Wales Community Park, 2024
Wales’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 132 in 1930, 2,862 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2024 and 4 maps from 1892 on.
- 1890Wales is settled
WalesWI
A town of 2,885, settled in 1890. 2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Trash & recyclingPopulation
2,885
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$571K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
42.1
years
Jobs based here
1,391
Balanced
TownGrade
A
#39 of 357 in WI
Why does Wales grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. Wales earns an A, ranked 39th of 357 in Wisconsin. Residents are healthier than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, its schools outperform 89% of the state's, and the median household earns $109K. Its lowest mark, a C, is in cost of living. 51% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Wales, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 29%. Wales's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 93% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Wales Community Park, at 75 acres.
What makes Wales stand out
Where Wales beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Wales7.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA
2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Kettle Moraine School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Wales Elementary | PK–5 | 333 |
| Kettle Moraine Explore | K–5 | 137 |
| Kettle Moraine High | 9–12 | 869 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A growing town
Wales has grown 13% since 2010
2,549 counted in 2010 and 2,862 in 2020; an estimated 2,885 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 12.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Wales grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Wales is from typical.
HealthWaukesha Memorial Hospital 6.5 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 13% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 1.2% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 6% conserved landB+Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life7.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wales: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wales, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrandybrook Subdivision water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerThe town’s contract hauler picks up at the curb for every homeTown 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 Wales ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5318353183 100%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 Wales.
Wales trades workers with Waukesha and other neighbors and has colder winter nights 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.
HousingCost of living grade C
The typical home in Wales is valued at about $571K
At 7.3 years of the Milwaukee metro’s $78K median household income, the typical home (about $571K) costs more against local pay than in 96% of Wisconsin towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living.
The typical Wales home is worth about $571,000, up 5.6% in a year, 69% above the Wisconsin typical home. 85% of households own their home in Wales.
$571KZillow home value
| Wales | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,322 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Wales$571K
Wisconsin$337K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsA
Wales earns an A for schools
Its public schools are run by the Kettle Moraine School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Kettle Moraine High, with 869 students.
89%of WI districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 333 | A |
| Kettle Moraine HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 869 | A |
| KM Global SchTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 71 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Fewer of Wales’ adults get no exercise outside work than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
Its widest gap with Wisconsin is food insecurity: 6.4% of its 2,206 adults worry about having enough food, against 12.1% statewide.
19% of Wales adults get no exercise outside work. Wales beats the Wisconsin average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 22% of Wales adults binge drink.
91%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Wales | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 26% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
19 better12 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Wales | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.4% | 12.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.6% |
Waukesha Memorial Hospital
6.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
94th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Wales faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities.
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
#167for trails in WI
| Wales | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
5.6%
conserved · 115 of 2,058 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wales Community Park | 0.6 mi | 75 |
| 2. Firemans Memorial Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Wales
January nights average 12°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 89% of Wisconsin places with climate records; July afternoons average 81.6°.
Wales has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in Wales is 12°F. About 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
| Wales | 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
Winter15–30°
Spring35–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall40–59°
Oct 13
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most working residents commute out of Wales
Wales has about as many jobs (1,391) as working residents, but only 40 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 926 in 2013 to 1,391.
Most working residents leave Wales for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Wales has added 465 jobs, to 1,391 in 2023. The top destinations are Waukesha (13%), Milwaukee (10%) and Pewaukee (7%).
3%work in town
| Wales | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 19% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Wales3%
Waukesha13%
Milwaukee10%
Pewaukee7%
Wauwatosa5%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,391
jobs based in Wales
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Nearby attractions
All 54 attractions →Fiserv Forum and 30 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wales. Close and well known come first.
23 mi Stadium & arenaFiserv Forum
24 mi MuseumMilwaukee Art Museum350K visitors a year
23 mi Stadium & arenaUW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
19 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
25 mi State parkAztalan State Park
23 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 · UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena: Shadowlink1014, Public domain · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · 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
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wales
18pages on Wales
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Wales
Nashotah HouseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Nashotah5.9 miCarroll UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waukesha7.2 mi$38,890 tuitionWaukesha County Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pewaukee7.3 mi$4,872 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Wales residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
About Wales
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Wales is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, first settled by Welsh immigrants. The population was 2,862 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,001 ft
- ZIP code
- 53183
Wales’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Wales.
How the neighbors grade
Wales and Genesee report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Wales with a neighbor →
Questions about Wales
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wales, WI a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Wales grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #39 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A for health and A for schools.
Is Wales, WI expensive?
That is 7.3 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.