Farmer at Black Earth, Wisconsin, 1941
Black Earth’s story
Black Earth in pictures
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 1920 on.
Explore the history →
Black EarthWI
A town of 500.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: VazDrae · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
500
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$478K
Census ACS
Household income
$137K
median
Median age
50.0
years
Jobs based here
167
A commuter town
Is Black Earth a good place to live?
Black Earth’s median household income is $137,000, above both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Morton Forest, at 119 acres with 2.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Black Earth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
500 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
VermontBerryMazomanieBlack Earth
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Black Earth: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Black Earth, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlack Earth Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers40% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Black Earth’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 Black Earth ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP codes53515, 5356053515 61% · 53560 39%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 Black Earth.
Work & commute
About one in three of Black Earth’s working residents commute to Madison
Most working residents leave Black Earth for work: only 3% work in town. 2.3% of Black Earth residents live below the poverty line, against 6.4% in Wisconsin’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Madison (30%), Mazomanie (7%) and Middleton (5%).
3%work in town
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.3% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Black Earth3%
Madison30%
Mazomanie7%
Middleton5%
Cross Plains4%
17 mi
median commute distance
167
jobs based in Black Earth
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Black Earth’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Wisconsin Heights School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Heights ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 391 | – |
| Wisconsin Heights HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 238 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
In Black Earth, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Black Earth has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Black Earth is
Black Earth beats the Wisconsin average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Black Earth.
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
9 better23 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Black Earth | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.3% | 6.7% |
Sauk Prairie Hospital
13.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Black Earth
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Black Earth has set aside 3.6% of its land for conservation
3.5 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
3.6%conserved
| Black Earth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.6%
conserved · 391 of 10,886 acres
3.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Morton Forest | 2.5 mi | 119 |
| 2. Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area | 0.6 mi | 17 |
| 3. Black Earth Creek Fishery Area | — | 51 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 30 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Black Earth. Close and well known come first.
20 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
21 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
8 mi State parkBlue Mound State Park
21 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
35 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
20 mi State parkDevil's Lake State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Camp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Mound State Park: Mailseth at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, 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
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Black Earth
19pages on Black Earth
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Black Earth; the nearest are
Edgewood CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison20.1 mi$35,860 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison20.7 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionSouthwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore43.5 mi$4,904 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Black Earth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Black Earth for work
Where Black Earth’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
167jobs based in Black Earth
3%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Black Earth
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)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 837 ft
- ZIP code
- 53515
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Black Earth
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Black Earth, WI a good place to live?
Black Earth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.