Dousman Tower, 2008
Dousman’s story
170 years in pictures
Census counts: 235 in 1920, 2,419 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1892 on.
- 1856Dousman is settled
Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,665
2025 Census estimate · +9.8% since 2020
Typical home
$495K
+7.1% in a year
Household income
$97K
median
Median age
48.3
years
Jobs based here
726
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#78 of 357 in WI
Is Dousman a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dousman grades A overall, 78th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns. The median household earns $97K. Its public schools beat 89% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation and residents are healthier than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $495K for a typical one and 6.3 times the Milwaukee metro’s $78K median household income. Dousman’s median age is 48.3 years, above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Dousman's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 86% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Paradise Valley Wildlife Area, at 31 acres.
What makes Dousman stand out
Where Dousman beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Dousman for work
Where Dousman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
726jobs based in Dousman
5%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dousman grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Dousman is from typical.
Jobs & income726 jobs based hereAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →HealthOconomowoc Memorial Hospital 6.4 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 6% of households have no car; 3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landB−Open →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life4.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 82° summer afternoons, 40″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here32% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dousman: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dousman, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDousman Water Utility1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereVillage of Dousman ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5311853118 99%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dousman.
Dousman has less food insecurity than most of Wisconsin and gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Wisconsin.
SchoolsA
Dousman earns an A for schools
Its A for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $495K.
Its public schools are run by the Kettle Moraine School District. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
89%of WI districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle Moraine MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 726 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C−
Dousman earns a C− for cost of living
At 6.3 years of the Milwaukee metro’s $78K median household income, the typical home (about $495K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Wisconsin towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. 58.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 43.7% across Wisconsin.
Typical home values rose 7.1% in the year to September 2026. Dousman’s median rent is $1,421 a month.
$495KZillow home value
| Dousman | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,421 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dousman$495K
Wisconsin$337K
+7.1%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA−
A smaller share of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Dousman than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
Its widest gap with Wisconsin is food insecurity: 7.1% of its 1,880 adults worry about having enough food, against 12.1% statewide.
20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Dousman. Dousman beats the Wisconsin average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 36% of adults have high blood pressure in Dousman.
85%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Dousman | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
16 better14 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Dousman | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.1% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.4% | 5.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 8.6% |
Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital
6.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
86th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Dousman has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Dousman for work: only 5% work in town. The average trip to work in Dousman is 27 minutes. The top destinations are Milwaukee (9%), Waukesha (8%) and Oconomowoc (6%).
5%work in town
| Dousman | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $97,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Dousman5%
Milwaukee9%
Waukesha8%
Oconomowoc6%
Pewaukee5%
15 mi
median commute distance
726
jobs based in Dousman
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Dousman has four seasons and pleasant summers
The Oconomowoc Wwtp weather station, 6 miles away, records that 40 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 79% of Wisconsin places with climate records. July afternoons average 82.3°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 85% of Wisconsin places with climate records; January nights average 12.1°.
Dousman has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
40″snow a winter
| Dousman | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 12°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–31°
Spring36–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall40–60°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Dousman
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Dousman since 2008.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2008
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
An age mix much like Wisconsin’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Wisconsin average. Dousman has grown 9.8% since 2020, to 2,665 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 18% of Dousman residents are under 18.
48.3median age · WI 40.2
| Dousman | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
DousmanWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school30%
Some college24%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Dousman | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.1% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.1% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.2% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,700, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsB−
Dousman has set aside 2.6% of its land for conservation
0.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
2.6%conserved
| Dousman | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
2.6%
conserved · 53 of 2,031 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Paradise Valley Wildlife Area | — | 31 |
| 2. Cory Municipal Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 56 attractions →Fiserv Forum and 28 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dousman. Close and well known come first.
28 mi Stadium & arenaFiserv Forum
29 mi MuseumMilwaukee Art Museum350K visitors a year
19 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
28 mi Stadium & arenaUW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
20 mi State parkAztalan State Park
28 mi MuseumNature & Culture Museum of WisconsinSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fiserv Forum: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milwaukee Art Museum: Michael Hicks (Mulad), CC BY 2.0 · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena: Shadowlink1014, Public domain · Aztalan State Park: Joshua Mayer - Flickr user wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin: The original uploader was Sulfur at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dousman
19pages on Dousman
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Dousman
Nashotah HouseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Nashotah5.7 miWaukesha County Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pewaukee11.9 mi$4,872 in-state tuitionCarroll UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waukesha12.5 mi$38,890 tuition
About 6 of every 100 Dousman residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
About Dousman
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Dousman is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,419 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 866 ft
- ZIP code
- 53118
- Area code
- 262
Dousman’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Dousman.
How the neighbors grade
Dousman and Ottawa report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Dousman with a neighbor →
Questions about Dousman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dousman, WI a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dousman grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #78 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Dousman, WI expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.