Downtown, 2019
Elroy’s story
164 years in pictures
Census counts: 663 in 1880, a peak of 1,850 in 1940, 1,356 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1983 on.
- 1862Elroy is settled
ElroyWI
A town of 1,255, settled in 1862. 2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,255
2025 Census estimate · −7.3% since 2020
Typical home
$227K
+10% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
36.4
years
Jobs based here
799
Balanced
Is Elroy a good place to live?
Elroy’s best subject grade is an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for schools. Only 28 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns score lower on health. Elroy’s January low is 8°F, against 11°F in Wisconsin’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 44 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is E.O. Schultz Park, at 22 acres. Elroy has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Elroy stand out
Where Elroy beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Elroy8.5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA+
2.2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Elroy$227K
Wisconsin$337K
Cost of livingB+
3.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 74% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Royall School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Royall Elementary | PK–3 | 155 |
| Royall Intermediate | 4–6 | 99 |
| Royall High | 7–12 | 201 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,255 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
WonewocPlymouthElroy
How Elroy grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Elroy is from typical.
SchoolsDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 82% of U.S. towns; Gundersen St. Josephs Hospital and Clinics 7.4 miles awayC−Open →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.5 of 20; 6.8% of households have no car; 5.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB+Open →History3 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life8.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
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 36.4; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elroy: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elroy, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of ElroyEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterElroy WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elroy’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 hereCity of Elroy ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5392953929 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 Elroy.
SchoolsD
Elroy’s schools rank behind 93% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Royall School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
7%of WI districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royall ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 155 | A− |
| Royall HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 201 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
More of Elroy’s adults report frequent physical distress than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Elroy, above both the Wisconsin town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 23% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Elroy. Elroy beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
18%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Elroy | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Elroy | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 6.5% |
Gundersen St. Josephs Hospital and Clinics
7.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B+
Homes in Elroy are worth about $227K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Elroy home is worth about $227,000, up 10% in a year, 33% below the Wisconsin typical home. The median rent in Elroy is $850 a month.
$227KZillow home value
| Elroy | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $850 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Elroy$227K
Wisconsin$337K
+10%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Elroy has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Elroy has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 8° and about 47 inches of snow falls in a winter.
47″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–29°
Spring33–56°
Summer57–80°
Fall37–58°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
A job hub: Elroy has 1.4 jobs for every working resident and draws in 742 commuters
Most working residents leave Elroy for work: only 10% work in town. Elroy’s median household income is $58,000. Jobs based in Elroy grew to 799 in 2023, 79 more than in 2013.
10%work in town
| Elroy | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Elroy10%
Mauston13%
Reedsburg10%
Hillsboro6%
Tomah5%
20 mi
median commute distance
799
jobs based in Elroy
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 55% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Elroy faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elroy.
57risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesCold waves
24
paid flood claims since 2008
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3.8%conserved
| Elroy | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.8%
conserved · 49 of 1,278 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. E.O. Schultz Park | 0.1 mi | 22 |
| 2. Allen Thompson Memorial Park | 0.2 mi | 10 |
| 3. Elroy Commons | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elroy
19pages on Elroy
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Elroy; the nearest are
University of Wisconsin-La CrosseUniversity or college · Public · La Crosse48.2 mi$10,070 in-state tuitionWestern Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · La Crosse49 mi$4,820 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Elroy residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Famous people from Elroy
3 notable people were born in Elroy.
About Elroy
City in Wisconsin, United States
Elroy is a city in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Baraboo River and at the east end of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail. The population was 1,356 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 978 ft
- ZIP code
- 53929
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Elroy
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elroy, WI a good place to live?
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Elroy, WI expensive?
Not for the 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 Elroy, WI known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Tommy Thompson and Ed Thompson.