Looking south at Downsville on WIS 25, 2011
Downsville’s story
171 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1940 on.
- 1855Downsville is founded
DownsvilleWI
Population
305
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$200K
Census ACS
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
36.5
years
Jobs based here
5
A commuter town
Is Downsville a good place to live?
49% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Downsville, above both Wisconsin’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (29%). Downsville’s concentration of trails is 1.3 miles per square mile, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Downsville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Downsville stand out
Where Downsville beats most towns.
Small town
305 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Downsville: who provides what
Downsville is unincorporated, so Dunn County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDunn County Electric Coop16.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDownsville Sanitary DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDunn CountyDunn County provides services here
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 Dunn ClerkTown of Dunn (Dunn County); contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5475154751 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 Downsville.
Work & commute
Downsville has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Half the trips to work are shorter than 21 miles. In Downsville, the mean commuting time is 30 minutes. The top destinations are Menomonie (31%), Eau Claire (8%) and Woodville (6%).
0%work in town
| Downsville | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Downsville0%
Menomonie31%
Eau Claire8%
Woodville6%
Durand4%
21 mi
median commute distance
5
jobs based in Downsville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Downsville brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
The range runs from 6° on a January night to 82° on a July afternoon, with about 41 inches of snow a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–27°
Spring33–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall37–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Downsville is
Among adults locally, 42% have obesity and 15% report frequent mental distress. 76% of adults had a checkup this year in Downsville.
| Downsville | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Downsville | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 59.9% | 67.1% |
Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Cedar
7.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Downsville is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Compared with 60% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Downsville is lower. Expected losses in Downsville break down as 41% from inland flooding and 22% from cold waves.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
0% of Downsville is conserved land
There are 1.0 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. Downsville has one park or preserve, 14 acres in all.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 503 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Cedar State Trail Corridor | 0.2 mi | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downsville
16pages on Downsville
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Downsville
About 13 of every 100 Downsville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Downsville for work
Where Downsville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5jobs based in Downsville
0%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Downsville
Census-designated place in Wisconsin, United States
Downsville is an unincorporated census-designated place in the town of Dunn, located within Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States, where Highway 25 crosses the Red Cedar River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 188, up from 146 at the 2010 census. The community was founded in 1855. Around that time, Ebenezer Thompson tried to dam the Red Cedar, but his half-built dam was destroyed by a flood. In 1857 Captain Downs tried again and succeeded in building a dam which powered a sawmill. The village was platted in 1859, and named for Downs. He sold the mill to Knapp, Stout & Co., who expanded it and added planing and shingle mills which employed about 100 men by 1891. By that year the tow…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 784 ft
- ZIP code
- 54735
Questions about Downsville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Downsville, WI a good place to live?
Downsville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.