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A while back I did a Top Ten list of suburbs you would want to live in. Now If you had to rank Milwaukee's most Prestigious Suburbs what would they be? If somebody asked you what are Milwaukee's most affluent suburbs which ones would you direct them to? All in the spirit of March Madness.
My Top 12.
1. River Hills
2. Chenequa
3. Oconomowoc Lake
4. Bayside
5. Mequon
6. Elm Grove
7. Fox Point
8. Brookfield
9. Pewaukee
10. Shorewood
11. Wind Point
12. North Bay
My top 12: Based on average sale prices of homes sold as listed in the Sunday Journal/Sentinel (which, of course, changes regularly) and how I interpet the makeup of the people who reside there:
1. River Hills
2. Mequon
3. Fox Point
4. Bayside
5. Whitefish Bay
6. Shorewood
7. Chenequa
8. Delafield
9. Hartland
10. Elm Grove
11. Brookfield
12. Menomonee Falls
IMO, North Shore suburbs will always hold a greater amount of prestige than Lake Country or Western Suburbs. Affluent people in the North Shore are very different than their wealthy counter parts in the western suburbs..maybe it has to do with old money versus new? I do not believe anything on the South Side, Southwest Side to be prestigious...however....there are some extreme pockets of wealth in Franklin and Greendale, but again,
the people there are another story...again, just my opinion.
My top 12: Based on average sale prices of homes sold as listed in the Sunday Journal/Sentinel (which, of course, changes regularly) and how I interpet the makeup of the people who reside there:
1. River Hills
2. Mequon
3. Fox Point
4. Bayside
5. Whitefish Bay
6. Shorewood
7. Chenequa
8. Delafield
9. Hartland
10. Elm Grove
11. Brookfield
12. Menomonee Falls
IMO, North Shore suburbs will always hold a greater amount of prestige than Lake Country or Western Suburbs. Affluent people in the North Shore are very different than their wealthy counter parts in the western suburbs..maybe it has to do with old money versus new? I do not believe anything on the South Side, Southwest Side to be prestigious...however....there are some extreme pockets of wealth in Franklin and Greendale, but again,
the people there are another story...again, just my opinion.
Yes except for the wealth of waukesha county completely destroys that of Milwaukee County. However, I do enjoy Milwaukee and also enjoy living on the east side, but as a student of UWM I at one point wrote a 20 page research paper along the lines of Milwaukee County open enrollment and the failing MPS. Through this research I gained vast amounts of knowledge about demographics that interest me naturally as a business(finance)/language major. I enjoy Milwaukee's north shore just as much as the next person, but I find that I travel a lot to waukesha county not only for shopping, which is non existen in the north shore unless you enjoy several of the nice boutiques and small shops around, but for things to do. Whether it be fishing, or enjoying the kettle moraine and the hiking trails, or taking my motorcycle out.(lots of great scenery). Other than drinking on the east side or downtown(which was all I needed as a freshman and sophmore) their really is not much to do until brewer and bradley beach(on the days you don't get that terrible smell) season is here. My friends and I took several trips to Chicago over the school years to visit friends and enjoy the shows such as the blue man group just because everything seems to be on repeat in Milwaukee. I just don't get the whole north shore thing...close to work maybe yes and close to some great resturants ok I give you that, but why raise a family in Milwaukee next to a lake that you can not even swim in becasue it smells so bad with very few activities to do durring the day?
When I wrote that paper several years ago I'm sure many things have changed since, but from what I remember one of the most astonishing things was that although waukesha county and their "new money" which I don't believe as being true was projected to surpass Milwaukee County in total tax collection by 2025.(Already being the number 2 county in the state with only the number 3 in population far surpassing that of Dane county). Wealthy people new or old hate being taxed period why not move to ozaukee or waukesha county to avoid Milwaukee county's ridiculous taxes and corrupt government? In 2004 Waukesha county was the 2nd least poverted county in the U.S for counties with a population of 360,000 people or more. The census never really considers seriously populations under that since it is fairly easy(for lack of a better term) for countys with lesser populations to show more wealth which usually is not the case.
Here are some facts from census.gov 2008
Milwaukee County Waukesha County
Population 2000 940,165 360,752
Population 2008 953,328 380,629
%change since 2000 1.4% 5.6%
Med. Household inc. $45,902 $75,754
Bach. degree from 2000 23.6% 34.1%
I think it's kinda sad you even listed sale prices of homes in the Journal sentinel as your source...That would be like me going to shorewest and looking at homes for sale...Ok here we go...
Milwaukee County Waukesha County Ozaukee County
$600,000+ 105 homes 250 homes 100 homes
Lol kind of a stupid stat, but just as legitimate as your statistic.
And as far as Income tax brackets. Waukesha County holds almost the exact same number of people paying in the highest bracket as Milwaukee County does for the top brackets...Not bad considering it's less than half the population of Milwaukee County.
And as far as the North Shore vs Lake country... Unlike Milwaukee County the wealthy in Waukesha county are not pushed into a little demographic area and are spread very evenly through out.
And maybe someone could answer this one...Yes River Hills has an average per capita income of 113,000 in 2008 and chenequa has only 108,000 roughly 5,000 less when using the exact numbers however the average house worth in Chenqua $1.3 Million is well over that of River Hills $887,000... Any smart people in this forum with a hypothesis to this answer? I think I know...
Sorry for the Lengthy post I don't like posters as listed above getting the last word with absolutely no knowledge and stupid facts(or fact) to back up his or her argument. I guess everyone south or west of the north shore is just different?...I won't let one poster ruin my view of the mainly nice and generous north shore.
Yes except for the wealth of waukesha county completely destroys that of Milwaukee County.
