Lost Creek, 1910
Ellsworth’s story
164 years in pictures
Census counts: 432 in 1880, 3,348 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
- 1862Ellsworth is platted
EllsworthWI
A town of 1,136, platted in 1862.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Iulus Ascanius at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
1,136
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Median home value
$387K
Census ACS
Household income
$121K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
164
A commuter town
Is Ellsworth a good place to live?
Ellsworth’s best subject grade is an A− for incomes; its weakest is a C for walkability. Only 8 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Ellsworth. Ellsworth's schools outperform 73% of the state's. Only 10 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on the outdoors. Ellsworth has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ellsworth stand out
Where Ellsworth beats most towns.
Small town
1,136 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
EllsworthHartlandMartellEl PasoTrimbelleEllsworth
How Ellsworth grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Ellsworth is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 29% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthRiver Falls Area Hospital 12.9 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $387K, 3.9 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryPlatted 1862; 2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life4.9 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 Ellsworth: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ellsworth, and how to reach them.
PowerPierce-Pepin Coop ServicesEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterEllsworth Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offPierce County recycling center, 3 miOpenStreetMap
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 Ellsworth ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes54011, 5400354011 88% · 54003 12%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 Ellsworth.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Ellsworth has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ellsworth for work: only 3% work in town. At $121,000, Ellsworth’s median household income is above both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Since 2013, Ellsworth has added 68 jobs, to 164 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Ellsworth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $121,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ellsworth3%
Ellsworth19%
Red Wing11%
River Falls8%
Hudson5%
18 mi
median commute distance
164
jobs based in Ellsworth
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 26% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Residents of Ellsworth are healthier than 69% of U.S. towns
Ellsworth beats the Wisconsin average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of adults binge drink in Ellsworth, near the Wisconsin town median (20%) and above the median of U.S. towns (16%). 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Ellsworth.
69%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Ellsworth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Ellsworth | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.8% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.7% | 6.7% |
River Falls Area Hospital
12.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Ellsworth faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities.
29risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 27% of residents (21% statewide). 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin. Ellsworth’s median age is 38.7 years.
38.7median age · WI 40.2
| Ellsworth | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.7 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 32% | 29% |
EllsworthWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school32%
Some college21%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 32% and 63% women
The Census survey reached too few of Ellsworth’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±15.5 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Ellsworth | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.1% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.5% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.3% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.8% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.6% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Ellsworth has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Ellsworth has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Ellsworth is 81°F.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring34–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall37–56°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ellsworth
18pages on Ellsworth
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ellsworth
About 4 of every 100 Ellsworth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Ellsworth for work
Where Ellsworth’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
164jobs based in Ellsworth
3%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ellsworth
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Ellsworth is a village in and the county seat of Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,348 at the 2020 census. The village is adjacent to the Town of Ellsworth and incorporates the former community of East Ellsworth. Ellsworth is home to the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, a farmer-owned dairy cooperative established in 1910, and hosts the annual Cheese Curd Festival, celebrating the community's dairy heritage.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1887
- Area
- 3.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,033 ft
- ZIP code
- 54011
Questions about Ellsworth
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ellsworth, WI expensive?
Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
What is Ellsworth, WI known for?
Ellsworth was platted in 1862. 2 notable people were born here, including George Thompson and Norman Clapp.