A quilting party in an Alvin, Wisconsin, home, 1937
Alvin’s story
117 years in pictures
The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1936 and a map from 1970 on.
- 1909Alvin is settled
AlvinWI
A town of 175, settled in 1909.
Population
175
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Median home value
$183K
Census ACS
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
42.8
years
Jobs based here
16
A commuter town
Is Alvin a good place to live?
Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 10 have a lower July high than Alvin. 79% of the land in Alvin is conserved, against 3.8% in Wisconsin’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Alvin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
175 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Stambaugh TownshipTiplerPopple RiverHilesArgonnePhelpsAlvin
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alvin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alvin, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alvin’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Alvin ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5454254542 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alvin.
Outdoors
Alvin has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
83 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. At 0.7 miles per square mile, Alvin’s trail density is where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
79.1%conserved
79.1%
conserved · 57,900 of 73,181 acres
83 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District | — | 10 |
| 2. Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Alvin faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities.
18risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Alvin’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Alvin for work: only 1% work in town. 17% of Alvin residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Lincoln (18%), Crandon (13%) and Rhinelander (9%).
1%work in town
| Alvin | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Alvin1%
Lincoln18%
Crandon13%
Rhinelander9%
Houghton3%
31 mi
median commute distance
16
jobs based in Alvin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
A typical January night in Alvin is colder than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
Alvin’s January low is 3°F. Alvin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
67″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–25°
Spring26–51°
Summer50–75°
Fall33–53°
Sep 10
typical first frost
Jun 4
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Alvin stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
46% of adults have high blood pressure in Alvin. Of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Alvin. 21% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Alvin.
| Alvin | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
10 better10 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Alvin | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.3% | 19% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 11.3% | 6.6% |
Aspirus Iron River Hospital & Clinics
13.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alvin
16pages on Alvin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Alvin; the nearest are
Nicolet Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rhinelander38.1 mi$4,793 in-state tuitionNorthern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marquette, MI79.1 mi$14,277 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Alvin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Alvin for work
Where Alvin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
16jobs based in Alvin
1%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Alvin
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Alvin is a town in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 173 at the 2020 census. The town was named after Alvin Spencer, a Baptist minister from Powell County, Kentucky who arrived in the area around 1908. The unincorporated communities of Alvin and Nelma are located in the town. Wisconsin Highway 55 goes through Alvin and Nelma.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 116 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,703 ft
Questions about Alvin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alvin, WI a good place to live?
Alvin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.