What it's like to live in Shorewood
Shorewood is a small city in Wisconsin with crime rates well below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Shorewood 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 crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 40" per year
How Shorewood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Shorewood
Based on Shorewood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,694
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,880 a year
- 41% of Shorewood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$88,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $44,370
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,347/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,347 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $443,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $443,700 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Milwaukee County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Milwaukee County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 86% below US
45 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 1258/100k · Shorewood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 110% above US
76% 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
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, 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 (98 miles away).
Bottom line
Shorewood's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; 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 ($1,347/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home), and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Shorewood
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Whitefish Bay →
2 mi away · pop. 14,665
Rent $1,335/mo · Income $157,109
Compare with Shorewood →Moving to Milwaukee →
4 mi away · pop. 566,973
Rent $1,059/mo · Income $54,234
Compare with Shorewood →Moving to Brown Deer →
7 mi away · pop. 12,564
Rent $1,183/mo · Income $93,974
Compare with Shorewood →Not sure Shorewood is the one?
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