BearCreekWisconsinLookingWest, 2008
Bear Creek’s story
168 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2008 and 3 maps from 1970 on.
- 1858Bear Creek is settled
Bear CreekWI
A town settled in 1858, now home to 737 people.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: self · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
737
2025 Census estimate · −1.3% since 2020
Median home value
$256K
Census ACS
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
46.0
years
Jobs based here
75
A commuter town
Is Bear Creek a good place to live?
Only 4 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Bear Creek. 18% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bear Creek, against 32% in Wisconsin’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Bear Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
737 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
UnionLebanonDeer CreekLarrabeeBear Creek
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bear Creek: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bear Creek, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet9 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bear Creek’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 Bear Creek ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes54922, 54929, 5496154922 55% · 54929 37% · 54961 8%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 Bear Creek.
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Bear Creek’s workers commute out
Bear Creek’s typical household income stands at $69,000. Most working residents leave Bear Creek for work: only 1% work in town. Among workers here, 5.3% do their job from home. The top destinations are Clintonville (9%), Appleton (5%) and Waupaca (5%).
1%work in town
| Bear Creek | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5.3% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Bear Creek1%
Clintonville9%
Appleton5%
Waupaca5%
Oshkosh4%
26 mi
median commute distance
75
jobs based in Bear Creek
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Bear Creek has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in just over two thirds of U.S. communities. 52% of Bear Creek’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 25%.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Bear Creek has snowy winters and pleasant summers
In Bear Creek, the typical July afternoon high is 81°F.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–28°
Spring33–55°
Summer56–79°
Fall37–57°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Bear Creek is
For adults in Bear Creek, the share who report frequent physical distress is 15%. Among adults here, 30% get no exercise outside work and 16% smoke cigarettes.
| Bear Creek | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Bear Creek | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 16.4% | 13.6% |
| More adults in frequent physical distress | 14.7% | 12.9% |
Thedacare Medical Center - New London
11.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bear Creek
16pages on Bear Creek
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bear Creek; the nearest are
College of Menominee NationUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Keshena23.1 mi$6,200 tuitionFox Valley Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Appleton24.6 mi$5,040 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-OshkoshUniversity or college · Public · Oshkosh38 mi$8,532 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Bear Creek residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Bear Creek for work
Where Bear Creek’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
75jobs based in Bear Creek
1%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bear Creek
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Bear Creek is a town in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 748 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Bear Creek Corners and Nicholson are located in the town. The village of Bear Creek is located immediately east of the town, across the county line in Outagamie County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 869 ft
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.