Is West Bend, WI a Good Place to Live?
West Bend is a small city of 31,682 in Wisconsin, with a median household income of $71,904 and a 3.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: West Bend stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether West Bend is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All West Bend 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: 95.5West Bend's overall cost of living index is 95.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in West Bend costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | West Bend, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $224,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $973 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 66.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $71,904 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWest Bend's violent crime rate is 237.9 per 100,000 residents — 37% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
West Bend is served primarily by West Bend School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | West Bend, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | West Bend School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 5 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 29.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
West Bend sees average highs of 26.7°F in January and 81.6°F in July, with 35.8 inches of annual precipitation and 54.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | West Bend, WI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 26.7°F |
| Average High — July | 81.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | West Bend, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,682 | — |
| Median Age | 40.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in West Bend
West Bend, WI is covered by 2 ZIP codes: