West Bend, Wis, 1911
West Bend’s story
141 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,058 in 1870, 31,752 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1865 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
- 1885West Bend is settled
Photo: Mjrichter at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
4,401
2025 Census estimate · −1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$467K
Census ACS
Household income
$120K
median
Median age
56.5
years
Jobs based here
1,910
Balanced
TownGrade
B+
#160 of 357 in WI
Is West Bend a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. West Bend grades B+ overall, 160th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns. The median household earns $120K. Its public schools beat 85% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation and it is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $467K, 6 years of the Milwaukee metro’s $78K median household income. West Bend’s median age is 56.5 years, against 42.1 years in Wisconsin’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Fox Hill Nature Preserve, 219 acres with 5 miles of trail.
What makes West Bend stand out
Where West Bend beats most towns.
How West Bend grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far West Bend is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 95% of comparable towns) to D for walkability (better than 13%), so the B+ overall blends very different results.
Jobs & income1,910 jobs based hereA+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 8% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.9 of 20; 5.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthSt. Josephs Community Hospital West Bend 3.2 miles awayA−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landB+Open →History19 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
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 West Bend: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Bend, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of West BendEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCedar Lake Home 5 water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site
SchoolsWest Bend School DistrictSlinger School District2 districts serve West Bend; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereTown of West Bend ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP codes53095, 5302753095 98% · 53027 2%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 West Bend.
West Bend trades workers with West Bend and other neighbors, owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has a shorter frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 1.4% of West Bend
17 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. West Bend’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
#44for trails in WI
| West Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
1.4%
conserved · 146 of 10,328 acres
17 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fox Hill Nature Preserve | 5 mi | 219 |
| 2. Big Cedar Lake Trails | 4.1 mi | 105 |
| 3. Rudorf Trails | 2.3 mi | 63 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in West Bend
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in West Bend since 2025.
8risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2025
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Wisconsin overall
The median household earns $120,119, against $77,485 across Wisconsin, one input to its A+ for jobs and income.
People 65 and older are 35% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (22% statewide). 17% of West Bend residents are under 18. 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
56.5median age · WI 40.2
| West Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 32% | 29% |
West BendWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school26%
Some college17%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| West Bend | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.1% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.5% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.2% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.9% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.2% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,400, single groups can be off by several points
HealthA−
West Bend’s grade for health is an A−
Against the 5,733 U.S. towns with household incomes like West Bend’s, it is less healthy than 54%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
20% of adults binge drink in West Bend. West Bend beats the Wisconsin average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of adults feel lonely in West Bend.
76%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| West Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | West Bend | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.6% |
St. Josephs Community Hospital West Bend
3.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
69th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In West Bend, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Germantown weather station, 12 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 154 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 76% of Wisconsin places with climate records. 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°.
West Bend has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in West Bend is 81°F. About 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
54″snow a winter
| West Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 81°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 11°F | 11°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring34–54°
Summer57–79°
Fall39–58°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Most working residents commute out of West Bend
West Bend has about as many jobs (1,910) as working residents, but only 66 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave West Bend for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are West Bend (16%), Milwaukee (12%) and Menomonee Falls (6%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
3%work in town
| West Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $120,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In West Bend3%
West Bend16%
Milwaukee12%
Menomonee Falls6%
Germantown5%
18 mi
median commute distance
1,910
jobs based in West Bend
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Bend
19pages on West Bend
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of West Bend; the nearest are
Concordia University-WisconsinUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mequon18.6 mi$35,470 tuitionWaukesha County Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pewaukee22.1 mi$4,872 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeUniversity or college · Public · Milwaukee28 mi$10,398 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 West Bend residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Famous people from West Bend
19 notable people were born in West Bend.
W
Ward ChristensenComputer pioneer, invented Xmodem and co-invented BBS · 1945–2024
About West Bend
City and county seat of Washington County, Wisconsin
West Bend is a city in Washington County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,752. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1885
- Area
- 15 sq mi
- Elevation
- 932 ft
- ZIP code
- 53090, 53095
- Area code
- 262
West Bend’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with West Bend.
West BendPolkAddisonWest Bend
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bend | #160 | B+ | C− | — | A | A− |
| West Bend | #165 | B+ | C+ | C+ | A− | B+ |
| Polk | #70 | A | C | — | A | A− |
| Addison | #22 | A+ | B+ | — | A | B+ |
West Bend, Polk and Addison report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare West Bend with a neighbor →
Questions about West Bend
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Bend, WI a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. West Bend grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #160 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health and A for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is West Bend, 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−.
What is West Bend, WI known for?
19 notable people were born here, including Lynn Roethke and Dave Steckel.