Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Middleton grades A− overall, 90th of 357 graded towns in Wisconsin. The median household earns $204K. It is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns and its schools rank ahead of 90% of Wisconsin towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $689K for a typical one and 7.8 times the Madison metro’s $89K median household income. 73% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Middleton, above both the Wisconsin town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). No town among the 340 in Wisconsin we compare has a higher going rate for rent than Middleton. First Lutheran Church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Middleton beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Middleton | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.7% | 9.9% |
5,877 counted in 2010 and 6,792 in 2020; an estimated 6,833 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 15.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Middleton is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 10%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 285 in 1870, 21,827 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 4 maps from 1907 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Middleton. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
9 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
26 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
3 mi MuseumNational Mustard Museum
8 mi Zoo & aquariumHenry Vilas Zoo
24 mi State parkDevil's Lake State ParkCamp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mustard Museum: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 · Henry Vilas Zoo: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Middleton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Middleton.
Middleton is among the three healthiest towns in Wisconsin, sends most of its workers to Madison and beyond and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
The density of trails in Middleton is 1.8 miles per square mile. Walkers can cover 24 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. Valley View Preserve, at 113 acres with 2.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Middleton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pope Farm Conservancy | 4.4 mi | 106 |
| 2. Valley View Preserve | 2.1 mi | 113 |
| 3. Goth Conservancy | 1.1 mi | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
That grade comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $689K.
Its public schools are run by the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. Of its 4 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. 2 public schools serve Middleton, with 643 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Middleton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 334 | B+ |
| Sunset Ridge ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 309 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
It ranks #3 of the 357 Wisconsin towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Wisconsin is tooth loss: 4.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.9% statewide.
Among 357 Wisconsin towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Middleton. For adults locally, the share who binge drink is 21%. In Middleton, 25% of adults have high blood pressure, and 9.6% report frequent physical distress.
| Middleton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Middleton | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.7% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.6% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Flood insurance has paid one claim in Middleton since 2010. On expected storm and flood damage, Middleton sits below 82% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 47% come from inland flooding and 26% from cold waves. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Middleton has 733 jobs for its 3,569 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. 22.7% of workers work from home, against 13.1% across Wisconsin.
In Middleton, 0.8% of working residents work locally. Jobs in Middleton grew by 104 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 733. For Middleton, the typical journey to work is 20 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 8 miles.
| Middleton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $204,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 23% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 8.4% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 10.7°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 80% of Wisconsin places with climate records; July afternoons average 81.7°.
The peak summer temperature for Middleton comes to 82°F. About 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Middleton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 11°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4 within 15 miles of the center of Middleton
About 3 of every 100 Middleton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
5.7% of the town is conserved land, across 19 parks and preserves.
6 notable people were born in Middleton.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 21,827 at the 2020 census. A suburb northwest of Madison, it is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Middleton's motto is "The Good Neighbor City."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Middleton.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleton | #90 | A− | D | — | A | A+ |
| Middleton | #63 | A | D | B | A | A |
| Madison | #289 | C+ | D | C | C | A |
| Cross Plains | — | — | C+ | — | A | A |
| Springfield | #33 | A | C | — | A | A |
| Verona | — | — | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
Cross Plains and Verona have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Middleton, Cross Plains, Springfield and Verona report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Middleton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Middleton grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #90 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
Middleton has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 6 notable people were born here, including Pauline Kruger Hamilton and Aaron Hohlbein.
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