Maxon's Bay, 1911
Cedar Lake’s story
Cedar Lake in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1911 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Cedar LakeWI
A town of 1,106. 71% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,106
2025 Census estimate · +2.8% since 2020
Median home value
$267K
Census ACS
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
62.2
years
Jobs based here
61
A commuter town
Is Cedar Lake a good place to live?
The best of Cedar Lake’s subject grades are an A for civic life and the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for walkability. 38% of residents are 65 or older in Cedar Lake, above both the Wisconsin town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 1 have a higher median age than Cedar Lake. 23% of the land in Cedar Lake is conserved, above both the Wisconsin town median (3.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Barron County Forest, at 4,911 acres with 4.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 79 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score higher on civic life. Cedar Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Cedar Lake stand out
Where Cedar Lake beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Cedar Lake6.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA
71% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,106 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BirchwoodWilsonOak GroveDoyleCedar Lake
How Cedar Lake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Cedar Lake is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 15% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 1.1% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsBeat 63% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationBOpen →HealthLess healthy than 59% of U.S. towns; Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake 9.9 miles awayC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $267K, 4.1 years of the Rice Lake area’s $66K median household incomeBOpen →Jobs & income$85K median household income; 61 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10 miles of trails; 22% conserved landAOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterB+Open →Civic life6.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 Cedar Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cedar Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerBarron Electric Coop16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cedar Lake’s trash rules yet
SchoolsRice Lake Area School DistrictBirchwood School District2 districts serve Cedar Lake; 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 Cedar Lake ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP codes54817, 54868, 5485754817 71% · 54868 27% · 54857 2%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 Cedar Lake.
Who lives here
Cedar Lake stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a smaller share of its residents are under 18
11% of Cedar Lake residents are under 18. Cedar Lake has grown 2.8% since 2020, to 1,106 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 38% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 11% of residents (21% statewide).
62.2median age · WI 40.2
| Cedar Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 11% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 32% | 29% |
Cedar LakeWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
29%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school30%
Some college25%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Cedar Lake | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.2% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26.4% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 29.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.5% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.8% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.8% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.7% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Cold waves leads a very low hazard risk in Cedar Lake
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Cedar Lake has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Cedar Lake for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Rice Lake (28%), Cumberland (6%) and Barron (5%). Half commute less than 20 miles.
2%work in town
| Cedar Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cedar Lake2%
Rice Lake28%
Cumberland6%
Barron5%
Eau Claire4%
20 mi
median commute distance
61
jobs based in Cedar Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 17% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
22.5%conserved
22.5%
conserved · 5,073 of 22,502 acres
9.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Barron County Forest | 4.1 mi | 4,911 |
| 2. Waldo Carlson County Park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Cedar Lake has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Cedar Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Cedar Lake’s July high is 80°F.
67″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–25°
Spring30–53°
Summer55–78°
Fall34–55°
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, more of Cedar Lake’s adults have high blood pressure
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Cedar Lake. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Cedar Lake. 22% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Cedar Lake.
41%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Cedar Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
5 better17 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Cedar Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 9.7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 16.5% | 19% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.5% | 6.6% |
Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake
9.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cedar Lake
18pages on Cedar Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Lake
About 1 of every 100 Cedar Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Cedar Lake for work
Where Cedar Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
61jobs based in Cedar Lake
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Cedar Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cedar Lake, WI a good place to live?
71% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Cedar Lake, 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.