Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Wisconsin ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B+DeForestSafer than 70% of U.S. towns BMukwonagoSafer than 64% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−DeForestBetter than 52% of districts in the state AMukwonagoBetter than 85% of districts in the state

Health

ADeForestHealthier than 87% of U.S. towns A−MukwonagoHealthier than 84% of U.S. towns

14DeForest

7Mukwonago

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 366 towns #289#29 Most trailsOutdoors · 301 towns #103#199 Best schoolsSchools · 262 towns #167#86 Shortest commuteGetting around · 371 towns #295#188 Most new homesHousing · 294 towns #1#85 Cheapest rentCost of living · 348 towns #302#204 Lowest property taxCost of living · 371 towns #335#248 Most remote workersWork · 363 towns #42#107

Left end = #1 in Wisconsin. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of DeForest’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $200 more a month in Mukwonago

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

DeForest$2,970/mo

Typical home $451K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.60% · or rent about $1,442/mo · Housing →

Mukwonago$3,170/mo

Typical home $507K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.20% · or rent about $1,142/mo · Housing →

The difference: $200 a month, about $2,400 a year, between Mukwonago and DeForest.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

DeForestMukwonago

Snow a year43″37″

January low9°F 12°F

July high82°F 81°F

Growing season (days)154d 162d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th 22nd

Outdoors & history

DeForestMukwonago

Trails6 mi 2 mi

Conserved land3.3%4%

National Register places—3

Archive photos—18

Famous people born here—1

Community

DeForestMukwonago

Library hours a week64 hrs 60 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

58 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DeForestWI MukwonagoWI

DeForest ↔ Mukwonago58 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Wisconsin average

DeForestMukwonago

People

Population 11,501Highest 8,415Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +21%Highest WI: +3.6% +12.3%Lowest WI: +3.6%

Median age 40.7±2.6Highest about the WI average 39.4±1.7Lowest about the WI average

DeForest and Mukwonago are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 25.6%±4Highest WI: 21.4% 23.5%±3.3Lowest WI: 21.4%

DeForest and Mukwonago are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 15.6%±3.1Lowest WI: 18.5% 16.6%±2.8Highest WI: 18.5%

Mukwonago and DeForest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.7%Highest WI: 33.4% 37.4%Lowest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5%±1.7Highest WI: 5.8% 4.8%±1.6Lowest WI: 5.8%

DeForest and Mukwonago are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $106,419±$7kHighest 37% above WI $98,273±$4kLowest 27% above WI

DeForest and Mukwonago are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $359,600±$18kLowest 35% above WI $366,200±$21kHighest 37% above WI

Mukwonago and DeForest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,442±$143Highest 33% above WI $1,142±$44Lowest 5% above WI

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,747Highest 52% above WI $4,398Lowest 16% above WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.3%±10.5Lowest WI: 43.7% 38.2%±15.8Highest WI: 43.7%

Mukwonago and DeForest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 5.7%Highest WI: 10.6% 4.2%Lowest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.9%Highest WI: 67.8% 73%Lowest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 18 yrs newer than WI 1990Lowest 15 yrs newer than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 18% above WI 22 minLowest about the WI average

Work from home 20%±3.9Highest WI: 13.1% 15.4%±4.1Lowest WI: 13.1%

DeForest and Mukwonago are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 10.3%Lowest 12.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 15.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.08Lowest 1.35Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Madison (41%)Waukesha (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MukwonagoFew work in DeForest

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.3%Lowest 4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 5.8 miHighest 2.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 19Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 49.2Highest 41.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #167 of 262 in WI #86 of 262 in WI

School district De Forest Area School DistrictMukwonago School District

High school in town De Forest HighMukwonago High

Students per teacherat that high school 14.2Lowest 16.0Highest

Wisconsin average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

DeForest neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to DeForest’s Town Square.

Mukwonago neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mukwonago’s Town Square.

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Bordering DeForest

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Towns like DeForest

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Washington7,593 people · $367K homes

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Slinger6,307 people · $367K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

DeForest vs Mukwonago

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

DeForest places higher on 14 of 22 WI lists

A typical home costs $200 more a month in Mukwonago

What daily life feels like in each

58 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside DeForest and Mukwonago

Bordering DeForest

Towns like DeForest

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