Wisconsin Highway 173 Southern Terminus Looking North, 2012
Byron’s story
Byron in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
Explore the history →ByronWI
A town of 1,245.
Population
1,245
2025 Census estimate · −0.8% since 2020
Median home value
$197K
Census ACS
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
384
Balanced
Is Byron a good place to live?
Byron’s weakest subject grade is a C− for walkability. Only 76 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns score lower on health. Byron's schools rank behind 75% of the state's. Only 80 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on incomes. Byron has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,245 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CutlerLa GrangeScottOakdaleByron
How Byron grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Byron is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$77K median household income; 384 jobs based hereC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →HealthTomah Memorial Hospital 6.7 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 44% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $197K, 2.8 years of the Sparta area’s $69K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life1.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
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 Byron: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Byron, and how to reach them.
PowerOakdale Electric Coop15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers62% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Byron’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 Byron ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP codes54660, 54666, 5461854660 65% · 54666 18% · 54618 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 Byron.
HealthC
Health in Byron trails 75% of U.S. towns
Byron beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 44% of Byron adults have obesity, above both the Wisconsin town median (38%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Byron.
25%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Byron | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Byron | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 17.5% | 13.6% |
Tomah Memorial Hospital
6.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Byron
Byron has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 7° and about 48 inches of snow falls in a winter.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–29°
Spring33–56°
Summer57–80°
Fall37–58°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Byron’s workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Byron for work: only 4% work in town. 17% of Byron residents live below the poverty line, above both Wisconsin’s towns (6.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Byron’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
4%work in town
| Byron | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Byron4%
Tomah26%
Sparta3%
Mauston2%
La Crosse2%
20 mi
median commute distance
384
jobs based in Byron
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Byron faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 4.3% of Byron
3.2 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Byron is 0.1 miles per square mile.
4.3%conserved
| Byron | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
4.3%
conserved · 992 of 22,895 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Byron
18pages on Byron
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Byron; the nearest are
Mid-State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wisconsin Rapids38.5 mi$5,002 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseUniversity or college · Public · La Crosse45.1 mi$10,070 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Byron residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Byron
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Byron is a town in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,234 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Shennington and Valley Junction are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 906 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Byron
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Byron, 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−.