What it's like to live in Franklin
Franklin is a small city in Wisconsin with 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. Franklin deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Franklin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Franklin
Based on Franklin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,916
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,320 a year
- 51% of Franklin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$72,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,420
- 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
$1,458/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,458 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 $364,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $364,200 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 26% below US
3.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 84% below US
52 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 990/100k · Franklin Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% 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 15°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 23% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to 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 Pullman National Historical Park (85 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Franklin's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,458/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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