Big BendWI
A town of 1,498, settled in 1848. Public schools that outperform most of Wisconsin.
Trash & recyclingIs Big Bend a good place to live?
Big Bend’s best subject grades are an A+ for incomes and an A for schools and health; its weakest is a C− for walkability. On incomes, just 11 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Big Bend's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 88% of U.S. towns. Big Bend has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Big Bend stand out
Where Big Bend beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Christ Lutheran School | PK–8 | 141 |
| St. Joseph Elementary School | PK–8 | 95 |
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Big Bend has grown 16% since 2010
1,290 counted in 2010 and 1,483 in 2020; an estimated 1,498 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Big Bend grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Big Bend is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Six Flags Great America and 31 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Bend. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a year
18 mi Stadium & arenaFiserv Forum
19 mi MuseumMilwaukee Art Museum350K visitors a year
18 mi Stadium & arenaUW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
15 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
18 mi MuseumHarley-Davidson Museum300K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Six Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0 · Fiserv Forum: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milwaukee Art Museum: Michael Hicks (Mulad), CC BY 2.0 · UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena: Shadowlink1014, Public domain · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Harley-Davidson Museum: Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 us
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Moving to Big Bend: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Bend, 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 Big Bend.
Big Bend’s public schools outperform 90% of Wisconsin districts
One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christ Lutheran School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 141 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Big Bend is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Big Bend beats the Wisconsin average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 23% of Big Bend adults binge drink, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 16%. 14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Big Bend.
| Big Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 26% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 19% |
| What stands out | Big Bend | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 12.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 9.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.9% | 19% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Low risk in Big Bend, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Bend.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fewer young adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (38% statewide). 24% of Big Bend residents are under 18, above both Wisconsin’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (22%). 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Big Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 24% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 42.2 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 127 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.6 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Big Bend | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.6% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.3% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.8% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.8% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.3% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
In Big Bend, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Big Bend has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 13° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical home in Big Bend is valued at about $401K
The typical Big Bend home is worth about $401,000, up 5.9% in a year, 19% above the Wisconsin typical home. 91% of Big Bend households own their home.
| Big Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 91% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,125 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents commute out of Big Bend
Most working residents leave Big Bend for work: only 4% work in town. Big Bend’s median household income is $135,000. Jobs based in Big Bend grew to 608 in 2023, 84 more than in 2013.
| Big Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $135,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Big Bend has set aside 0.1% of its land for conservation
1.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Big Bend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Bend Village Park | 0.1 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Big Bend
Colleges nearby
9 within 15 miles of the center of Big Bend
About 3 of every 100 Big Bend residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
1,498 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
About Big Bend
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Big Bend is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,483 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 820 ft
- ZIP code
- 53103
- Area code
- 262
Questions about Big Bend
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big Bend, WI a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Wisconsin.
Is Big Bend, WI expensive?
That is 5.1 years of the area's median household income ($78,218 across the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.