About

Life in Greendale

This planned community southwest of Milwaukee has genuine staying power—the median age here is 43, and half of households are married couples, which tells you something about the stability and family-oriented character of the place. You're looking at a median household income of $95,015 and median home values around $314,200, so it's solidly middle to upper-middle class, with a 4.0% unemployment rate that reflects a healthy job market tied to the Milwaukee metro area. The cost of living is reasonable compared to national averages, and rent runs about $1,252 monthly if you're not ready to buy.

Greendale at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

41.4 yrs

Poverty Rate

8.4%

Foreign-Born

6.6%

Broadband Internet

92.0%

of households

Population Growth

-2.9%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Greendale$94,769
Wisconsin avg$77,485
US$80,734

Demographics6.6% foreign-born, most often from Laos

Who lives in Greendale: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Greendale, the largest foreign-born group is from Laos (12.4%), and 3.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

27.3%

of residents

65 and Older

21.9%

of residents

Households with Kids

32.8%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

27.1%

of households

Married Couples

50.7%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.38

people

Race & Ethnicity

White79.5%
Hispanic or Latino11.3%
Two or more races3.6%
Black1.1%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Laos12.4%
Mexico10.2%
Ukraine8.5%
Burma (Myanmar)7.1%
Bolivia7.1%
Croatia6.9%
China6.6%
Poland5.4%
Ecuador4.5%
Egypt3.7%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only88.8%
Spanish3.9%
Russian/Slavic1.7%
Other Asian/Pacific1.7%
Other Indo-European1.4%
Chinese0.9%
Arabic0.5%
French/Haitian0.4%

Cost of Livingrent 15% above WI average

Rent, home values, and income in Greendale

In Greendale, rent runs 15% above the WI average, and home values are 18% above the WI average.

Median rent (per month)

Greendale$1,252
Wisconsin avg$1,087
US$1,413

Median home value

Greendale$314,200
Wisconsin avg$266,500
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

48.2%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

24.8%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

96.9

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$6,010

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

67.2%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1967

median year built

Home Value Trend

$296,119
$383,713
202120222023202420252026

Latest: $383,713 (September 2026)

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts above WI average

Unemployment in Greendale and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Milwaukee County, which includes Greendale, is 0.8 percentage points higher than the WI average.

Unemployment rate

Greendale4.0%
Wisconsin avg3.2%
US4.3%

Greendale: Milwaukee County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

4.8%
4%
3.6%
3.8%
8.3%
5.3%
3.5%
3.5%
3.8%
4%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Milwaukee County (county-wide) · Annual averages

Greendale is about 2% of Milwaukee County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What Greendale Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care29.9%
Manufacturing17.9%
Professional & business services10.9%
Retail8.8%
Arts, hospitality & food service8.4%
Finance & real estate6.8%
Construction4.4%
Transportation & utilities3.7%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$124,360
Healthcare$80,600
Business & Finance$76,250
Education$57,840
Production$46,700
Office & Admin$45,330
Transportation$39,810
Sales$38,320

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI metro area

Commute23 min avg

How Greendale residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Greendale, most residents drive alone to work (79%), and 67% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone78.7%
Carpool6.0%
Public transit0.2%
Walk0.5%
Work from home14.6%
Other0.0%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min19.9%
15–29 min47.0%
30–44 min28.3%
45–59 min2.6%
60+ min2.1%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

    Medium hub2.9M passengers boarded in 2025

    5 mi
  • Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

    Major hub40.7M passengers boarded in 2025

    67 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 85% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in Greendale runs 85% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

48.8

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

940.7

per 100,000 residents

Below average (1,552 national, 2025)

Greendale Police Department

Natural DisastersWinter Weather most common — 27 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Relatively High

98.4 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Cold wave · Very HighTornado · Very HighWinter weather · Very HighHeat wave · HighInland flooding · High

Milwaukee County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Milwaukee County, which includes Greendale, the most common type is winter weather, with 27 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

Winter WeatherThunderstorm WindCold/Wind ChillHailWinter Storm

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202527Winter Weather$65.8M
202420Winter Weather$87,500
202322Winter Storm$97,500
202231Winter Weather$116,500
202120Winter Weather$21,000
202023Winter Weather$10.9M
201932Winter Weather$66,500
201834Winter Weather$555,500

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Milwaukee County, county-wide

Greendale is about 2% of Milwaukee County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality43 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Milwaukee County, which includes Greendale, is typically good — 228 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

