Apple'licious Pie Depot, 2015
Clayton’s story
Clayton in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
Explore the history →ClaytonWI
A town of 1,024.
Population
1,024
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Median home value
$228K
Census ACS
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
48.7
years
Jobs based here
159
A commuter town
Is Clayton a good place to live?
The best of Clayton’s subject grades is a B+ for civic life; the weakest is a D for schools. On health, just 32 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns do worse. On the outdoors, just 79 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Clayton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,024 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
UticaKickapooGays MillsAkanBell CenterHaneyScottSylvanClayton
How Clayton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Clayton is from typical.
SchoolsDOpen →Jobs & income$71K median household income; 159 jobs based hereC−Open →HealthLess healthy than 81% of U.S. towns; Vernon Memorial Hospital 15.1 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 11.5% of households have no car; 4.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $228K, 3.6 years of the county’s $64K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life3.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
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 Clayton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clayton, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy15.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSoldiers Grove WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers66% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clayton’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 Clayton ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54655, 5463154655 72% · 54631 28%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 Clayton.
SchoolsD
Public schools in Clayton fall behind 91% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the North Crawford School District. Its two schools are below.
9%of WI districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Crawford ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 284 | C+ |
| North Crawford HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 123 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
A larger share of adults have diabetes in Clayton than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
15% of Clayton adults have diabetes, against 11% in Wisconsin’s towns and 12% across U.S. towns. 40% of Clayton adults have high blood pressure. Clayton beats the Wisconsin average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
19%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Clayton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
2 better13 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Clayton | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 79.7% | 77.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 6.5% |
Vernon Memorial Hospital
15.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Clayton’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Clayton for work: only 9% work in town. 15% of Clayton residents live below the poverty line, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 6.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The average trip to work in Clayton is 28 minutes.
9%work in town
| Clayton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Clayton9%
Viroqua9%
Gays Mills8%
Soldiers Grove4%
La Crosse4%
21 mi
median commute distance
159
jobs based in Clayton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Clayton, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Clayton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Clayton’s July high is 81°F.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring35–56°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–58°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Clayton faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 101 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clayton.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
101
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clayton
17pages on Clayton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Clayton; the nearest are
Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore27.1 mi$4,904 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseUniversity or college · Public · La Crosse39.8 mi$10,070 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Clayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Clayton for work
Where Clayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
159jobs based in Clayton
9%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Clayton
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Clayton is a town in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,052 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Montgomeryville, North Clayton, and Yankeetown are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 69 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,115 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Clayton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clayton, 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−.