What it's like to live in Oak Creek
Oak Creek 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 a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Oak Creek deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Oak Creek compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oak Creek
Based on Oak Creek's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,904
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,080 a year
- 34% of Oak Creek renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$66,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,170
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,452/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,452 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 $331,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $331,700 · 34% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 35% below US
2.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.8%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 78% below US
72 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 1792/100k · Oak Creek Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% 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
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (83 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Oak Creek's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,452/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Oak Creek
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