The Town Files

Oconomowoc Lake, Wisconsin

Village in Waukesha County · population 566 (2020 Census)

Map: where Oconomowoc Lake is in WisconsinOconomowoc Lake
Median home
$1,210,900
Household income
$250,001
Jan low / Jul high
11° / 82°
Snow a year
40 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
31
Median age
55.1

Oconomowoc Lake is a village of 566 people in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $1,210,900, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks more upscale than 98% of Wisconsin towns, more of a college town than 97% of Wisconsin towns, better for young professionals than 89% of Wisconsin towns.

How Oconomowoc Lake ranks

Percentile among Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Wisconsin towns.

Oconomowoc Lake lifestyle rankings vs other Wisconsin townsRetirement63rd pctFamilies75th pctQuiet15th pctWalkability88th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals89th pctVibrancy89th pctHip & trendy78th pctCollege town97th pctUpscale98th pctVacation homes75th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit40th pctDriving51st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Oconomowoc Lake is worth $1,210,900, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 4.8 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 4% of Wisconsin towns. 97.9% of households own their home.

Oconomowoc Lake vs Waukesha County vs typical Wisconsin townOconomowoc LakeWaukesha CountyTypical Wisconsin townHome value$1,210,900$398,200$256,000Household income$250,001$106,076$82,217
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Wisconsin towns with 500+ people.
HousingOconomowoc LakeTypical Wisconsin town
Median home value$1,210,900$256,000
Median rent—$951
Median household income$250,001$82,217
Home value ÷ income4.8×3.1×
Homeownership97.9%86.8%
Median year built19791978
Seasonal / vacation homes23.4%—

Who lives in Oconomowoc Lake

PeopleOconomowoc LakeTypical Wisconsin town
Median age55.145.1
Age 65 and over26.0%21.0%
Under 1814.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher72.8%23.8%
Below the poverty line3.6%7.2%
Veterans3.9%—
Born outside the U.S.5.8%—
Work from home17.9%10.9%
Average commute23.1 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband97.9%89.1%

Weather in Oconomowoc Lake

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 11.1°F. About 36.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.6 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 nights at or below freezing.

Oconomowoc Lake monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing28°11°Jan32°14°Feb44°25°Mar56°36°Apr69°47°May78°57°Jun82°61°Jul81°60°Aug74°52°Sep61°40°Oct46°29°Nov34°18°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.611.11.69.82.14.83.92.04.10.24.94.14.23.42.80.12.21.41.910.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Oconomowoc Wwtp station (2.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oconomowoc Lake since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 27, 1984 about 9.2 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 22 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Oconomowoc Lake by decade21950s31960s41970s121980s01990s02000s32010s72020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 82 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 7, 2008.

Severe weather in Waukesha County since 1996

Storm events in Waukesha County since 1996 by typeHail236Heat34Flood26Drought18Dense Fog72Lightning59Flash Flood38Strong Wind50
NOAA Storm Events Database, Waukesha County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 8 deaths recorded.

Waukesha County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4923: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 11, 2025FloodDR-4892: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Mudslides
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3454: Covid-19
June 14, 2008Severe StormDR-1768: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Waukesha County

Waukesha County had 247,891 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,989 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Oconomowoc Lake itself the ACS puts it at 1%.

Largest industries in Waukesha CountyManufacturing42,071 jobs · $84,046Health care & social assistan…31,439 jobs · $64,294Retail25,535 jobs · $37,593Construction19,496 jobs · $89,547Hotels & restaurants17,400 jobs · $22,896Wholesale trade15,578 jobs · $93,922
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Waukesha County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Waukesha 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Oconomowoc Lake

Oconomowoc Lake questions

Is Oconomowoc Lake, Wisconsin a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oconomowoc Lake scores better for retirees than 63% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 15%. 26.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.1).

How much does a house cost in Oconomowoc Lake?

The median owner-occupied home in Oconomowoc Lake is valued at $1,210,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 4.8 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Oconomowoc Lake?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 11.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.8 inches of precipitation a year and 39.6 inches of snow.

Does Oconomowoc Lake get tornadoes?

31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oconomowoc Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 27, 1984. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Oconomowoc Lake's Census boundary (GEOID 5559300). Comparisons use the median of Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.