Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Baraboo is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, 269th of 357 graded towns in Wisconsin, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $70K. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its public schools trail 71% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $311K, 3.9 years of the Baraboo area’s $80K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 17 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Ringling Brothers Circus Headquarters and Seven Gables. 25% of working residents work locally in Baraboo, above both Wisconsin’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (8%). Baraboo's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Baraboo beats most towns.
Albrecht C. Ringling House
Ringling Brothers Circus Headquarters is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 255 in 1850, 12,556 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and a map from 1974 on.
17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Baraboo is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Baraboo, 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 Baraboo.
Baraboo trades workers with Madison and other neighbors and has cooler summers than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
6.5 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. The trail density in Baraboo is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Chief Naaga Kermani Park and Conservancy, at 67 acres.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Circus World Museum | 0.8 mi | 54 |
| 2. Sauk County Fairgrounds | 0.6 mi | 30 |
| 3. Ochsner Park | 0.4 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Baraboo School District. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Young MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 548 | C |
| Baraboo HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 885 | C+ |
| East ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 334 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Baraboo.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 82.5°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 90% of Wisconsin places with climate records; January nights average 9.5°.
Baraboo has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Baraboo’s January low is 10°F. About 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 10°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 83°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Baraboo has about as many jobs (6,900) as working residents, but only 1,593 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Baraboo’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Madison (12%), Lake Delton (7%) and West Baraboo (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 8.6% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Baraboo's reported crime rate is below Wisconsin's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 13 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
18% of residents are under 18 in Baraboo. Baraboo has grown 5.4% since 2020, to 13,224 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 40.4 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.1, men 41.5.
| Baraboo | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.5% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.4% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
63% of Baraboo households own their home. The typical Baraboo home is worth about $311,000, up 3.6% in a year, 8% below the Wisconsin typical home.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $940 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Baraboo tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures.
| Baraboo | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 33% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Baraboo. Close and well known come first.
3 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
32 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
12 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
4 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
in town MuseumCircus World Museum10 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water ParkIce Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Camp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Circus World Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
None within 15 miles of Baraboo; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Baraboo residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
17 places in Baraboo on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Baraboo.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Baraboo ( BAIR-ə-boo) is the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Baraboo River. The population was 12,556 at the 2020 census. The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo micropolitan statistical area, which comprises a portion of the Madison combined statistical area. Baraboo is home to the Circus World Museum and the former headquarters and winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Al. Ringling Theatre is an active landmark in the city. Baraboo is near Devil's Lake State Park and Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm. The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin has an active cultural and community presence in the Baraboo area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Baraboo.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraboo | #269 | B− | B− | — | C | B− |
| Baraboo | — | — | C+ | — | C | B− |
| West Baraboo | — | — | C+ | — | C | B− |
| Greenfield | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Baraboo and West Baraboo have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Baraboo, Baraboo and West Baraboo report no FBI crime data of their own. Greenfield isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Baraboo with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Baraboo grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #269 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health and C for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
18 notable people were born here, including Daryl Morey and May Wood Simons.
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