Waunakee is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, home to about 15,687 people across 7.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 53597.
Homes sold for a median of $243 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Waunakee; also Westport and Middleton City
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Waunakee. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Waunakee’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)80 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN)7 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI7 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL129 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Waunakee; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Waunakee had 14,879 residents in the 2020 census, up 65% since 2000.
It’s the 58th largest of 1,889 towns in Wisconsin by population.
Dane County grew from 69,435 residents in 1900 to 561,504 in 2020.
Dane County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 12°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 52 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Madison Dane Rgnl Ap, WI weather station (6 miles away).
314,435 jobs at 14,765 businesses in Dane County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
125 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Waunakee.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 10 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 11 |
| Dentists | 16 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 19 |
| Mental health providers | 33 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 21 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 11 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (26 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Waunakee Community School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arboretum ElementaryWaunakee | Pre-K–4 | 435 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Waunakee Community 4K SchoolWaunakee | Pre-K | 249 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Waunakee Heritage ElementaryWaunakee | Pre-K–4 | 537 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Waunakee Prairie ElementaryWaunakee | K–4 | 531 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Waunakee IntermediateWaunakee | 5–6 | 661 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Waunakee MiddleWaunakee | 7–8 | 667 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Waunakee HighWaunakee | 9–12 | 1,335 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Country Day SchoolWaunakee | Pre-K–12 | 432 | Nonsectarian | 3.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Westport, Middleton City, Madison, Springfield Town (Dane County) and Vienna.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.