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Quality of Life in Ozaukee County
A livable area that tracks near national norms for affordability, walkability, and neighborhood health.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
Cost of Living
10% above national average
92%
The Real Cost of Living in Ozaukee County for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $18k | $33k |
| Comfortable | $72k | $105k |
| Luxury | $175k+ | $271k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $226k+ | $350k+ |
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, offers a distinct quality-of-life spectrum that ranges from bustling Lake Michigan shoreline communities to quiet, agricultural inland towns, attracting everyone from Milwaukee commuters to rural homesteaders. The county’s overall cost of living index sits at 110 (100 = U.S. average), with a median home value of $368,900 and median rent of $1,112, but these figures mask significant variation between its population centers and its smaller, more affordable pockets. The average commute of roughly 23 minutes reflects the county’s role as a suburban-rural hybrid, where residents trade some urban convenience for access to Lake Michigan bluffs, the Milwaukee River, and working farmland.
Largest towns & population centers
The county’s primary population anchors are Mequon (pop. ~25,000) and Cedarburg (pop. ~12,000), both along the Lake Michigan shore. Mequon functions as an affluent northern suburb of Milwaukee, with large-lot estates, the Concordia University Wisconsin campus, and a concentration of executive-level commuters. Its daily life revolves around the Mequon Town Center, the Mequon Nature Preserve, and high-performing public schools in the Mequon-Thiensville School District. Cedarburg, by contrast, is a historic mill town with a preserved downtown of 19th-century limestone buildings, art galleries, and the annual Cedarburg Strawberry Festival. It draws families and empty-nesters who prioritize walkability and small-town character while still being within 25 minutes of downtown Milwaukee. Port Washington (pop. ~12,000), the county seat, offers a working harbor, a compact downtown, and the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, appealing to those who want lakefront living without Mequon’s price tag. Home values in these three towns typically range from $350,000 to $700,000, with Mequon’s lakefront properties exceeding $1 million.
Smaller towns & rural pockets
Moving inland, the character shifts markedly. Grafton (pop. ~11,500) sits along the Milwaukee River and blends older neighborhoods with new subdivisions, anchored by the Grafton Mill and the Riveredge Nature Center. It is more affordable than the lakeshore towns, with median home values around $320,000. Saukville (pop. ~4,500) is a quieter village with a mix of single-family homes and farmland, offering lower property taxes and a slower pace. The unincorporated communities of Waubeka and Fredonia (the latter a village of ~2,200) represent the county’s rural core, where homes on acreage can be found for under $300,000. Belgium (pop. ~2,300) in the northern part of the county is a farming community with a strong German heritage, where residents often commute to Sheboygan or Port Washington. These areas lack the retail density of the lakeshore but offer direct access to the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust’s preserved prairies and the Harrington Beach State Park.
Cost & lifestyle range
The cost spread across Ozaukee County is notable. At the high end, Mequon’s lakefront and golf-course neighborhoods command median home values above $500,000, with a cost of living index that can exceed 120. At the low end, Belgium and Fredonia offer median home values closer to $250,000–$280,000, with a cost of living index near 100. Rent follows a similar pattern: Mequon’s median rent of $1,350 contrasts with Saukville’s $950. Lifestyle amenities also diverge: lakeshore residents have immediate access to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, Lake Michigan marinas, and fine dining in Cedarburg, while inland residents rely on county parks like the Ozaukee County Pioneer Village and the Milwaukee River Greenway for recreation. The county’s property tax rates are among the highest in Wisconsin (roughly 2.0%–2.2% of assessed value), but services—including the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, the Ozaukee County Public Health Department, and the Ozaukee County Transit System—are consistently rated highly.
Who thrives in Ozaukee County? The county suits professionals and families who want strong schools, low crime rates, and a mix of suburban and rural living without the density of Milwaukee County. It is less suited to those seeking urban nightlife or a low-tax environment, as the property tax burden is significant. The inland towns attract buyers willing to trade commute time for land and lower housing costs, while the lakeshore communities appeal to those who prioritize lake access and historic character. Overall, Ozaukee County offers a clear gradient of options, from the executive estates of Mequon to the farmsteads of Belgium, all within a 30-minute drive of Milwaukee’s jobs and cultural amenities.
Crime in Ozaukee County
Generally safer than 61% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Ozaukee County is consistently ranked among the safest counties in Wisconsin, with violent and property crime rates significantly below both state and national averages. The county’s 2023 reported violent crime rate of 236.8 per 100,000 residents and property crime rate of 996.9 per 100,000 place it in a tier of suburban safety that contrasts sharply with the higher-crime environment of nearby Milwaukee County. This safety profile is a major draw for families and professionals relocating to communities like Mequon, Cedarburg, and Grafton, though residents should be aware of localized variations and the influence of the broader regional justice system.
Crime in context
Ozaukee County’s violent crime rate of 236.8 per 100,000 is roughly 40% lower than the national average and well below the Wisconsin state average of approximately 300 per 100,000. Property crime, at 996.9 per 100,000, is similarly suppressed—about 35% below the national rate of roughly 1,500 per 100,000. These figures are driven by the county’s affluent, low-density suburban character and a conservative-leaning judicial philosophy in the Ozaukee County District Attorney’s office. Unlike Milwaukee County, which has seen progressive prosecutors and judges implement policies like cash bail reform and reduced charging for low-level offenses, Ozaukee County maintains a more traditional approach to law enforcement and sentencing. This contrast is critical: while Milwaukee’s liberal justice reforms have been linked to rising recidivism and property crime spillover into adjacent suburbs, Ozaukee’s stricter enforcement acts as a buffer. The county’s location along the I-43 corridor, however, means that property crime—particularly theft from vehicles and burglary—can be influenced by transient offenders from the Milwaukee area, especially in communities closer to the county line like Thiensville and Mequon.
What residents experience
For daily life, Ozaukee County feels exceptionally safe. Violent crime is rare and typically confined to domestic incidents or isolated disputes, not random street violence. Residents in Cedarburg and Grafton report a strong sense of security, with well-funded local police departments and active neighborhood watch programs. Property crime is the more common concern, but it remains manageable. The most frequent incidents are theft from unlocked vehicles and package thefts, particularly in denser subdivisions. The city of Port Washington, the county seat, sees slightly higher property crime rates due to its lakefront tourism and transient population, but violent crime there remains negligible. The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office provides countywide patrol and investigative support, and the county’s court system, under a conservative DA, ensures that repeat offenders face meaningful consequences—a deterrent that progressive jurisdictions often lack. Residents should still practice standard suburban precautions: lock vehicles, secure garages, and use outdoor lighting. The risk of being a victim of violent crime in Ozaukee County is less than 1 in 400 annually, compared to roughly 1 in 250 nationally.
Neighborhood-level variation
Safety is not uniform across the county. The most affluent and safest areas are the northern and western townships, such as the Town of Cedarburg and the Town of Grafton, where large-lot zoning and low population density minimize crime opportunities. Mequon, the county’s largest city, has a violent crime rate near zero but experiences property crime rates slightly above the county average due to its commercial corridors and proximity to Milwaukee. Thiensville, a small village bordering Mequon, benefits from the same policing but sees occasional spillover theft. The southern edge of the county, near the Milwaukee County line, is the most vulnerable to property crime from regional offenders. Conversely, the rural hamlets of Fredonia and Belgium in the north report almost no crime, making them ideal for families seeking maximum security. Overall, Ozaukee County’s combination of low crime rates, conservative justice policies, and well-resourced local law enforcement makes it one of the safest choices in southeastern Wisconsin for those prioritizing personal and family security.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-07-10T08:30:06.000Z
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