Whitefish Bay School District, WI

Original Research by School Decision on Whitefish Bay School District

The Whitefish Bay School District serves a community that sits along the western shore of Lake Michigan, largely within the Village of Whitefish Bay itself. The district’s housing market carries a premium relative to the metro area. The weighted average home value for the ZIP codes that feed into the district is elevated, and rents are similarly high. For a family considering a move to the area, housing costs are a primary factor. A household at the national median income would likely find homeownership in Whitefish Bay a stretch, and monthly rent would consume a substantial share of that income.

Academically, the district posts results that place it at the very top among Milwaukee County’s districts. On the state Forward exam, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, science, and social studies across grades three through eight cluster in the low-eighties to low-nineties. This puts the district in the top quartile of all Milwaukee County districts for overall proficiency. A parent looking at these numbers will see a system where the vast majority of students meet or exceed the state’s academic standards year after year.

The district serves roughly 2,800 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Its student body is predominantly white, with the remaining share distributed among students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, Asian, Black, and other groups. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the district’s special education population, and its English learner population were not available in the data provided. Those figures are part of the picture that a family may wish to follow up on directly with the district.

Chronic absenteeism, a metric that tracks students missing a significant number of school days, is very low. The district places in the top quartile among Milwaukee County’s districts for this measure, which generally correlates with high attendance and consistent student engagement.

The district operates four schools: Cumberland Elementary, Richards Elementary, Whitefish Bay Middle, and Whitefish Bay High. The elementary schools feed into the middle school, which then feeds into the high school. That straightforward geographic structure is typical of a smaller suburban district with a single feeder pattern.

A search of publicly reported information for recent changes, such as referenda, budget or property-tax shifts, curriculum updates, or major facility projects, did not yield any findings that met the threshold for reporting in the district brief. That means nothing surfaced that meets the criteria of a lasting, four-year impact. Families may still want to check directly for any ongoing initiatives that matter to them.

Spending per pupil falls in the lower range when compared to other Milwaukee County districts. That is worth noting but does not appear to correlate with lower academic outcomes in this case, given the district’s high performance on state assessments.

The student peer environment is academically strong and demographically homogeneous relative to the county overall. A family that values a high-proficiency, low-chronic-absenteeism setting and is prepared for the area’s housing costs will find a district that consistently delivers for its students on the measures reported. The graduation rate was not available, so a parent with a high school-aged student should confirm that figure with the district directly. For families in the elementary and middle grades, the state testing record provides a clear picture of consistent, strong results.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,831

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 6%

Black 5%

White 76%

Asian 5%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

Cumberland Elementary

Richards Elementary

Whitefish Bay High

Whitefish Bay Middle

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

83%

Grade 3

88%

Grade 4

82%

Grade 5

85%

Grade 6

88%

Grade 7

82%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

82%

Grade 3

90%

Grade 4

84%

Grade 5

86%

Grade 6

90%

Grade 7

84%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

81%

Grade 4

79%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

92%

Grade 4

87%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$562,586

Year-over-year change+5.6%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$528K to $571K

vs. state typical1.68x

vs. national typical1.53x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
53217	Fox Point	$571K	+5.7%	80.9%
53211	Shorewood	$528K	+5.2%	19.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,950/mo

Year-over-year change+5.9%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,620 to $2,028/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
53217	Fox Point	$2,028	+6.4%	80.9%
53211	Shorewood	$1,620	+4.0%	19.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,839/mo

Home price / national median income6.7x

Annual rent / national median income27.9%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$889/mo

Market Activity: Milwaukee County

Median listing price$279,900

Median listing price YoY+1.8%

Median price per sq ft$202

Median price per sq ft YoY+3.6%

Median days on market34.0 days

Median days on market YoY+17.2%

Active listings1,669

Active listings YoY+20.7%

New listings912

New listings YoY+3.2%

Pending listings309

Pending listings YoY+24.1%

Hotness: median listing price$269,900

Hotness: median listing price YoY-0.9%

Supply score89.5

Supply score YoY-4.4%

Demand score66.2

Demand score YoY-8.3%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

Comparison

State typical home value$333,909 (+5.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.