What it's like to live in Muskego
Muskego 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. Muskego deals with home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 52" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Muskego compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Muskego
Based on Muskego's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,626
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,520 a year
- 48% of Muskego renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$83,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $41,740
- 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
$1,313/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,313 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $417,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $417,400 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 37% below US
2.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.7%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 81% below US
62 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 694/100k · Muskego Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% 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 & workforce▲ 27% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (87 miles away).
Bottom line
Muskego's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,313/mo) equals 14% 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 (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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