Cell Tower near Portage, 2014
Dekorra’s story
190 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
- 1836Dekorra is laid out
Population
2,485
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Median home value
$371K
Census ACS
Household income
$122K
median
Median age
47.4
years
Jobs based here
273
A commuter town
Is Dekorra a good place to live?
Dekorra’s best subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 1 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Dekorra Public Hunting Grounds, at 199 acres. Dekorra has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dekorra stand out
Where Dekorra beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Dekorra for work
Where Dekorra’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
273jobs based in Dekorra
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dekorra grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Dekorra is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income273 jobs based hereAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.3 of 20; 3.1% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SchoolsBeat 83% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationA−Open →HealthAspirus Divine Savior Hospital 10.2 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $371K, 4.2 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 8% conserved landBOpen →HistoryLaid out 1836B−Open →Civic life6.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
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 Dekorra: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dekorra, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterInch Heights LLC water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers70% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown of Dekorra Recycling SiteDrop-offTown site
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 Dekorra ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes53955, 5395453955 97% · 53954 3%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 Dekorra.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Dekorra is higher
Dekorra’s FEMA risk score is 90 of 100, against 23 of 100 in Wisconsin’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Since 1993, 25 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dekorra.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailCold waves
25
paid flood claims since 1993
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Dekorra’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Dekorra for work: only 2% work in town. Dekorra’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Dekorra’s median household income is $122,000.
2%work in town
| Dekorra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $122,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dekorra2%
Madison28%
Poynette7%
Portage5%
DeForest5%
22 mi
median commute distance
273
jobs based in Dekorra
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Dekorra is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
Dekorra beats the Wisconsin average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 19% of adults binge drink in Dekorra.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Dekorra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
3 better29 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dekorra | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.8% | 12.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.5% | 8% |
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital
10.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Dekorra has four seasons and pleasant summers
Dekorra has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–31°
Spring35–57°
Summer58–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
8.5%conserved
8.5%
conserved · 2,413 of 28,501 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. MacKenzie Center | 0.3 mi | 102 |
| 2. Dekorra Public Hunting Grounds | — | 199 |
| 3. Lib Cross Island | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
An age mix much like Wisconsin’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Wisconsin average. The median age in Dekorra is 47.4 years. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
47.4median age · WI 40.2
| Dekorra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.4 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 21% | 22% |
DekorraWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school25%
Some college26%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
About 118 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.8 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Dekorra | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.2% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.8% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,500, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Dekorra sells for about $605K at the median
93% of Dekorra households own their home.
$605Kmedian sale price
| Dekorra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,409 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 23 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dekorra. Close and well known come first.
24 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
14 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
23 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
13 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
24 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center21 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Camp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dekorra
18pages on Dekorra
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dekorra; the nearest are
Herzing University-MadisonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison20.6 mi$13,450 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison23.9 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionMoraine Park Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fond du Lac57.4 mi$4,819 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Dekorra residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Dekorra
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Dekorra is a town in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,500 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 45 sq mi
- Elevation
- 942 ft
Dekorra’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Dekorra.
PoynetteCaledoniaLowvilleLodiArlingtonPacificWest PointDekorra
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dekorra | — | — | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Poynette | #58 | A | B | — | A− | B+ |
| Caledonia | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B− |
| Lowville | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | B |
| Lodi | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arlington | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pacific | #225 | B | A | — | C+ | B− |
| West Point | — | — | C | — | B− | A− |
Dekorra, Caledonia, Lowville and West Point have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Dekorra, Poynette, Caledonia, Lowville, Pacific and West Point report no FBI crime data of their own. Lodi and Arlington aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Dekorra with a neighbor →
Questions about Dekorra
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dekorra, WI expensive?
The typical home is worth about $371,000, 10% above the Wisconsin typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.