What it's like to live in DeForest
DeForest is a small city in Wisconsin with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. DeForest deals with cold, harsh winters and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 43" per year
How DeForest compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to DeForest
Based on DeForest's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,884
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,680 a year
- 28% of DeForest renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$71,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,960
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,442/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,442 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $359,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $359,600 · 28% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Dane County is 2.6%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Dane County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 88% below US
40 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 727/100k · Deforest Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 16% above US
42% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 42% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Ice Age National Scenic Trail (54 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
DeForest's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,442/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near DeForest
All Wisconsin guides →Not sure DeForest is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.