What it's like to live in Glendale
Glendale is a small city in Wisconsin with home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Glendale 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
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 40" per year
How Glendale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Glendale
Based on Glendale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,864
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,280 a year
- 55% of Glendale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$56,560
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $28,280
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,432/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,432 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $282,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $282,800 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Milwaukee County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Milwaukee County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 21% below US
260 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 3903/100k · Glendale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 26% 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 17°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▲ 64% above US
59% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 Pullman National Historical Park (100 miles away).
Bottom line
Glendale's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and commutes that run shorter than most cities; 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 ($1,432/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (26% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Glendale
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