Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Whitewater’s subject grades is an A− for incomes; the weakest is a C for schools. Whitewater’s median age is 58.2 years, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 42.1 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 75% of U.S. towns. On civic life, just 77 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do worse. Whitewater has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Heart Prairie Lutheran Church and Anson Warner Farmstead. Whitewater has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Whitewater beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Whitewater is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,731 in 1860, 14,889 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1846 and 5 maps from 1892 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Whitewater, 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 Whitewater.
Its one school is below. Enrollment at Whitewater’s public school: 209 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 209 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
1.9% of working residents work locally in Whitewater. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles. Its typical journey to work comes in at 27 minutes. The top destinations are Whitewater (14%), Elkhorn (6%) and Madison (5%).
| Whitewater | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The FEMA risk score in Whitewater is 22 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 54% come from inland flooding and 18% from tornadoes. Federal aid has come to Whitewater households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2008.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For Whitewater, the typical July afternoon high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Whitewater. The share of adults in Whitewater who have been diagnosed with depression: 26%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Whitewater beats Wisconsin on 8 and trails on 12.
| Whitewater | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Whitewater | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 8.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 18.9% | 26.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.2% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Clover Valley State Wildlife Area, at 757 acres with 1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 12 miles of trail wind through 4 parks and preserves.
| Whitewater | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit | 7.1 mi | 1,680 |
| 2. Clover Valley State Wildlife Area | 1 mi | 757 |
| 3. Bluff Creek State Natural Area | 0.5 mi | 278 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Whitewater. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
15 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
39 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
21 mi State parkAztalan State Park
39 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
39 mi Zoo & aquariumMilwaukee County ZooCamp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Aztalan State Park: Joshua Mayer - Flickr user wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Milwaukee County Zoo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Whitewater
About 2 of every 100 Whitewater residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Whitewater’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Whitewater on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Whitewater.
City in Walworth and Jefferson Counties, Wisconsin
Whitewater is a city in Walworth and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,889 at the 2020 census. Whitewater is located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and is home to the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
Whitewater has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 7 notable people were born here, including Franklin Hiram King and Elaine Roe.
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