Blair, Wisconsin (1912), 1912
Blair’s story
152 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
- 1874Blair is settled
Population
1,292
2025 Census estimate · −2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$241K
+6.6% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
37.0
years
Jobs based here
380
A commuter town
Is Blair a good place to live?
Blair’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D for schools. Only 4 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on cost of living. Blair has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Blair stand out
Where Blair beats most towns.
Small town
1,292 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PrestonSpringfieldBlair
How Blair grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Blair is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsBehind 87% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationDOpen →Jobs & income$60K median household incomeC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 8.9% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →HealthGundersen Tri-County Hospital & Clinics 4.3 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.0; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Blair: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blair, and how to reach them.
PowerRiverland Energy Cooperative16.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlair WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereCity of Blair ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5461654616 100%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 Blair.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Blair has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Blair for work: only 7% work in town. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Blair, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 6.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs based in Blair fell to 380 in 2023, 214 fewer than in 2013.
7%work in town
| Blair | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Blair7%
Whitehall18%
La Crosse9%
Preston5%
Galesville3%
20 mi
median commute distance
380
jobs based in Blair
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A+
Blair’s typical home value is about $241K
The typical Blair home is worth about $241,000, up 6.6% in a year, 28% below the Wisconsin typical home. At $827 a month, Blair’s median rent is below both the Wisconsin town median ($1,078 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 64% of Blair households own their home.
$241KZillow home value
| Blair | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $827 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Blair$241K
Wisconsin$337K
+6.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Blair
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Blair.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
10
paid flood claims since 1992
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Blair has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Blair has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Blair is 81°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–27°
Spring34–56°
Summer58–79°
Fall38–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Residents of Blair are healthier than 54% of U.S. towns
Blair beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of adults binge drink in Blair.
54%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Blair | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Blair | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 9.9% |
Gundersen Tri-County Hospital & Clinics
4.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blair
17pages on Blair
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Blair; the nearest are
Winona State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Winona, MN25.8 mi$10,576 in-state tuitionMinnesota State College SoutheastCommunity college · Public · Winona, MN26.2 mi$6,432 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Blair residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Blair for work
Where Blair’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
380jobs based in Blair
7%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Blair
City in Wisconsin, United States
Blair is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Trempealeau River. The population was 1,325 at the 2020 census. Blair is on the former Green Bay and Western Railroad, which ran down the Trempealeau River valley to Winona, Minnesota.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 853 ft
- ZIP code
- 54616
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Blair
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blair, WI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.