Moving to
Sun Prairie.

All Sun Prairie data Compare Sun Prairie

37,570people live here $90,942median household income▲ 13% above US $1,419median rent per monthNear US average $365,700median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Sun Prairie

Sun Prairie 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. Sun Prairie deals with cold, harsh winters and snowy winters.

The good

Low unemployment
Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce
Growing population

The not so good

Cold, harsh winters
Snowy winters — 52" per year

How Sun Prairie compares

Median household income

Sun Prairie$90,942

Wisconsin avg$77,485

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Sun Prairie$1,419

Wisconsin avg$1,087

US$1,413

Median home value

Sun Prairie$365,700

Wisconsin avg$266,500

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Sun Prairie

Based on Sun Prairie's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,838

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $56,760 a year
45% of Sun Prairie renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$73,140

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $36,570
Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,419/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,419 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 $365,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $365,700 · 45% 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▼ 58% below US

140 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 1067/100k · Sun Prairie Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 15% below US

22 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Work from home

20%

Carpool

5.3%

Other

1.8%

Walk

1.5%

Public transit

0.5%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 15°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 41% above US

51% 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

16 public schools inside the boundary

There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 (58 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Sun Prairie's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,419/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

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