WIMap-doton-Dunbar, 2004
Dunbar’s story
138 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
- 1888Dunbar is founded
Population
611
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$191K
+6.9% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
42.7
years
Jobs based here
38
A commuter town
Is Dunbar a good place to live?
Dunbar’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among 264 Wisconsin towns, just 3 have a lower value of a typical home than Dunbar. 65% of the land in Dunbar is conserved, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 3.8% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Marinette County Forest, 42,784 acres with 112.4 miles of trail. Dunbar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Dunbar has shrunk 44% since 2010
1,094 counted in 2010 and 605 in 2020; an estimated 611 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dunbar: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dunbar, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Public Service17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorthland Mission water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpDunbar Recycle CenterDrop-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 Dunbar ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP code5411954119 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 Dunbar.
Outdoors
nearly a third of the land in Dunbar is protected from building
The density of trails in Dunbar is 1.5 miles per square mile. There are 152 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves.
65.4%conserved
65.4%
conserved · 43,731 of 66,882 acres
152 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marinette County Forest | 112.4 mi | 42,784 |
| 2. Florence County Forest | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northland Scholars Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 45 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
The typical home in Dunbar: about $191K
For households in Dunbar, the share who live in a home they own is 83%. Home values are up 6.9% over the year to September 2026. In Dunbar, the rent at the middle of the market is $867 a month.
$191KZillow home value
| Dunbar | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $867 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dunbar$191K
Wisconsin$337K
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Dunbar has 0.2 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
Employers in Dunbar shed 374 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 38. In Dunbar, the median household income is $55,000. Half commute less than 28 miles. 2% of working residents work locally locally.
2%work in town
| Dunbar | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Dunbar2%
Iron Mountain10%
Pembine8%
Marinette5%
Beecher4%
28 mi
median commute distance
38
jobs based in Dunbar
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Dunbar has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves
Since 2020, Dunbar has seen 4 flood insurance claims paid out. On expected storm and flood damage, Dunbar sits below just over two thirds of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Dunbar break down as 54% from cold waves and 39% from inland flooding.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
4
paid flood claims since 2020
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Dunbar
Summer afternoons peak near 80° in July, and January nights bottom out around 5°; snowfall runs to about 61 inches a winter.
61″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–27°
Spring28–53°
Summer52–77°
Fall34–55°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 17
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, more of Dunbar’s adults have diabetes
Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just one has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Dunbar. The share of adults in Dunbar who have obesity: 39%. This Wisconsin town does better than the Wisconsin average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 13.
| Dunbar | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
2 better17 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Dunbar | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88.4% | 85.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.9% | 6.6% |
Dickinson County Memorial Hospital
13.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dunbar
18pages on Dunbar
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dunbar; the nearest are
Bay de Noc Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Escanaba, MI51.6 mi$5,712 in-state tuitionNorthern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marquette, MI73.2 mi$14,277 in-state tuition
College town 26 of every 100 Dunbar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Small town
611 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
GoodmanPembineAthelstaneAuroraBeecherHomesteadNiagaraDunbar
About Dunbar
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Dunbar is a town in Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 605 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Dunbar is located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 105 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,211 ft
Questions about Dunbar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dunbar, WI a good place to live?
Dunbar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.