Bowler Wisconsin Downtown, 2015
Bowler’s story
120 years in pictures
Census counts: 318 in 1930, 320 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1906Bowler is settled
BowlerWI
A town of 308, settled in 1906.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
308
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$269K
+18.4% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
32.8
years
Jobs based here
88
A commuter town
Is Bowler a good place to live?
21% of residents live below the poverty line in Bowler, above both the Wisconsin town median (6.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just one has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Bowler. Bowler’s density of trails is 1.0 miles per square mile, above both Wisconsin’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). Bowler has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
308 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
AlmonSenecaMorrisBartelmeBowler
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bowler: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bowler, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBowler WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bowler’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 Bowler ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5441654416 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 Bowler.
Work & commute
Most of Bowler’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.7 jobs for each of them
The median commute is under 19 miles. Since 2013, Bowler has lost 24 jobs, to 88 in 2023. The top destinations are Shawano (18%), Bartelme (14%) and Menominee (6%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Bowler0%
Shawano18%
Bartelme14%
Menominee6%
Green Bay5%
19 mi
median commute distance
88
jobs based in Bowler
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Bowler’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. The public schools here belong to the Bowler School District. The 2 public schools in Bowler teach 294 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 156 | D |
| Bowler HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 138 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Bowler has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves
45% of Bowler’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 34%. On expected storm and flood damage, Bowler sits below 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–27°
Spring31–54°
Summer55–78°
Fall36–56°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Homes in Bowler are worth about $269K, by Zillow’s estimate
Bowler’s midpoint rent is $814 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 18% in value. The share of households in Bowler who own their home: 80%.
$269KZillow home value
| Bowler | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $814 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bowler$269K
Wisconsin$337K
+18.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Bowler is
Among adults in Bowler, 13% have diabetes. 41% of adults locally have obesity; 30% get no exercise outside work.
| Bowler | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Bowler | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults without reliable transportation | 9.2% | 6.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.5% | 9.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.4% | 5.5% |
Thedacare Medical Center - Shawano
19.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2%conserved
2%
conserved · 13 of 662 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bowler
18pages on Bowler
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bowler; the nearest are
College of Menominee NationUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Keshena17.4 mi$6,200 tuitionNorthcentral Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wausau33.6 mi$4,889 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens PointUniversity or college · Public · Stevens Point37 mi$9,488 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Bowler residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Bowler for work
Where Bowler’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
88jobs based in Bowler
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bowler
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Bowler is a village in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 320 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,073 ft
- ZIP code
- 54416
Questions about Bowler
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bowler, WI a good place to live?
Bowler has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.