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Quality of Life in De Pere, WI
A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
Cost of Living
13% below national average
The Real Cost of Living in De Pere, WI for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $16k | $29k |
| Comfortable | $49k | $73k |
| Luxury | $128k+ | $199k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $151k+ | $234k+ |
111%
The Area Signal
A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.
Hobbies
Explore the areaGroceries
7 within 10 miles
Gas
20 within 10 miles
Hospital
9 within 20 miles
Airport
ORD — O'Hare International
Post Office
USPS — De Pere, WI
Critical Amenities
Quality-of-Life Analysis
De Pere, Wisconsin, presents a quality-of-life profile that blends small-town stability with the economic and cultural gravity of the Green Bay metro area. With a cost of living index of 87 (13% below the U.S. average), the city attracts a mix of young families, professionals at area employers like Schneider National and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and retirees seeking a quieter, more affordable alternative to the Fox River Valley’s larger cities. The population is notably well-educated and civically engaged, reflected in the city’s top-rated public schools and consistently low crime rates.
How housing costs and daily expenses compare to Green Bay and Appleton
De Pere’s affordability is a primary draw, particularly when stacked against national averages. The median home value sits at $253,900, roughly $20,000 below the national median, while the median rent of $981 is significantly lower than the U.S. figure of about $1,200. This pricing places De Pere slightly above Green Bay proper (where median home values hover around $210,000) but well below Appleton (approximately $280,000), offering a middle-ground value proposition. The average commute of 17.3 minutes is notably short, undercutting both the national average of 26 minutes and the Green Bay metro average of 20 minutes. This means residents spend less on fuel and vehicle wear, further stretching household budgets. Property taxes in Brown County are moderate for Wisconsin, and the absence of a city income tax keeps take-home pay competitive.
What daily life is like for families: schools, parks, and local amenities
Daily life in De Pere revolves around its strong public school system—the Unified School District of De Pere consistently earns top marks from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, with both high schools offering Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses. The city’s recreational infrastructure is anchored by the Fox River Trail, a paved multi-use path that runs through downtown and connects to Green Bay’s network, and the 40-acre Voyageur Park, which hosts summer concerts and a farmers market. For shopping and dining, the downtown district along Broadway features independent restaurants and boutiques, while the nearby Bay Park Square mall in Ashwaubenon provides big-box retail. The rhythm of life is notably slower than in Appleton or Green Bay; residents describe a community where neighbors know each other, and weekend traffic is rarely a concern. The city also benefits from its proximity to Lambeau Field (10 minutes north) and the Austin Straubel International Airport (15 minutes west), blending small-town calm with access to major-league sports and air travel.
De Pere is best suited for those who prioritize affordable homeownership, short commutes, and high-performing public schools over urban nightlife or dense cultural amenities. Young professionals working in Green Bay’s logistics, healthcare, or education sectors will find the commute negligible, while families will appreciate the safety and community engagement. Retirees on fixed incomes can stretch savings further here than in most Wisconsin suburbs. The city’s main trade-off is a quieter social scene—those seeking a vibrant bar and arts district may prefer downtown Green Bay or Appleton. For anyone valuing predictability, low cost, and a strong sense of place, De Pere offers a compelling, data-backed quality of life.
Crime in De Pere, WI
Lower crime rates than 97% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
De Pere, Wisconsin, is a notably safe community, with violent crime rates far below both state and national averages. The city's violent crime rate of 39.3 incidents per 100,000 residents is roughly one-tenth the national average, while its property crime rate of 333.8 per 100,000 also sits well below typical benchmarks for communities of its size. However, as a suburb of Green Bay, De Pere is part of a larger metropolitan area where the prevailing progressive ideology in the local justice system—including elected district attorneys and judges—can create a more permissive environment for repeat offenders, a dynamic that residents should weigh carefully.
Crime in context
De Pere’s violent crime rate is approximately 87% lower than the U.S. average of roughly 380 per 100,000, and significantly below the Wisconsin state average of about 290 per 100,000. Property crime in De Pere is also low, running about 40% below the national rate of 1,954 per 100,000. These figures place De Pere among the safest municipalities in Brown County. Yet context matters: the broader Green Bay metro area, like many Midwestern urban centers, has seen a rise in property offenses and drug-related incidents, trends that can spill into adjacent suburbs. The city’s low crime numbers are a strong positive, but they do not exist in a vacuum—prosecutorial and judicial philosophies in Brown County, which often prioritize diversion and reduced sentencing, can mean that even low arrest rates do not fully capture the risk of property crime from individuals cycling through the system.
What residents experience
For most De Pere residents, daily life is marked by a genuine sense of security. The city’s low violent crime rate means that incidents like robbery, assault, or homicide are rare and typically isolated. Property crime—chiefly theft from vehicles, bicycle theft, and occasional burglary—is the more common concern, though still infrequent compared to national norms. Neighborhood watch programs and a responsive police department contribute to this stability. However, residents should be aware that the progressive criminal justice policies common in Brown County—such as cashless bail reforms and treatment-focused drug courts—can result in offenders being released quickly or receiving minimal custodial sentences. This approach, while intended to reduce recidivism, can frustrate victims and lead to a perception that property crimes are not taken seriously enough, potentially emboldening opportunistic theft.
Neighborhood-level variation in De Pere is modest but worth noting. The historic downtown core and areas near St. Norbert College experience slightly higher rates of petty theft and vandalism, driven by foot traffic and student populations. In contrast, newer subdivisions on the city’s west side and along the Fox River tend to report the lowest crime rates. Overall, De Pere remains a low-crime community, but its safety profile is best understood alongside the broader regional justice environment, where progressive policies can sometimes undermine the deterrent effect that low crime statistics alone might suggest.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-21T10:18:26.000Z
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