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Living in Oak Creek, WI

Suburb in Wisconsin

Oak Creek is a suburb in Wisconsin, home to about 36,000 people, with 1.8 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Oak Creek a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Mild summers: highs around 78°F
  • Strong healthcare: 8 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by

👎 Cons

  • Cloudier than most places
  • Higher taxes: about $1,734 state income tax per resident, 1.84% property tax

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Oak Creek ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
36,000
1.8 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
33°F / 78°F
Average daily highs · 49″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$420k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,650/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
97
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,734
State income tax per resident · 1.84% property tax
Safety
0.3× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
8 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly cold waves, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
8
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Good
Tests above US average · 17 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
38%
2 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
MKE
5 mi away

Living in Oak Creek: common questions

What is the cost of living in Oak Creek?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $420k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Oak Creek?

Wisconsin collects about $1,734 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.84% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Oak Creek safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Oak Creek?

Public schools in Oak Creek test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 17 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Oak Creek?

Oak Creek has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 33°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 49″ of snow a year.

Does Oak Creek get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from cold waves, flooding and tornadoes: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.8 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Oak Creek?

The nearest major airport is MKE, about 5 mi away.

How Oak Creek scores

Each bar compares Oak Creek with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeMid-size Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateLong, snowy winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAverage cost Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingGood
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketAverage
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsGood
🎓EducationGood
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CultureAverage
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Oak Creek

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Menomonee Falls, WISuburb70 $405k$1,650/moVery safe Franklin, WISuburb66 $445k$1,650/moVery safe Wallingford, CTSuburb63 $437k$2,430/moVery safe Upper Macungie, PASmall city68 $458k$2,090/moNo crime data Westfield, MASuburb58 $382k$2,130/moVery safe Stow, OHSuburb69 $271k$1,550/moVery safe

Nearby

Franklin, WISuburb · 6 mi away66 $445k$1,650/moVery safe Greenfield, WISuburb · 8 mi away57 $340k$1,650/moVery safe West Allis, WISuburb · 11 mi away57 $276k$1,650/moSafe Racine, WISuburb · 11 mi away57 $231k$1,590/moSafe Mount Pleasant, WISuburb · 12 mi away56 $372k$1,590/moVery safe Milwaukee, WIBig city · 13 mi away49 $232k$1,650/moHigher crime

See all the best places to live in Wisconsin.

Is Oak Creek right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.