Housing
$2k/mo
Median rent
$396k
Median home price
Rent burden21% of income
Household Income
$94k
Median annual
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Livability

School Rating
7.7/10
Internet
No internet coverage data yet.
08

Current Conditions

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