Beaver Dam Farm, 2011
Calamus’s story
177 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1849Calamus is settled
CalamusWI
Population
1,035
2025 Census estimate · −0.4% since 2020
Median home value
$371K
Census ACS
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
48.5
years
Jobs based here
82
A commuter town
Is Calamus a good place to live?
The best of Calamus’ subject grades is an A− for incomes; the weakest is a D for walkability. No town among the 363 in Wisconsin we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Calamus. 26% of residents are 65 or older in Calamus, against 20% in Wisconsin’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Only 44 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score lower on civic life. Calamus has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Calamus stand out
Where Calamus beats most towns.
Small town
1,035 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Fountain PrairieWestfordLowellElbaBeaver DamCalamus
How Calamus grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Calamus is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 2.8% of households have no carDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →HealthMarshfield Medical Center - Beaver Dam (MMC-BD) 6.4 miles awayBOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $371K, 4.9 years of the Beaver Dam area’s $76K median household incomeB−Open →SchoolsBehind 54% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landDOpen →HistoryB+Open →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 Calamus: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Calamus, and how to reach them.
PowerAdams-Columbia Electric Coop19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMaple Grove MHPNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers88% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Calamus’ trash rules yet
SchoolsBeaver Dam School DistrictColumbus School DistrictFall River School District3 districts serve Calamus; 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 Calamus ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes53916, 53925, 53932, 5395653916 61% · 53925 26% · 53932 8% · 53956 5%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 Calamus.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Calamus’ workers commute out
Most working residents leave Calamus for work: only 0% work in town. Calamus’ median household income is $108,000, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at $87,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Jobs based in Calamus fell to 82 in 2023, 157 fewer than in 2013.
0%work in town
| Calamus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Calamus0%
Madison15%
Beaver Dam13%
Columbus4%
Randolph4%
24 mi
median commute distance
82
jobs based in Calamus
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 14% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Calamus
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (19% statewide). Calamus’ median age is 48.5 years. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
48.5median age · WI 40.2
| Calamus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.5 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 32% | 29% |
CalamusWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school37%
Some college14%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Calamus | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.1% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Calamus, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Calamus has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 10° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring35–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall39–59°
Oct 9
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Calamus ranks healthier than 61% of the country’s towns
Calamus tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures. 19% of adults binge drink in Calamus.
61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Calamus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Marshfield Medical Center - Beaver Dam (MMC-BD)
6.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.7%conserved
2.7%
conserved · 640 of 23,264 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Calamus
18pages on Calamus
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Calamus; the nearest are
Maranatha Baptist UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Watertown18.4 mi$21,550 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison32.9 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionMoraine Park Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fond du Lac36.8 mi$4,819 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Calamus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Calamus for work
Where Calamus’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
82jobs based in Calamus
0%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Calamus
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Calamus is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,043 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of South Beaver Dam is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Lost Lake is also located partially in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 886 ft
Questions about Calamus
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Calamus, 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−.