What it's like to live in Sussex
Sussex is a small city in Wisconsin with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sussex 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 in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 54" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Sussex compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sussex
Based on Sussex's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,738
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,760 a year
- 39% of Sussex renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$86,120
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $43,060
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,369/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,369 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 $430,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $430,600 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Waukesha County is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Waukesha County (county-wide)
Safety
37 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Sussex doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 239/100k · Policed by Waukesha County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 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 14°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 42% 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
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (89 miles away).
Bottom line
Sussex's strongest points are county 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 ($1,369/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Sussex
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