Why are so many people moving out of Sun Prairie?? (Madison: for sale, real estate) - Wisconsin (WI) - City-Data Forum

jrhuh · 11-16-2007, 07:39 PM

Hello,

My husband, children, and I are considering a move to the Madison area next year. I am always checking out the real estate online (First Weber) and wonder why there is so much for sale in Sun Prairie. My husband and I passed through this past summer on our way back to Maryland, after visiting his family in Minneapolis. We drove through Sun Prairie and it seemed like a nice community, so I am wondering why so many people are moving out.
Also, can anyone tell me about Rock county, mainly Edgerton and Evansville? There is a lot of affordable real estate there. I did notice on the City-Data site that there were 18 registered sex offenders living in Edgerton, a town of about 4700 people. That kind of shocked me, especially when most of them were crimes against children. Any comments? Thanks in advance for any replies!

mommiemel · 11-16-2007, 08:24 PM

Sun Prairie is one of the largest communities near Madison (along with Middleton and Fitchburg), so it will have a larger number of homes for sale just based on the size of the community. Also - Sun Prairie has gone through a huge housing boom over the past 10 years or so. Just this year it seems to have plateaued a bit. I know lots of folks who are selling their current home to move into something newer or larger, but are still staying in Sun Prairie. Others I know are not fond of the rapid growth and are leaving.

I've lived in Sun Prairie for 22 years. (Moved here with my family as a teenager when it was a 3 stoplight town.) It's really a bedroom community, but is going to expand greatly in the retail arena in the next couple years as they are building a Super Target for starters and a co-op grocery store is being started as well.

Sun Prairie struggles with it's identity as a small town vs a small city. The "townies" have trouble moving to the future. The developers have trouble respecting the people who have been here for decades and love their town. It's in the middle of a big growth spurt and is an "adolescent" area that can either bloom or crash depending on how well it's parented....

Unfortunately, I don't know much about Edgerton or Evansville, so someone else will have to help you there. If you want more specifics on Sun Prairie though, just let me know.

Wellstone · 11-17-2007, 09:43 AM

sun prairie is probably the dumpiest suburb of madison. there's really nothing there and many of the houses are old and deteriorating. this is a grandma's town and the only reason people live there is the price is right.

Chelito23 · 11-17-2007, 02:38 PM

I don't think a lot of people are moving out of Sun Prairie at all. I think they are just building so many new homes there, that there is a lot of inventory on the market.

I would not call SP dumpy at all, none of the Madison area suburbs would be dumpy... only a few are just older or built out like Monona and McFarland...and are more working class,..but even those places are decent.

It is true that SP is cheaper than many areas around Madison, but not by much. It really is a decent place, don't think there is an exodus going on, if anything, there is a huge inflow migration going to the city.

mommiemel · 11-17-2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wellstone

sun prairie is probably the dumpiest suburb of madison. there's really nothing there and many of the houses are old and deteriorating. this is a grandma's town and the only reason people live there is the price is right.

If you think Sun Prairie is dumpy, you haven't been outside of your little world at all. (I'm trying to decide if you're a snob, or just a youngster that is stuck in high school in Sun Prairie and can't get out yet....)

Actually, in my opinion, there are very few places in Dane County I'd call "dumpy". There are much more rural and impoverished areas in this state that could be considered dumpy. Dane County is a place with an awfully "elitist" attitude, which is one of it's only drawbacks. But I wouldn't call it dumpy.

You're right that there's not much to do in Sun Prairie. (Which leads me to believe that you're a kid that is just waiting for graduation day so you can move away.) That's why I called it a bedroom community. Most people live here and work and play in Madison. So I encourage you to leave Sun Prairie when you graduate Wellstone! Go see the world! Explore things beyond Wisconsin. Go find out what dumpy REALLY is in other parts of the nation and the world.

With that said, if the OP wants to know which elementary schools are better in this town and which neighborhoods get the most police calls, I can help out there.

jrhuh · 11-18-2007, 12:25 AM

Thanks for the help on Sun Prairie! What you said, Mommiemel, makes a lot of sense. There is a lot of development around there, so it makes sense that some of the residents there might want upgrade their housing, so to speak.
I think I will start another thread to ask about Rock county. I think I will get more help on that if I title it right. Thanks again!

Wellstone · 11-19-2007, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommiemel

If you think Sun Prairie is dumpy, you haven't been outside of your little world at all. (I'm trying to decide if you're a snob, or just a youngster that is stuck in high school in Sun Prairie and can't get out yet....)

Actually, in my opinion, there are very few places in Dane County I'd call "dumpy". There are much more rural and impoverished areas in this state that could be considered dumpy. Dane County is a place with an awfully "elitist" attitude, which is one of it's only drawbacks. But I wouldn't call it dumpy.

You're right that there's not much to do in Sun Prairie. (Which leads me to believe that you're a kid that is just waiting for graduation day so you can move away.) That's why I called it a bedroom community. Most people live here and work and play in Madison. So I encourage you to leave Sun Prairie when you graduate Wellstone! Go see the world! Explore things beyond Wisconsin. Go find out what dumpy REALLY is in other parts of the nation and the world.

With that said, if the OP wants to know which elementary schools are better in this town and which neighborhoods get the most police calls, I can help out there.

hate to break this to you but i don't live in sun prairie. i have been there many times and that is enough for me. i live about 280 miles from there now.

mommiemel · 11-20-2007, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wellstone

hate to break this to you but i don't live in sun prairie. i have been there many times and that is enough for me. i live about 280 miles from there now.

My apologies for making the assumption.

Megan1967 · 11-27-2007, 12:33 AM

Sun Prairie just has a lot of inventory because there was a big building boom there the last couple of years and, like the rest of the Madison area, the housing market went south. It's a decent place to live but, as others pointed out, not really a "happening" place. It's just a nice little town. One thing I'd watch out for is that they were sort of throwing things up rather quickly during the "boom" and I question how good the building practices were.

I grew up in Janesville, which is 15 miles from Edgerton (where I also did a practicum at the high school for my K-12 library degree). Edgerton is *really* rural, very much a farmer's community. Evansville is a little more refined and has some beautiful old houses. Both of these places are off the beaten track and you can get stuck out there in the winter.

Whatever you do don't move to Janesville. It's are really snobbish, cliquish community whose biggest claim to fame is more fast food places per capita than just about any other city in the state (ironically).

ravenstone · 11-27-2007, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megan1967

Whatever you do don't move to Janesville. It's are really snobbish, cliquish community whose biggest claim to fame is more fast food places per capita than just about any other city in the state (ironically).

Hey, now. I have a bunch of relatives in Janesville.