What it's like to live in Mequon
Mequon 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 commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mequon deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 54" per year
How Mequon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mequon
Based on Mequon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,314
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $86,280 a year
- 49% of Mequon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$100,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $50,160
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 53% above US
$2,157/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,157 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $501,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $501,600 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 28% below US
3.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 90% below US
32 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 508/100k · Mequon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 16% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.9 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 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
Education & workforce▲ 93% above US
70% 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 (95 miles away).
Bottom line
Mequon's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,157/mo) equals 18% 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 (26% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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