Elcho High School, 1922
Elcho’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1922 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
- 1887Elcho is settled
ElchoWI
A town of 1,193, settled in 1887. 2.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,193
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$319K
+11.1% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
59.0
years
Jobs based here
193
A commuter town
Is Elcho a good place to live?
The best of Elcho’s subject grades are an A+ for civic life and an A for the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 38% of residents are 65 or older in Elcho, above both Wisconsin’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%). On incomes, just 2 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 94% of U.S. towns. 35% of the land in Elcho is conserved, above both the Wisconsin town median (3.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Langlade County Forest, at 16,301 acres with 35.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 8 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score higher on civic life. Elcho has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Elcho stand out
Where Elcho beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Elcho10.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA+
2.6 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
OutdoorsA
34.7% conserved land
Elcho School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Elcho Elementary | PK–5 | 127 |
| Elcho Middle | 6–8 | 48 |
| Elcho High | 9–12 | 68 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,193 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
UphamAinsworthParrishEnterpriseSchoepkeElcho
How Elcho grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Elcho is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 8.5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SchoolsDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 13% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 67% of U.S. towns; Langlade Hospital 18.9 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 59.0; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elcho: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elcho, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Public Service17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterElcho Sanitary District 11 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers77% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elcho’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 Elcho ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54428, 54485, 5446254428 84% · 54485 15% · 54462 1%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 Elcho.
SchoolsD
Elcho’s schools rank behind 91% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Elcho School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
9%of WI districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elcho ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 127 | C |
| Elcho HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 68 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA
Elcho has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
77 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Elcho’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
34.7%conserved
34.7%
conserved · 16,580 of 47,815 acres
77 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Langlade County Forest | 35.7 mi | 16,301 |
| 2. Elcho School Forest | 0.1 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Cold waves leads a very low hazard risk in Elcho
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities.
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
The median household income in Elcho is lower than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
The median household income in Elcho is $50,000. Jobs based in Elcho grew to 193 in 2023, 68 more than in 2013. 19% of Elcho residents live below the poverty line.
9%work in town
| Elcho | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Elcho9%
Antigo13%
Rhinelander6%
Wausau3%
Green Bay3%
36 mi
median commute distance
193
jobs based in Elcho
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 6% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Elcho stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
43% of adults have high blood pressure in Elcho. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Elcho. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Elcho.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Elcho | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
5 better15 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Elcho | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.7% | 9.7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.4% | 19% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.4% | 6.6% |
Langlade Hospital
18.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Elcho has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Elcho has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 4° and about 65 inches of snow falls in a winter.
65″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–25°
Spring28–51°
Summer52–76°
Fall34–53°
Sep 18
typical first frost
Jun 3
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
The typical home in Elcho is valued at about $319K
The typical Elcho home is worth about $319,000, up 11.1% in a year, 6% below the Wisconsin typical home.
$319KZillow home value
Typical home value
Elcho$319K
Wisconsin$337K
+11.1%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elcho
18pages on Elcho
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Elcho; the nearest are
Nicolet Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rhinelander18.8 mi$4,793 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens PointUniversity or college · Public · Stevens Point64.4 mi$9,488 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Elcho residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Elcho for work
Where Elcho’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
193jobs based in Elcho
9%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Elcho
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Elcho is a town in Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,168 at the 2020 census. The census-designated places of Elcho, Post Lake, and part of Summit Lake are located in the town. The area is served by the Elcho Fire and Rescue Department.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 75 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,608 ft
- ZIP code
- 54428
Questions about Elcho
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elcho, WI a good place to live?
2.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Elcho, WI expensive?
That is 5.7 years of the area's median household income ($55,878 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.