Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Port Washington earns an A+, 6th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 90% of U.S. towns, its public schools beat 85% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation, and the median household earns $82K. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. On hazard risk, just 27 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Port Washington has 9 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Edward Dodge House and NORTHERNER Shipwreck (Schooner). Port Washington's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 86% of U.S. towns.
Where Port Washington beats most towns.
Edward Dodge House
Its founding year, 1830, comes before those of 97% of the Wisconsin towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,386 in 1880, 12,353 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1793 and 3 maps from 1892 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Port Washington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Port Washington, 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 Port Washington.
Port Washington sees little violent crime and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Port Washington since 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Port Washington-Saukville School District. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Port Washington High, with 809 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 677 | A− |
| Port Washington HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 809 | B |
| Dunwiddie ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 324 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Violent crime is rare: 8 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
At 2.3 per 1,000 residents, Port Washington’s property crime rate is below both Wisconsin’s towns (6.5) and U.S. towns (9.9). Port Washington’s violent crime rate is 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Port Washington beats the Wisconsin average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of Port Washington adults feel lonely, against 30% in Wisconsin’s towns and 33% across U.S. towns. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Port Washington.
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Port Washington | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 9.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Port Washington for work: only 17% work in town. The average trip to work in Port Washington is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Milwaukee (16%), Grafton (6%) and Mequon (5%).
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.5 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Coal Dock Park, 21 acres with 1.1 miles of trail.
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coal Dock Park | 1.1 mi | 21 |
| 2. Westport Meadows Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Windrush Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 14.8°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 99% of Wisconsin places with climate records; July afternoons average 79.7°.
Port Washington has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. About 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 80°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 15°F | 11°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Port Washington home is worth about $394,000, up 5.7% in a year, 17% above the Wisconsin typical home. 66% of Port Washington households own their home.
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,008 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Wisconsin average. Port Washington has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 12,658 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Port Washington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 32% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.5 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 65% are men (WI 51%).
| Port Washington | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.4% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.5% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.7% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.4% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Port Washington. Close and well known come first.
24 mi Stadium & arenaFiserv Forum
24 mi MuseumMilwaukee Art Museum350K visitors a year
24 mi Stadium & arenaUW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
24 mi MuseumNature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin
25 mi MuseumHarley-Davidson Museum300K visitors a year
17 mi Park & preserveKettle Moraine State ForestFiserv Forum: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milwaukee Art Museum: Michael Hicks (Mulad), CC BY 2.0 · UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena: Shadowlink1014, Public domain · Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin: The original uploader was Sulfur at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Harley-Davidson Museum: Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 us · Kettle Moraine State Forest: self, CC BY-SA 2.5
1 within 15 miles of the center of Port Washington
About 3 of every 100 Port Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Port Washington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
9 places in Port Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Port Washington.
City and county seat of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
Port Washington is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore east of Interstate 43, the community is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area 27 miles (43 km) north of Milwaukee. The city's artificial harbor at the mouth of Sauk Creek was dredged in the 1870s and was a commercial port until the early 2000s. The population was 12,353 at the 2020 census. When French explorers arrived in the area in the 17th century, they found a Native American village at the mouth of Sauk Creek—the present location of historic downtown Port Washington. The United States Federal Government forcibly expelled the Native Americans in the …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Port Washington.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Washington | #6 | A+ | C+ | A | A | A− |
| Port Washington | — | — | C | — | A | B+ |
| Grafton | #57 | A | C | — | A | A |
Port Washington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Port Washington and Grafton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Port Washington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Port Washington grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #6 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health, A for safety and A for schools.
That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($78,218 across the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
13 notable people were born here, including Josh Gasser and Janine P. Geske.
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