Great River Road - Kit Home, 1995
Cochrane’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1995.
- 1887Cochrane is settled
CochraneWI
A town of 416, settled in 1887.
Population
416
2025 Census estimate · −2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$232K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
164
A commuter town
Is Cochrane a good place to live?
Only 4 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Cochrane. Cochrane has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
416 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BelvidereCochrane
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cochrane: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cochrane, and how to reach them.
PowerRiverland Energy Cooperative16.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCochrane Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cochrane’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 hereVillage of Cochrane ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5462254622 100%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 Cochrane.
Work & commute
Most of Cochrane’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Cochrane for work: only 5% work in town. 5.1% of residents live below the poverty line in Cochrane, close to Wisconsin’s towns (6.4%) and below U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Winona (23%), Alma (6%) and Whitehall (5%).
5%work in town
| Cochrane | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Cochrane5%
Winona23%
Alma6%
Whitehall5%
Goodview4%
15 mi
median commute distance
164
jobs based in Cochrane
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Homes in Cochrane are worth about $232K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Cochrane home is worth about $232,000, up 5.3% in a year, 31% below the Wisconsin typical home. Cochrane’s median rent is $731 a month, below both the Wisconsin town median ($1,078 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$232KZillow home value
| Cochrane | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $731 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Cochrane$232K
Wisconsin$337K
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Cochrane, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Cochrane has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 4 have a higher July high than Cochrane.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–59°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Low risk in Cochrane, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Cochrane since 1978.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1978
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Cochrane is
Cochrane beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of adults get no exercise outside work in Cochrane.
| Cochrane | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Cochrane | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.6% |
St. Elizabeth Medical Center
15 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.4%conserved
| Cochrane | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.4%
conserved · 17 of 497 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goose Lake Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Minnesota Marine Art Museum and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cochrane. Close and well known come first.
15 mi MuseumMinnesota Marine Art Museum
16 mi MuseumWinona County History Center
34 mi MuseumRochester Art Center
18 mi AttractionReads Landing Overlook
40 mi AttractionPreston OverlookSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Minnesota Marine Art Museum: EverettMath, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Winona County History Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rochester Art Center: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Reads Landing Overlook: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Preston Overlook: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cochrane
17pages on Cochrane
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cochrane
About 5 of every 100 Cochrane residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Cochrane for work
Where Cochrane’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
164jobs based in Cochrane
5%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cochrane
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Cochrane is a village in Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 423 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 673 ft
- ZIP code
- 54622
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Cochrane
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cochrane, WI a good place to live?
Cochrane has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.