Is Boulder Junction a good place to live?
Boulder Junction’s best subject grades are a B+ for schools and walkability; its weakest is a C for incomes. 36% of residents are 65 or older in Boulder Junction, against 20% in Wisconsin’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 1 have a lower share of children under 18 than Boulder Junction. Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, at 40,855 acres with 57 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 33 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on history. Boulder Junction has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Boulder Junction stand out
Where Boulder Junction beats most towns.
1,075 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Boulder Junction grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Boulder Junction is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Boulder Junction: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Boulder Junction, 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 Boulder Junction.
The median age in Boulder Junction is higher than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
At 60.6 years, Boulder Junction’s median age is above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Boulder Junction has grown 2.4% since 2020, to 1,075 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 36% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 10% of residents (21% statewide).
| Boulder Junction | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.6 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.9 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Boulder Junction | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.7% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.3% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.9% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Homes in Boulder Junction are worth about $419K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Boulder Junction home is worth about $419,000, up 8.2% in a year, 24% above the Wisconsin typical home. Boulder Junction’s median rent is $932 a month.
| Boulder Junction | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $932 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Low risk in Boulder Junction, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Boulder Junction stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is cooler
The July high in Boulder Junction is 77°F. Boulder Junction has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Boulder Junction’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Boulder Junction for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Boulder Junction fell to 253 in 2023, 31 fewer than in 2013. Half commute less than 20 miles.
| Boulder Junction | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 11% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Boulder Junction ranks healthier than 57% of the country’s towns
Boulder Junction beats the Wisconsin average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 25% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Boulder Junction. No town among the 358 in Wisconsin we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Boulder Junction.
| Boulder Junction | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Boulder Junction | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.6% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.5% | 5.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Boulder Junction has set aside 0.6% of its land for conservation
68 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Boulder Junction | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northern Highland American Legion State Forest | 57 mi | 40,855 |
| 2. Allequash Lake And Pines State Natural Area | 1.1 mi | 396 |
| 3. Trout Lake Station | — | 57 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Boulder Junction
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Boulder Junction; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Boulder Junction residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Boulder Junction
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Boulder Junction is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,057 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 100 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,663 ft
Questions about Boulder Junction
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Boulder Junction, WI expensive?
That is 6.1 years of the area's median household income ($68,431 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.