Is Sun Prairie, WI a Good Place to Live?
Sun Prairie is a small city of 35,847 in Wisconsin, with a median household income of $90,384 and a 1.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Sun Prairie 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 Sun Prairie is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Sun Prairie 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: 95.8Sun Prairie's overall cost of living index is 95.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Sun Prairie costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Sun Prairie, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $313,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,313 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 62.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $90,384 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeSun Prairie's violent crime rate is 184.3 per 100,000 residents — 51% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Sun Prairie is served primarily by Sun Prairie Area School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Sun Prairie, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Sun Prairie Area School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 9 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 50.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Sun Prairie 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 | Sun Prairie, WI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 27.0°F |
| Average High — July | 82.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Sun Prairie, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,847 | — |
| Median Age | 37.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 78.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 7.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 6.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, WI is covered by 1 ZIP code: