Blue River, WI post office, 2019
Blue River’s story
189 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2019.
- 1837Blue River is settled
Blue RiverWI
Population
459
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$235K
+8.7% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
42.1
years
Jobs based here
20
A commuter town
Is Blue River a good place to live?
Blue River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Blue River stand out
Where Blue River beats most towns.
Small town
459 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Blue River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blue River, and how to reach them.
PowerScenic Rivers Energy Coop15.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlue River WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers86% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Blue River’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 hereVillage of Blue River ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5351853518 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 Blue River.
Work & commute
With only 0.1 jobs per working resident, most people in Blue River work out of town
The income of the median household for Blue River comes to $60,000, below both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Blue River dropped by 21, to 20. The median commute is under 16 miles. The top destinations are Boscobel (27%), Richland Center (8%) and Muscoda (6%).
0%work in town
| Blue River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Blue River0%
Boscobel27%
Richland Center8%
Muscoda6%
Madison6%
16 mi
median commute distance
20
jobs based in Blue River
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A home in Blue River is worth about $235K, on Zillow’s estimate
The midpoint rent for Blue River comes to $775 a month, below both the Wisconsin town median ($1,078 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Home values are up 8.7% over the year to September 2026. For households locally, the share who are owner-occupiers is 87%.
$235KZillow home value
| Blue River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $775 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Blue River$235K
Wisconsin$337K
+8.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Blue River
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 10°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–31°
Spring36–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Blue River faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 63% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Blue River, 62% come from inland flooding and 13% from cold waves. Federal aid has come to Blue River households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2013.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, more of Blue River’s adults get no exercise outside work
Among adults in Blue River, 44% have obesity. Only 7 of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Blue River.
| Blue River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Blue River | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.4% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 18.2% | 13.6% |
Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics
7.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6%conserved
6%
conserved · 35 of 580 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lower Wisconsin State Riverway | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blue River
18pages on Blue River
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Blue River
About 1 of every 100 Blue River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Blue River for work
Where Blue River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
20jobs based in Blue River
0%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Blue River
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Blue River is a village in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 457 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 663 ft
- ZIP code
- 53518
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Blue River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blue River, WI a good place to live?
Blue River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Blue River, WI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Constance Kies and Doug Adams.