Merton Town has family-focused living with a quieter pace of life
The town of Merton is on the north side of Wisconsin’s Lake Country, an area known for luxury properties, outdoor recreation and highly rated schools. Merton Town is more agricultural than some adjacent communities, and with more space to spread out. “You don’t feel like you're on top of your neighbors,” says Marybeth Mielke, a Realtor with Keller Williams and long-time resident of Lake Country. “When I first moved out here from the city, it felt so strangely quiet — you could hear all the crickets and frogs outside. But now I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”
The Merton area has limited shopping options, and it’s several miles to reach a major city. But locals can find community at Little League games, country clubs and events around the town’s five lakes. “The lifestyle here feels similar to when I grew up,” Mielke says. “When everybody went out to play outside, and you gained new friendships through your children's sports, and you did things as a family.”
High demand for lakeside homes and modern construction
Merton Town has a mix of lakefront properties, tight-knit subdivisions and country estates with several acres. Smaller ranch-style homes from the mid-1900s start around $300,000, and modern New Traditionals typically cost more than $600,000. Anything lakefront will usually be $900,000 or more, with prices reaching into the millions for luxury estates. “It doesn’t matter if the price point is $300,000 or $6 million — you will still see multiple offers because this area is so high demand,” Mielke says. “Especially around the lakes. Those properties are not really going to lose their value, because they aren’t building any more lakes.” According to Mielke, some buyers will build their own property as an alternative to navigating the inflated prices of existing homes.
Eight school districts feed into Arrowhead High School
Depending on their home address, kids might attend one of eight districts for kindergarten through eighth grade. Throughout those districts, all schools have a Niche grade of A-minus or higher. “Each elementary school is a little different, but class sizes are generally small, and they all feed into Arrowhead High School, which is super attractive to families,” Mielke says. “And parent involvement with volunteering at the schools is huge.”
Arrowhead High School earns an A grade from Niche. Its academic options include college credit through Waukesha County Technical College and STEM-focused programs at the school's multiple engineering labs. Lake County Lutheran High School is a nearby private option.
Getting out on the lakes of Lake Country
The town’s five lakes are a large part of the community culture, with friendly boat tie-ups, neighborhood get-togethers on private docks and waterside watch parties for Fourth of July fireworks. Okauchee Lake is the most active lake in the town, with several public boat launches and popular restaurants like Weissgerber’s Golden Mast Inn, which has a small boardwalk area. “The Okauchee Boat Tie Up is a huge event here,” Mielke says. “Of course, you have to own a boat to get out there.”
Boat owners who don’t have a private dock might consider renting out a dock for storage. “It can be competitive to get a boat slip,” Mielke says. “But there are some at the local restaurants, and people rent out their private docks. Just do your research, post on Facebook, and you’ll connect with somebody.”
Finding community at Little League games, dog parks and golf clubs
Most of the neighborhoods have pocket parks with playgrounds and ball fields. Three local recreation clubs plan Little League games and amateur adult leagues for baseball, softball and pickleball. At Nashotah Park, which spans over 400 acres of preserved natural land, dog lovers can meet up at two enclosed dog parks. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through town, offering rustic hiking trails that lead out across the state. And within a 15-minute drive, there are more than five different places to golf, including public courses and member-only country clubs.
A few miles south, Hartland’s Nixon Park is the place to be on Thursday nights. “Everybody gathers there with picnic baskets to listen to the music in the park,” Mielke says. “You might go there by yourself and end up sitting with five other families that you didn't know would be there.”
Limited restaurant options, and Sendik’s is the only large grocery
State Route 16 has a few shops and restaurants, including Sendik’s Food Market for groceries. Communities like Hartland, North Lake and Stone Bank each have their own clusters of local restaurants, including homestyle pubs, bakeries and coffee shops. “The biggest drawback to the area is a lack of restaurant options, because the wait times can be long at the ones we do have,” Mielke says. “And it takes a while to get to a grocery store besides the Sendik’s.”
Commuting to Milwaukee can be up to an hour
Locals can head down to Interstate 94 in about 20 minutes to reach big-box shopping like Target, Walmart and Albrecht’s Sentry Foods. Downtown Milwaukee is just over 30 miles away, a drive that can take 35 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. The large city is home to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. Waukesha is the closest large city, less than 20 miles away. The nearest hospital is in Oconomowoc, a 12-mile trip.
Written By
Catherine Lashley
