Brockway Wisconsin Downtown Looking NW US12, 2012
Brockway’s story
Brockway in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1924 on.
Explore the history →BrockwayWI
A town of 2,991. 68% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
2,991
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Median home value
$159K
Census ACS
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
41.3
years
Jobs based here
2,097
A job hub
TownGrade
D
#353 of 357 in WI
Is Brockway a good place to live?
Brockway grades D overall, 353rd of 357 graded towns in Wisconsin, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $50K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 80% of the country. What it does well: it has 24 miles of trail and 66% conserved land. 66% of the land in Brockway is conserved, against 3.8% in Wisconsin’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Jackson County Forest, at 11,832 acres. Brockway's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 98% of U.S. towns.
What makes Brockway stand out
Where Brockway beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Brockway6.5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA+
68% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
OutdoorsA+
65.5% conserved land
Biggest place to walk: Wazee Lake Recreation Area, 8.2 mi of trail.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,097
Residents who work1,066
Work
2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Get outside
24 miles of trails in Brockway
65.5% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
3
Bauer-Brockway Barrens State Natural Area318 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Brockway grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Brockway is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthBlack River Memorial Hospital 4.2 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 8.8% of households have no car; 2.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $159K, 2.3 years of the county’s $68K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brockway: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brockway, and how to reach them.
PowerJackson Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterBrockway Sanitary Dist 1 water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers72% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Brockway’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 Brockway ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5461554615 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 Brockway.
Brockway draws workers from Black River Falls and beyond, keeps more of its land conserved than most of Wisconsin and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
OutdoorsA+
Nearly a third of Brockway is conserved land
Its 19,872 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in any other Wisconsin town.
24 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
#133for trails in WI
65.5%
conserved · 19,872 of 30,317 acres
24 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wazee Lake Recreation Area | 8.2 mi | 4,020 |
| 2. Jackson County Forest | 0.6 mi | 11,832 |
| 3. Bauer-Brockway Barrens State Natural Area | — | 318 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
21%of WI districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOC: Jackson Correctional InstitutionLargest public high schoolGrades 12 | Grades 12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Brockway stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with the median household income lower than most
2,097 jobs are based in Brockway, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 2,660 in 2013 to 2,097.
At $50,000, Brockway’s median household income is where Wisconsin’s towns sit at $88,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Since 2013, Brockway has lost 563 jobs, to 2,097 in 2023. 15% of working residents work locally in Brockway.
15%work in town
| Brockway | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Brockway15%
Black River Falls20%
Tomah5%
La Crosse4%
Sparta3%
28 mi
median commute distance
2,097
jobs based in Brockway
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 37% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC−
Brockway earns a C− for health
Against the 5,758 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brockway’s, it is less healthy than 51%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
32% of Brockway adults get no exercise outside work. Brockway beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 16% of Brockway adults report frequent physical distress.
20%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Brockway | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Brockway | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.9% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 19.1% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.6% | 5.5% |
Black River Memorial Hospital
4.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
3rd
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Brockway
Brockway has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 6° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–28°
Spring33–56°
Summer57–80°
Fall37–58°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Brockway
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brockway
17pages on Brockway
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Brockway; the nearest are
University of Wisconsin-La CrosseUniversity or college · Public · La Crosse39.8 mi$10,070 in-state tuitionWestern Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · La Crosse40.2 mi$4,820 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Brockway residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,941 people come to Brockway for work
Where Brockway’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,097jobs based in Brockway
15%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Brockway
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Brockway is a town in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Brockway, Sand Pillow, Sheppard, and Vaudreuil are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 49 sq mi
- Elevation
- 919 ft
Brockway’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Brockway.
AlbionBlack River FallsAdamsMillstonManchesterKomenskyBrockway
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brockway | #353 | D | B | — | C− | C− |
| Albion | — | — | B− | — | C− | C− |
| Black River Falls | #310 | C+ | B+ | — | C− | C |
| Adams | — | — | C | — | C− | C− |
| Millston | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Manchester | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Komensky | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Albion and Adams have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Brockway, Albion, Black River Falls and Adams report no FBI crime data of their own. Millston, Manchester and Komensky aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Brockway with a neighbor →
Questions about Brockway
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brockway, WI a good place to live?
Brockway grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #353 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades C− for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Brockway, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.