What it's like to live in Fort Atkinson
Fort Atkinson is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Atkinson deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Fort Atkinson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fort Atkinson
Based on Fort Atkinson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,922
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,440 a year
- 41% of Fort Atkinson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$42,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,180
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 32% below US
$961/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $961 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $211,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $211,800 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Jefferson County is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Jefferson County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 33% below US
219 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 422/100k · Fort Atkinson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 22% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 14°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 27% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 (82 miles away).
Bottom line
Fort Atkinson's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($961/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Fort Atkinson
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Whitewater →
8 mi away · pop. 15,807
Rent $1,041/mo · Income $54,969
Compare with Fort Atkinson →Moving to Janesville →
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Compare with Fort Atkinson →Moving to Stoughton →
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Compare with Fort Atkinson →Moving to Watertown →
19 mi away · pop. 22,774
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