Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,523, settled in 1850. 3.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Black Earth’s best subject grades are an A for schools and an A+ for civic life. 20% of workers work from home in Black Earth, against 12% in Wisconsin’s towns and 11% across U.S. towns. Black Earth is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 74% of U.S. towns. On civic life, just 4 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do better. Heiney's Meat Market is on the National Register of Historic Places. Black Earth has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Black Earth beats most towns.
1,338 counted in 2010 and 1,493 in 2020; an estimated 1,523 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Black Earth is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 355 in 1890, 1,493 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Black Earth. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
21 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
18 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
35 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
9 mi State parkBlue Mound State Park
19 mi State parkDevil's Lake State ParkCamp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Blue Mound State Park: Mailseth at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Black Earth, 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 Black Earth.
People 65 and older are 32% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide). 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 32% | 29% |
| Median age | 41.7 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
Somewhere between 34% and 61% women
The Census survey reached too few of Black Earth’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±13.4 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Black Earth | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.6% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 45.7% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.6% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.8% | 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
Black Earth beats the Wisconsin average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Black Earth, below both the Wisconsin town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). 75% of adults had a checkup this year in Black Earth.
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Black Earth | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 28.2% | 32.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Black Earth for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Black Earth has lost 60 jobs, to 296 in 2023. The top destinations are Madison (35%), Middleton (7%) and Mazomanie (6%).
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Black Earth has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 11° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Black Earth home is worth about $388,000, up 4.2% in a year, 15% above the Wisconsin typical home. 86% of Black Earth households own their home.
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $875 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Black Earth.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Black Earth Creek Fishery Area | — | 16 |
| 2. Creekside Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Veteran's Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Black Earth; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Black Earth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Black Earth’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Black Earth is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,493 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the Town of Black Earth. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
3.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($88,804 across the Madison, 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−.
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