Boaz Cell Tower, 2013
Dayton’s story
Dayton in pictures
The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1983 on.
Explore the history →DaytonWI
A town of 672.
Population
672
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Median home value
$242K
Census ACS
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
54.1
years
Jobs based here
50
A commuter town
Is Dayton a good place to live?
9.7% of residents are under 18 in Dayton, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 22%. Only 2 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dayton. Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
672 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RichlandMarshallAkanEagleDayton
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dayton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dayton, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers81% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dayton’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 Dayton ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes53581, 5357353581 86% · 53573 14%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 Dayton.
Work & commute
Most of Dayton’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Dayton for work: only 1% work in town. Dayton’s median household income is $61,000, below both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Dayton.
1%work in town
| Dayton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Dayton1%
Richland Center27%
Spring Green5%
Madison5%
Richland3%
21 mi
median commute distance
50
jobs based in Dayton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Dayton faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Dayton, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Dayton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 9° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
40″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–59°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Dayton is
Dayton beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 14% of Dayton adults have diabetes.
| Dayton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Dayton | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.5% |
Richland Hospital
5.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 12 of 22,323 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dayton
17pages on Dayton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dayton; the nearest are
Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore26 mi$4,904 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-PlattevilleUniversity or college · Public · Platteville41.6 mi$8,644 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Dayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Dayton for work
Where Dayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
50jobs based in Dayton
1%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Dayton
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Dayton is a town in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 763 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Nevels Corners is located in the town. The ghost town of Ashford was also located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,001 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Dayton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dayton, WI a good place to live?
Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.