What it's like to live in Grafton
Grafton 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. Grafton deals with cold winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 42" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Grafton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Grafton
Based on Grafton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,620
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,400 a year
- 46% of Grafton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$65,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,880
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,310/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,310 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $328,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $328,800 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Ozaukee County is 2.8%, 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.
Ozaukee County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 79% below US
70 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 566/100k · Grafton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25 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; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 31% above US
47% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 4 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 Ice Age National Scenic Trail (93 miles away).
Bottom line
Grafton's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,310/mo) equals 17% 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 (15% of workers here already work from home).
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