Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Waunakee earns an A+, ranked 5th of 357 in Wisconsin. The median household earns $125K, it reports less crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, and residents are healthier than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $582K, 6.6 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household income. 64% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Waunakee, above both Wisconsin’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 2 of the 182 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Waunakee. Waunakee Railroad Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Waunakee beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Waunakee Heritage Elementary | PK–4 | 537 |
| Waunakee Prairie Elementary | K–4 | 531 |
| Arboretum Elementary | PK–4 | 435 |
12,097 counted in 2010 and 14,879 in 2020; an estimated 16,411 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 10.1% since 2020, after 23% 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 Waunakee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 279 in 1880, 14,879 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1896 and 6 maps from 1890 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waunakee. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
8 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
23 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
36 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
21 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
9 mi Zoo & aquariumHenry Vilas ZooCamp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Henry Vilas Zoo: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waunakee, 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 Waunakee.
Waunakee has less food insecurity than most of Wisconsin and has fewer 90° days 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.
At 6.6 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household income, the typical home (about $582K) costs more against local pay than in 91% of Wisconsin towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $7,899, against $3,792 across Wisconsin, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Waunakee home is worth about $582,000, up 2.6% in a year, 73% above the Wisconsin typical home. Waunakee’s median rent is $1,324 a month.
| Waunakee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,324 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Waunakee Community School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Waunakee High, with 1,335 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waunakee MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 667 | A |
| Waunakee HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,335 | A |
| Waunakee IntermediateTop results in townGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 661 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 45 to 23 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Waunakee is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its widest gap with Wisconsin is food insecurity: 7.1% of its 10,571 adults worry about having enough food, against 12.1% statewide.
12% of Waunakee adults say their health is fair or poor. Waunakee beats the Wisconsin average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 11% of Waunakee adults report frequent physical distress.
| Waunakee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Waunakee | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.1% | 12.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.2% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.5 miles of trail in 29 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Ripp Park, at 86 acres.
| Waunakee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Castle Creek Conservancy | 1.1 mi | 45 |
| 2. Bolz Conservancy | 0.8 mi | 13 |
| 3. Ripp Park | 0.3 mi | 86 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waunakee.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Madison Dane Rgnl Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 9 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 77% 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 10.5°.
Waunakee has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. About 52 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Waunakee | 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
Jobs based here grew from 4,158 in 2013 to 6,376. 24.2% of workers work from home, against 13.1% across Wisconsin.
Most working residents leave Waunakee for work: only 14% work in town. 24% of workers work from home in Waunakee. Jobs based in Waunakee grew to 6,376 in 2023, 2,218 more than in 2013.
| Waunakee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 24% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $125,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.8% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 8.2% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
4 within 15 miles of the center of Waunakee
About 3 of every 100 Waunakee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
3 notable people were born in Waunakee.
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Waunakee () is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,879 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Madison, it is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Waunakee bills itself as "The Only Waunakee in the World".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Waunakee.
Westport reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Waunakee with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Waunakee grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #5 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A for health, A for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
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−.
3 notable people were born here, including Robert Campbell Reeve and Bernice Fitz-Gibbon.
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