Is Cottage Grove, WI a Good Place to Live?
Cottage Grove is a small town of 7,567 in Wisconsin, with a median household income of $123,750 and a 1.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Cottage Grove stands out for an affordable cost of living, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Cottage Grove is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Cottage Grove city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 95.8Cottage Grove's overall cost of living index is 95.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cottage Grove costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Cottage Grove, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $361,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,453 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $123,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeCottage Grove's violent crime rate is 115.6 per 100,000 residents — 70% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Cottage Grove is served primarily by Monona Grove School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Cottage Grove, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Monona Grove School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 54.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Cottage Grove sees average highs of 27.0°F in January and 82.1°F in July, with 37.1 inches of annual precipitation and 51.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Cottage Grove, WI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 27.0°F |
| Average High — July | 82.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Cottage Grove, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,567 | — |
| Median Age | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 7.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 25.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove, WI is covered by 1 ZIP code: