DaleWisconsinDowntownWIS96, 2010
Dale’s story
150 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 3 maps from 1969 on.
- 1876Dale is settled
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,902
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$425K
+5.4% in a year
Household income
$126K
median
Median age
47.1
years
Jobs based here
360
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#169 of 357 in WI
Is Dale a good place to live?
Dale grades B+ overall, ranked 169th of 357 in Wisconsin, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $126K. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 74% of Wisconsin towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $425K, 5 years of the Appleton metro’s $86K median household income. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Dale’s median household income is $126,000, above both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The biggest park or preserve is Shaky Lake State Natural Area, at 221 acres.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Dale for work
Where Dale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
360jobs based in Dale
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Dale is from typical.
Jobs & incomeAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.2 of 20; 2.1% of households have no carDOpen →SchoolsB+Open →HealthThedacare Medical Center - New London 7.6 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life5 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 Dale: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dale, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHortonville Water Utility1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery other weekCurbside recyclingTown site
SchoolsNew London School DistrictHortonville School District2 districts serve Dale; 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 Dale ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54944, 54940, 5493154944 77% · 54940 16% · 54931 7%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 Dale.
Dale sends most of its workers to Appleton and beyond, owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has household incomes well above the Wisconsin norm.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most working residents commute out of Dale
Dale has 360 jobs for its 1,471 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Dale for work: only 1% work in town. 3% of residents live below the poverty line in Dale. Since 2013, Dale has added 35 jobs, to 360 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Dale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Dale1%
Appleton14%
Grand Chute11%
Greenville10%
Fox Crossing7%
13 mi
median commute distance
360
jobs based in Dale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
#183for trails in WI
| Dale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
1.3%
conserved · 243 of 19,357 acres
9.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shaky Lake State Natural Area | — | 221 |
| 2. Rat River Wildlife Area | — | 23 |
| 3. Daufen Memorial Park | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Wisconsin overall
The median household earns $126,250, against $77,485 across Wisconsin, one input to its A for jobs and income.
Adults 35 to 64 are 50% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). Dale’s median age is 47.1 years. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
47.1median age · WI 40.2
| Dale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.1 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 21% | 22% |
DaleWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school30%
Some college21%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Dale | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.9% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.1% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.5% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.5% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade C+
Dale’s grade for cost of living is a C+
96% of Dale households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.4% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Dale is $1,524 a month.
$425KZillow home value
| Dale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 96% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,524 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dale$425K
Wisconsin$337K
+5.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Dale ranks healthier than 67% of the country’s towns
Against the 4,921 U.S. towns with household incomes like Dale’s, it is less healthy than 75%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Dale beats the Wisconsin average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Dale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 10% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dale | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 12.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 8% |
Thedacare Medical Center - New London
7.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
54th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Dale, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Dale has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 9° and about 46 inches of snow falls in a winter.
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–28°
Spring34–55°
Summer57–79°
Fall38–58°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Dale, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Lambeau Field and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaLambeau Field
23 mi LakeLake Winnebago
35 mi Stadium & arenaResch Center
34 mi MuseumNational Railroad Museum
21 mi MuseumEAA Aviation Museum
39 mi Theme parkBay Beach Amusement ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lambeau Field: JL1Row, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Winnebago: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Resch Center: User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · National Railroad Museum: Dual Freq, CC BY 3.0 · EAA Aviation Museum: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Bay Beach Amusement Park: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dale
18pages on Dale
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Dale
Fox Valley Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Appleton11.1 mi$5,040 in-state tuitionLawrence UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Appleton14.2 mi$56,982 tuition
About 5 of every 100 Dale residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
About Dale
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Dale is a town in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States, established on November 17, 1853. The population was 2,869 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Dale and the unincorporated community of Medina are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 31 sq mi
- Elevation
- 856 ft
- ZIP code
- 54931
- Area code
- 920
Dale’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Dale.
GreenvilleCaledoniaHortoniaClaytonWinchesterDale
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale | #169 | B+ | C+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Greenville | — | — | A− | — | A− | — |
| Caledonia | — | — | C+ | — | B | B− |
| Hortonia | — | — | B− | — | B+ | B |
| Clayton | #140 | A− | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Winchester | — | — | B− | — | A− | B+ |
Caledonia, Hortonia and Winchester have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Dale, Greenville, Caledonia, Hortonia, Clayton and Winchester report no FBI crime data of their own. Greenville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Dale with a neighbor →
Questions about Dale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dale, WI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Dale grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #169 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Dale, 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 C+.