Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
36% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town. This town of 1,430 people was organized in 1870.
The best of Balsam Lake’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a C for cost of living. Balsam Lake’s median age is 54.8 years, against 42.1 years in Wisconsin’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Balsam Lake. On the outdoors, just 65 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is Ahlgren Wildlife Preserve, at 176 acres. Balsam Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Balsam Lake beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Balsam Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
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 locally than in 81% of U.S. communities. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2019.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The top destinations are St. Croix Falls (8%), Balsam Lake (7%) and Osceola (6%). Most people who work leave Balsam Lake to do it: just 1% work in town. Also worth knowing: the town had 26 jobs in 2023, down 25 from 2013. Its average trip to work comes in at 29 minutes.
| Balsam Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 16% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Balsam Lake’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among adults in Balsam Lake, 14% report frequent physical distress. In Balsam Lake, 13% of adults have diabetes, and 37% 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) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Balsam Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with arthritis | 32.3% | 26.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 6.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Across 3 parks and preserves: 1.9 miles of trail. Balsam Lake’s trail network density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lakeview Park | 0.9 mi | 41 |
| 2. Ahlgren Wildlife Preserve | — | 176 |
| 3. Deer Lake Conservancy | — | 55 |
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.
8 mi National park siteLower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway799K visitors a year
11 mi MuseumFranconia Sculpture Park
29 mi MuseumWashington County Historical Society, Minnesota
30 mi AttractionStillwater Overlook8 mi National park siteSaint Croix National Scenic Riverway852K visitors a year
37 mi MuseumBruentrup Heritage FarmLower 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 · Bruentrup Heritage Farm: Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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.
Where Balsam Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
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.
36% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
