What it's like to live in Greenfield
Greenfield is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Greenfield deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, 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
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 52" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Greenfield compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Greenfield
Based on Greenfield's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,340
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,800 a year
- 41% of Greenfield renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,110
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,170/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,170 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $261,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $261,100 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 68% below US
105 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 2214/100k · Greenfield Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% 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
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. 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 Pullman National Historical Park (90 miles away).
Bottom line
Greenfield's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,170/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, 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 Greenfield
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Greendale →
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Rent $1,252/mo · Income $94,769
Compare with Greenfield →Moving to West Allis →
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Compare with Greenfield →Moving to Franklin →
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Compare with Greenfield →Moving to New Berlin →
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Compare with Greenfield →Not sure Greenfield is the one?
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