25 Milwaukee Suburbs Where Your Housing Dollar Goes The Furthest

MILWAUKEE, WI — When it comes to buying a house in the Milwaukee metro, not all suburbs are created equal.

Niche’s 2025 Best Suburbs to Buy a House rankings take a data-driven look at which areas offer the strongest mix of affordability, livability, and housing stability.

The annual rankings evaluate suburbs across the Milwaukee area, weighing home values, property taxes, school performance, and community safety.

Niche said it compiles its grades using dozens of public datasets and millions of verified reviews from residents, students, and parents. The goal is to provide accurate, comparable, and credible insights into community livability and housing value.

Factors Considered In The “Best Places To Buy A House” Grade

Niche’s Best Places to Buy a House ranking measures the overall quality and stability of an area’s housing market. The formula assigns different weights to 13 core factors:

• Home value-to-income ratio (15%)
• Public schools grade (15%)
• Median monthly housing cost (10%)
• Cost of living (7.5%)
• Median home value (7.5%)
• Percent change in median home value (7.5%)
• Crime and safety (5%)
• Property tax rate (5%)
• Homeownership rate (5%)
• Home-buying-age newcomers (5%)
• Monthly housing cost-to-income ratio (5%)
• Residents ages 25–44 (5%)

Most data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau and represents the most recent figures available.

2025 Best Suburbs To Buy A House In The Milwaukee Area

1. Lannon – A | Population: 1,475
2. Nashotah – A+ | Population: 1,272
3. Wind Point – A+ | Population: 1,632
4. Brookfield – A+ | Population: 41,592
5. Thiensville – A+ | Population: 3,277
6. Fox Point – A+ | Population: 6,746
7. North Prairie – A | Population: 2,514
8. Big Bend – B+ | Population: 1,311
9. Bayside – A+ | Population: 4,398
10. Merton – A | Population: 3,495
11. Sussex – A | Population: 11,795
12. Mequon – A+ | Population: 25,259
13. Elm Grove – A+ | Population: 6,428
14. Whitefish Bay – A+ | Population: 14,750
15. Pewaukee City – A | Population: 16,002
16. Muskego – A | Population: 25,156
17. Menomonee Falls – A | Population: 38,963
18. Wales – A- | Population: 2,915
19. New Berlin – A | Population: 40,384
20. Germantown – A | Population: 20,940
21. Okauchee Lake – A- | Population: 4,827
22. Richfield – A- | Population: 11,806
23. River Hills – A+ | Population: 1,639
24. Port Washington – A | Population: 12,569
25. Grafton – A | Population: 12,274

National Standouts

Nationwide, Niche reviewed 9,451 suburbs for its 2025 rankings. The top communities in America include

1. Hazel Green, Alabama
2. Sturgeon, Pennsylvania
3. Madison, Alabama
4. Meadowbrook, Alabama
5. Pittsboro, Indiana
6. Larkin Charter Township, Michigan
7. South Vacherie, Louisiana
8. Centerton, Arkansas
9. Shavertown, Pennsylvania
10. Dunlap, Illinois

These national leaders shared many of the same traits as Wisconsin’s top suburbs: strong schools, steady home values, and affordable property taxes.