Bear CreekWI
The town, settled in 1851, counts 630 residents.
Is Bear Creek a good place to live?
Bear Creek’s typical journey to work is 36 minutes, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 363 in Wisconsin we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Bear Creek. The biggest park or preserve is Bear Creek Fishing Area, at 467 acres. Bear Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
630 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bear Creek: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bear Creek, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bear Creek.
Bear Creek has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Half commute less than 21 miles. Jobs based in Bear Creek fell to 25 in 2023, 135 fewer than in 2013. Among residents in the town, 4.4% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Reedsburg (14%), Madison (9%) and Plain (7%).
| Bear Creek | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A larger share of residents are under 18 in Bear Creek than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
27% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 33% across Wisconsin. The share of residents in Bear Creek who are 65 or older: 18%. The midpoint age in the town is 41.6 years.
| Bear Creek | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 33% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 128 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.1 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Bear Creek | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 17.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.4% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.9% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.7% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.4% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Bear Creek
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 10°, with about 40 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
High risk in Bear Creek, with inland flooding at the top
Nearly two thirds of Bear Creek’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 13%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Bear Creek is
In Bear Creek, 14% of adults have diabetes, and 15% report frequent physical distress. 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Bear Creek.
| Bear Creek | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bear Creek | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 16.7% | 13.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.8% of Bear Creek is conserved land
Across 2 parks and preserves: 5.9 miles of trail. For Bear Creek, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Bear Creek | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. White Mound Park | 5.8 mi | 371 |
| 2. Bear Creek Fishing Area | — | 467 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Bear Creek
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bear Creek; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Bear Creek residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
100% of working residents leave Bear Creek for work
Where Bear Creek’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Bear Creek
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Bear Creek is a town in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. In September 1858, the town of Bear Creek was created out of the town of Franklin. The town consists of 50 sections and is bounded on the north by the town of Washington, on the south by the town of Spring Green, on the east by the town of Franklin, and on the west by Richland County. The population was 641 at the 2020 census. The town took its name from Bear Creek. The unincorporated community of Loreto is located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 50 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Bear Creek
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bear Creek, WI a good place to live?
Bear Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.