Dairy Farm with Two Silos - panoramio (1), 2013
Buena Vista’s story
176 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
- 1850Buena Vista is settled
Buena VistaWI
Population
1,145
2025 Census estimate · +0.4% since 2020
Median home value
$291K
Census ACS
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
51.5
years
Jobs based here
151
A commuter town
Is Buena Vista a good place to live?
Buena Vista’s best subject grade is a B for health. Buena Vista’s median age is 51.5 years, against 42.1 years in Wisconsin’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Buena Vista Wildlife Area, at 2,525 acres. Buena Vista has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Hazard risk
What makes Buena Vista stand out
Where Buena Vista beats most towns.
Small town
1,145 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PloverAlmondLanarkStocktonPine GroveBuena Vista
How Buena Vista grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Buena Vista is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 20% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →HealthAspirus Stevens Point Hospital & Clinics 12 miles awayBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 6.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBehind 55% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationB−Open →Jobs & income$68K median household incomeB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $291K, 3.8 years of the Stevens Point area’s $76K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 8% conserved landB−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life3.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
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 Buena Vista: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buena Vista, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Public Service17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Buena Vista’s trash rules yet
SchoolsAlmond-Bancroft School DistrictStevens Point Area School District2 districts serve Buena Vista; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 Buena Vista ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54467, 54406, 54921, 5490954467 31% · 54406 28% · 54921 23% · 54909 17%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 Buena Vista.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Buena Vista faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
20risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Buena Vista has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Buena Vista for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Buena Vista grew to 151 in 2023, 102 more than in 2013. At 21 minutes, Buena Vista’s average trip to work is near the Wisconsin town median (22 minutes) and below the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes).
1%work in town
| Buena Vista | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Buena Vista1%
Stevens Point16%
Plover7%
Waupaca6%
Wisconsin Rapids4%
18 mi
median commute distance
151
jobs based in Buena Vista
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 58% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than Wisconsin overall
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide). 24% of Buena Vista adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
51.5median age · WI 40.2
| Buena Vista | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 32% | 29% |
Buena VistaWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school40%
Some college21%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.3 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 62% are men (WI 49%).
| Buena Vista | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.3% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.2% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.2% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Buena Vista has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Buena Vista has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Buena Vista’s July high is 81°F.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–28°
Spring32–55°
Summer56–79°
Fall37–57°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Buena Vista is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns
Buena Vista tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures. 29% of adults feel lonely in Buena Vista.
61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Buena Vista | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital & Clinics
12 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
7.5%conserved
7.5%
conserved · 2,922 of 39,053 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buena Vista Wildlife Area | — | 2,525 |
| 2. Standing Rocks Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buena Vista
18pages on Buena Vista
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Buena Vista
About 3 of every 100 Buena Vista residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Buena Vista for work
Where Buena Vista’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
151jobs based in Buena Vista
1%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Buena Vista
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Buena Vista is a town in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,145 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Coddington and Keene are located within the town. The town's name commemorates the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican–American War.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 61 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,122 ft
Questions about Buena Vista
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buena Vista, 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−.