I think that is a bit of a stretch. What do you mean "destroys" that of Milwaukee?
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but as a student of UWM I at one point wrote a 20 page research paper along the lines of Milwaukee County open enrollment and the failing MPS.
I think everyone agrees with you there, but show me where most major cities have great public schools?
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but I find that I travel a lot to waukesha county not only for shopping, which is non existen in the north shore unless you enjoy several of the nice boutiques and small shops around, but for things to do.
The "North Shore" also includes Mequon which has shopping as well and now with Bayshore Mall open the options just got better. You also have a Dicks and Costco in Cedarburg which you do not have anywhere else in the Milw area. Brookfield you do have more shopping but it's not like it's world apart from the North Shore, plus being so close to downtown and the third ward that seals the deal for me.
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Other than drinking on the east side or downtown(which was all I needed as a freshman and sophmore) their really is not much to do until brewer and bradley beach(on the days you don't get that terrible smell) season is here.
So there is more to do in Waukesha County? outside of Brookfield there isn't much sorry but there is way more to do in Milwaukee County than Waukesha County. Restaurants, clubs, shopping, fishing, sailing, walking, running trails I think is all better in Milwaukee. About Lake Michigan trust me once you get past the break water on a boat the water turns nice and clear and is safe to swim in and plus I'd rather fish for big fish than little bass and perch. I am an avid boater and you actually wouldn't believe how clean the water is outside the break water. I love the sunrise over the lake, I really like biking from Mequon down to Oak Creek but it takes all day though.
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everything seems to be on repeat in Milwaukee.
As far as shows? or museums? I think you are wrong on this one. Body Worlds, Andy Warhol, Dead Sea Scrolls, don't come around every year. Even summerfest has different acts every year.
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but why raise a family in Milwaukee next to a lake that you can not even swim in becasue it smells so bad with very few activities to do durring the day?
Again? I don't know what you are talking about b/c last year it rarely smelled and if you had a house on beach drive in Fox Point you would see the water in clean and doesn't smell.
As far as taxes Waukesha county is no country county anymore. If you want low taxes in the Milwaukee area you have to go to Ozaukee County.
Waukesha is mostly suburbia that us well off not all rich and wealthy. Either is Milwaukee County but Milwaukee's north shore and Milwaukee has the most expensive homes in the state and has the wealthiest of people. Whitefish Bay will always have more prestige than say Brookfield regardless of what the numbers are, same goes for all of Milwaukee's North shore which includes Mequon. Don't get me wrong I love Waukesha County but let's not make it seem like the Orange County of Milwaukee Metro.
Chicago is also a prime example of this, Chicago's north shore will always have more prestige than say a Barrington Hills even though the house may cost more in BH. Waukesha will in time get more prestigious. But you can drive from edgewood drive in shorewood up to highland road in mequon where mostly every house is above 300K.
In Waukesha County not all of Brookfield or Pewaukee or Oconomowoc is all very upscale, it's scattered and around the lakes but doesn't stretch for miles.
In the end the differences in wealth is suburban wealthy lifestyle compared to a more urban wealthy life style, to each his own. Personally I'd rather have a mansion over looking lake Michigan with my private beach and a yacht I can drive into downtown Milwaukee or Chicago rather than over looking a forest or a small lake.
Having lived in both Milwaukee County and Waukesha County it's not even close. I would take Milwaukee County by a mile. Of course in statistical data Waukesha County will win, but it doesn't have an inner city pulling the stats down. For Waukesha that is a plus, but when it is said and done Waukesha County is, for the most part, a typical modern sprawl suburban county which can be found all over the U.S. It is interchangeable with many many other places. It is as James Howard Kunstler would say "the geography of nowhere". If thats what you like then great, but I'm not impressed. The place bores me to death. Milwaukee County ,for all it's shortcomings, is a much more interesting, vibrant, diverse, superior architecture, interesting nieghborhoods with tree lined boulevards and parks and it has a sense of history and purpose. Waukesha County is more or less a collection of strip malls, subdivisions, office parks, wide roads and very little feel of a community.
Having lived in both Milwaukee County and Waukesha County it's not even close. I would take Milwaukee County by a mile. Of course in statistical data Waukesha County will win, but it doesn't have an inner city pulling the stats down. For Waukesha that is a plus, but when it is said and done Waukesha County is, for the most part, a typical modern sprawl suburban county which can be found all over the U.S. It is interchangeable with many many other places. It is as James Howard Kunstler would say "the geography of nowhere". If thats what you like then great, but I'm not impressed. The place bores me to death. Milwaukee County ,for all it's shortcomings, is a much more interesting, vibrant, diverse, superior architecture, interesting nieghborhoods with tree lined boulevards and parks and it has a sense of history and purpose. Waukesha County is more or less a collection of strip malls, subdivisions, office parks, wide roads and very little feel of a community.
These are the most prestigious suburbs of Milwaukee. They all favored Obama in the last election, truly places comprised of people who are among the most enlightened in the region. If I had to move to Milwaukee from California, these are the only places I'd consider living.
1. Fox Point
2. Whitefish Bay
3. Shorewood
4. Wauwatosa
5. Bayside
These are the most prestigious suburbs of Milwaukee. They all favored Obama in the last election, truly places comprised of people who are among the most enlightened in the region. If I had to move to Milwaukee from California, these are the only places I'd consider living.
1. Fox Point
2. Whitefish Bay
3. Shorewood
4. Wauwatosa
5. Bayside
Tosa is not prestigious, very nice but not prestigious. I think you are crazy if you think obama=enlightenment/prestige, I could go into but I don't have the time and this isn't the right forum.
Orange County, CA the most conservative county in CA and the wealthiest obviously these people are enlightened.
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