Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 945, organized in 1870.
33% of residents are 65 or older in Balsam Lake, against 20% in Wisconsin’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 6 have a lower share of children under 18 than Balsam Lake. Polk County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Balsam Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 279 in 1910, 934 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Balsam Lake, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Balsam Lake.
Of the losses FEMA expects in Balsam Lake, 39% come from inland flooding and 28% from cold waves. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in the town than in 81% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Balsam Lake once, in 2001.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For households in Balsam Lake, the share who are owner-occupiers is 81%. Values rose 5.3% in the 12 months to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Balsam Lake’s typical July afternoon high stands at 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Balsam Lake: 11% of residents live below the poverty line. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 8% of working residents work locally. Its median household income stands at $52,000. Half commute less than 26 miles.
| Balsam Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 11% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the Wisconsin average, Balsam Lake comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 6. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in the town. Two figures for adults in the town: 13% have diabetes, 38% have high blood pressure.
| Balsam Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Balsam Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Across 2 parks and preserves: 1.2 miles of trail. For Balsam Lake, the density of trails is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Balsam Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. First Island | — | 3 |
| 2. Balsam Lake Beach | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Balsam Lake. Close and well known come first.
10 mi National park siteLower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway799K visitors a year
14 mi MuseumFranconia Sculpture Park
33 mi MuseumWashington County Historical Society, Minnesota
34 mi AttractionStillwater Overlook9 mi National park siteSaint Croix National Scenic Riverway852K visitors a year
37 mi MuseumWisconsin Canoe Heritage MuseumLower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Franconia Sculpture Park: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Washington County Historical Society, Minnesota: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Stillwater Overlook: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum: Somewhere On The Road of Life at en.wikipedia, Attribution
None within 15 miles of Balsam Lake; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Balsam Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Balsam Lake is a village in, and the county seat of Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 934 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the Town of Balsam Lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Balsam Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
