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Arena vs Baraboo

Arena, Wisconsin versus Baraboo, Wisconsin: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Arena

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Baraboo

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Arena and Baraboo score about the same overall (45 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorArenaBaraboo
Affordability
Median Household Income$63k$67k
Cost of Living$45k$45k
Home Value$179k$192k
Monthly Rent$875$909
Monthly Owner Costs$288$4k
Property Tax Rate1.91%1.87%
Income Tax7.60%7.60%
Sales Tax5.70%5.70%
Estimated total tax burden14.90%14.87%
Unemployment0.6%5.7%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)19°F18°F
Summer Temp (Jul)72°F72°F
Annual Precipitation35.8 in38.9 in
Annual Snowfall30.0 in42.7 in
Sunny Days212 days212 days
Summer Humidity62°F62°F
Comfortable Days84 days88 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk70.243.0
Air Quality54 AQI54 AQI
School Quality66.271.1
Violent Crime577/100k755/100k
Property Crime1488/100k1568/100k
Community
Population82512,541
Median Age37.540.6
Racial Diversity0.130.18
Male/Female Ratio0.890.97
Political LeaningEvenEven
White (%)93.5%88.8%
Black (%)2.4%1.1%
Hispanic (%)0.0%4.0%
Asian (%)0.4%0.2%
Other / Multiracial (%)3.8%5.9%
Getting Around
Commute Time31 min23 min
Walkability6.0/206.8/20
Airport Distance103 mi100 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access88.2%87.6%
Amenities Nearby48.4854.22
Park & Nature AccessExcellentExcellent

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arena or Baraboo more affordable?
Baraboo has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Arena's $45k and Baraboo's $45k. Median rent is $875 in Arena versus $909 in Baraboo.
Is Arena or Baraboo safer?
Arena has the lower violent crime rate. Arena reports 577/100k and Baraboo reports 755/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Arena or Baraboo?
The median home value is $179k in Arena and $192k in Baraboo, so homes are more affordable in Arena.
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