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%

Springfield$4,320/mo

Typical home $692K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.20% · or rent about $1,190/mo · Housing →

Middleton$4,330/mo

Typical home $689K (Census) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $3,501/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

Report cards

Middleton places higher on 12 of 18 WI lists

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.

Schools

ASpringfieldBetter than 89% of districts in the state AMiddletonBetter than 85% of districts in the state

Health

ASpringfieldHealthier than 93% of U.S. towns A+MiddletonHealthier than 97% of U.S. towns

4Springfield

12Middleton

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 301 towns #222#18 Cheapest rentCost of living · 348 towns #231#348 Lowest depressionHealth · 366 towns #178#78 Most walkableOutdoors · 371 towns #317#230 Fastest growingGrowth · 358 towns #115#37 Most educatedPeople · 371 towns #48#4 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 371 towns #205#172 Shortest commuteGetting around · 371 towns #87#107

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

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

SpringfieldMiddleton

Snow a year39″39″

January low10°F 10°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)169d 169d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)15th 18th

Outdoors & history

SpringfieldMiddleton

Trails9 mi 24 mi

Conserved land5.6%5.7%

Settled1848 —

National Register places1 1

Archive photos12 24

Famous people born here—7

Community

SpringfieldMiddleton

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.

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

SpringfieldMiddleton

People

Population 2,859Lowest 6,807Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.1%Lowest WI: +3.6% +15.6%Highest WI: +3.6%

Median age 48.9±4.6Highest 22% above WI 42.9±2.8Lowest 7% above WI

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

Kids under 18 20.1%±5.2Lowest WI: 21.4% 31.6%±5.2Highest WI: 21.4%

Age 65+ 27.7%±5Highest WI: 18.5% 15.5%±4.5Lowest WI: 18.5%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 49.1%Lowest WI: 33.4% 72.7%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±1.2Lowest WI: 5.8% 2.5%±1.6Highest WI: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $135,216±$20kLowest 75% above WI $203,646±$54kHighest 163% above WI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $554,700±$45kLowest 108% above WI $689,400±$40kHighest 159% above WI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,190±$281Lowest 9% above WI $3,501Highest 222% above WI

Property taxmedian, yearly $6,651Lowest 75% above WI $8,574Highest 126% above WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 8.7%±19.4Highest WI: 43.7% 0%±29.8Lowest WI: 43.7%

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

Below poverty line 4.1%Lowest WI: 10.6% 6.1%Highest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 89.5%Lowest WI: 67.8% 94.5%Highest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest 3 yrs newer than WI 1998Highest 23 yrs newer than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 14% below WI 20 minHighest 11% below WI

Work from home 27.2%±10.4Highest WI: 13.1% 22.7%±5.5Lowest WI: 13.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.9%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 8.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Highest 0.21Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Madison (47%)Madison (47%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MiddletonFew work in Springfield

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.6%Lowest 5.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 8.8 miLowest 24.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 19Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.8Lowest 17.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#45 of 262 in WI

School district —Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

High school in town —None in town

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.

Springfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springfield’s Town Square.

Middleton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Middleton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Springfield and Middleton

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Bordering Springfield

+ Compare

Middleton22,301 people · $484K homes

+ Compare

Berry1,122 people · $456K homes

+ Compare

Dane1,567 people · $473K homes

+ Compare

Westport4,213 people · $419K homes

Towns like Springfield

+ Compare

West Point2,229 people · $533K homes

+ Compare

Linn2,710 people · $537K homes

+ Compare

Oregon3,040 people · $456K homes

+ Compare

Lake Mills2,317 people · $454K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Wisconsin towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Springfield vs Middleton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Springfield and Middleton share a border

A typical home costs about the same each month

Middleton places higher on 12 of 18 WI lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Springfield and Middleton

Bordering Springfield

Towns like Springfield

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