Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Fitchburg grades B+ overall, 154th of 357 graded towns in Wisconsin. Natural-hazard risk is low. Residents are healthier than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $87K. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $504K for a typical one and 5.7 times the Madison metro’s $89K median household income. 58% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Fitchburg, above both Wisconsin’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (29%). On walkability, just 17 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Fitchburg has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them McCoy Farmhouse and Wisconsin Industrial School for Girls.
Where Fitchburg beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Fitchburg | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.8% | 6.5% |
Census counts: 15,648 in 1990, 29,609 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1852 and 5 maps from 1889 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Fitchburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fitchburg. Close and well known come first.
6 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
6 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
34 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
5 mi Zoo & aquariumHenry Vilas Zoo
29 mi State parkAztalan State Park
6 mi MuseumOverture Center for the ArtsCamp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Henry Vilas Zoo: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 · Aztalan State Park: Joshua Mayer - Flickr user wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Overture Center for the Arts: Chief-O of English Wikipedia, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fitchburg, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Fitchburg.
Fitchburg trades workers with Madison and other neighbors, is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s and has a shorter frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
Its widest gap with Wisconsin is COPD: 3.8% of its 23,400 adults have COPD, against 6.5% statewide.
25% of adults have high blood pressure in Fitchburg. Only 9 of the 357 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Fitchburg. 33% of adults have obesity in Fitchburg.
| Fitchburg | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Fitchburg | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.8% | 6.5% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 72.7% | 77.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Verona Area School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Edge Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 446 | A− |
| Grow AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 5 | – |
| Stoner Prairie ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 407 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $7,187, against $3,792 across Wisconsin, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
48% of Fitchburg households own their home. The typical Fitchburg home is worth about $504,000, up 0.8% in a year, 49% above the Wisconsin typical home. Fitchburg’s median rent is $1,373 a month.
| Fitchburg | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,373 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 2017, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fitchburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
19 miles of trail in 58 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Capital Springs State Recreation Area, at 871 acres.
| Fitchburg | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. University of Wisconsin Arboretum - Grady Tract | 3.6 mi | 150 |
| 2. Nevin Springs Fishery and Wildlife Area | 2.7 mi | 349 |
| 3. McGaw Park | 1.2 mi | 77 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Charmany Farm weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 169 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 76% of Wisconsin places with climate records. The Charmany Farm weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 7 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 83% of Wisconsin places with climate records.
Fitchburg has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 11° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fitchburg has about as many jobs (14,992) as working residents, but only 1,233 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 10,489 in 2013 to 14,992.
Most working residents leave Fitchburg for work: only 8% work in town. The average trip to work in Fitchburg is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Fitchburg grew to 14,992 in 2023, 4,503 more than in 2013.
| Fitchburg | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 16% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.3% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 22.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 78% of Wisconsin’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 574 to 369 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4 within 15 miles of the center of Fitchburg
About 6 of every 100 Fitchburg residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
25,260 counted in 2010 and 29,609 in 2020; an estimated 34,615 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 11.7% since 2020, after 17.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
6 places in Fitchburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Fitchburg is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 29,609 at the 2020 census. The Wisconsin Department of Administration estimates the population has grown to 37,220 as of January 1, 2026.[1] It is a suburb south of Madison and is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Fitchburg consists of a mix of suburban neighborhoods closer to the border with Madison, commercial and industrial properties, and rural properties in the south. The city is known for its blend of urban convenience and protected farmland, with parks, bike trails, and a growing business community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Fitchburg.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg | #154 | B+ | D | C+ | B+ | A |
| Madison | #289 | C+ | D | C | C | A |
| Dunn | #251 | B− | C− | — | C+ | A |
| Verona | — | — | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Blooming Grove | — | — | B | — | B+ | A |
Verona and Blooming Grove have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Dunn, Verona and Blooming Grove report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fitchburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Fitchburg grades B+ overall, better than 73% of U.S. towns and #154 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A for health, C+ for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
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