43

Good Days

228

per year

Moderate Days

121

per year

Unhealthy Days

2

per year

Milwaukee County, county-wide

Greendale is about 2% of Milwaukee County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate81°F summers, 15°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Greendale has warm summers (avg high 81°F) and very cold winters (avg low 15°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

56°/35°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

81°/59°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

61°/40°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

33°/15°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

36.6"

Annual Snowfall

52.3"

Hot Days/Year

12

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

159

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

121

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
0°20°40°60°80°100°6"Jan: 1.80" precipitationFeb: 1.87" precipitationMar: 2.07" precipitationApr: 4.10" precipitationMay: 4.28" precipitationJun: 5.63" precipitationJul: 3.75" precipitationAug: 3.79" precipitationSep: 3.77" precipitationOct: 3.01" precipitationNov: 2.28" precipitationDec: 2.09" precipitation12°JJan: high 30°F, low 12°FFFeb: high 33°F, low 15°FMMar: high 44°F, low 24°FAApr: high 56°F, low 35°FMMay: high 68°F, low 46°FJJun: high 78°F, low 56°F83°JJul: high 83°F, low 61°FAAug: high 81°F, low 59°FSSep: high 74°F, low 51°FOOct: high 62°F, low 40°FNNov: high 47°F, low 29°FDDec: high 35°F, low 18°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan30°F12°F1.80"
Feb33°F15°F1.87"
Mar44°F24°F2.07"
Apr56°F35°F4.10"
May68°F46°F4.28"
Jun78°F56°F5.63"
Jul83°F61°F3.75"
Aug81°F59°F3.79"
Sep74°F51°F3.77"
Oct62°F40°F3.01"
Nov47°F29°F2.28"
Dec35°F18°F2.09"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Greendale

Uninsured

2.2%

of residents

No hospitals inside Greendale's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Aurora St Lukes Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.4 mi away · Milwaukee

West Allis Memorial Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.7 mi away · West Allis

Ascension St Francis Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.8 mi away · Milwaukee

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity32.2%US 36.8%
Diabetes11.2%US 12.6%
High blood pressure35.1%US 37.1%
Current smoking10.5%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity21.5%US 26.6%
Depression23.2%US 23.0%
Asthma10.8%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year80.8%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education13.4:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Greendale

Greendale's student/teacher ratio is 13.4:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 46.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

6

within city limits

Private Schools

2

within city limits

College Degree Rate

46.3%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

13.4:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Greendale (within 15 miles)

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

11.4 mi away

Public · 4-year · 16,758 students · in-state tuition $10,916 · 56% graduate · median earnings $59,268 (10 yrs after entry)

Marquette University

8 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,660 students · in-state tuition $53,270 · 81% graduate · median earnings $83,810 (10 yrs after entry)

Milwaukee School of Engineering

8.9 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,654 students · in-state tuition $52,228 · 73% graduate · median earnings $92,761 (10 yrs after entry)

Carroll University

12.4 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,523 students · in-state tuition $40,680 · 67% graduate · median earnings $64,501 (10 yrs after entry)

Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa

7.7 mi away

Private nonprofit · 2-year · 1,037 students · in-state tuition $20,497 · 37% graduate · median earnings $37,469 (10 yrs after entry)

Wisconsin Lutheran College

7 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 943 students · in-state tuition $37,360 · 63% graduate · median earnings $68,940 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Pullman National Historical Park, 88 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Greendale

Greendale has 1 nearby national park or recreation area, closest being Pullman National Historical Park (88 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Pullman National Historical Park

National Historical Park

88 mi away

Public Libraries in Greendale

Greendale Public Library

5647 Broad St., Greendale

Central library~60 hrs/week

Cities Near Greendale

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Greendale?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

Moving to Greendale →

Greendale FAQ

Is Greendale, Wisconsin affordable?⌄

Greendale's median rent is $1,252/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $94,769/year. Median home value is $314,200.

Is Greendale, Wisconsin safe?⌄

Greendale's violent crime rate was 49 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 941 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Greendale, Wisconsin?⌄

Milwaukee County, which includes Greendale, has an unemployment rate of 4.0%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Greendale, Wisconsin?⌄

The cost of living in Greendale is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,252/month and median household income is $94,769/year. The median home value is $314,200. About 48% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Greendale, Wisconsin?⌄

The average commute in Greendale is 23 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from