FreedomWisconsinStNicholas, 2006
Freedom’s story
174 years in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
- 1852Freedom is settled
FreedomWI
Population
6,354
2025 Census estimate · +2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$431K
+8% in a year
Household income
$122K
median
Median age
38.0
years
Jobs based here
1,360
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#26 of 357 in WI
Is Freedom a good place to live?
Freedom’s strongest is incomes (A+): the median household earns $122K. With an A overall, Freedom is better than 95% of U.S. towns and ranks 26th of 357 in Wisconsin. Homes run about $431K for a typical one, 5 times the Appleton metro’s $86K median household income. Add health to its strengths (A−): residents are healthier than nearly four fifths of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The biggest park or preserve is VFW Memorial Park, at 40 acres. 30% of residents are under 18 in the town, above both the Wisconsin town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for schools and C+ for walkability.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · schools, state test and graduation results · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Freedom stand out
Where Freedom beats most towns.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Freedom for work
Where Freedom’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,360jobs based in Freedom
8%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Freedom grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Freedom is from typical.
Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA+Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listAOpen →HealthThedacare Regional Medical Center - Appleton 7.8 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 1.2% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landCOpen →HistoryLess recorded history than most townsC+Open →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
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 Freedom: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Freedom, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFreedom Sanitary DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offGreen for Life Waste, 4 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 Freedom ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes54130, 54913, 5416554130 56% · 54913 41% · 54165 3%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 Freedom.
Freedom owes part of its health edge to its incomes, has household incomes well above the Wisconsin norm and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Freedom has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Freedom’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 12 of 100. 50% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 26%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB
Public schools in Freedom beat 56% of Wisconsin districts
The Freedom Area School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Freedom High, with 510 students. Of its 5 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
56%of WI districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 691 | A− |
| Freedom HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 510 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Residents of Freedom are healthier than 79% of U.S. towns
Against the 5,481 U.S. towns with household incomes like Freedom’s, it is healthier than 50%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
In Freedom, 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 12% report frequent physical distress. Against the Wisconsin average, Freedom comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. For adults here, the share who binge drink is 22%.
79%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Freedom | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
12 better19 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Freedom | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 12.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.5% | 9.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.2% | 19% |
Thedacare Regional Medical Center - Appleton
7.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
74th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Most of Freedom’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.4 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here grew from 1,025 in 2013 to 1,360.
The top destinations are Appleton (17%), Grand Chute (7%) and Green Bay (6%). Only 8% of working residents stay in Freedom for work; the rest commute out. Freedom: 1.9% of residents live below the poverty line. Also worth knowing: between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 335, to 1,360.
8%work in town
| Freedom | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $122,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.9% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Freedom8%
Appleton17%
Grand Chute7%
Green Bay6%
Kaukauna5%
11 mi
median commute distance
1,360
jobs based in Freedom
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B+
Freedom earns a B+ for cost of living
For Freedom, the median rent is $862 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 8%. Just over nine in ten households own their home here.
$431KZillow home value
| Freedom | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 91% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $862 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Freedom$431K
Wisconsin$337K
+8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
More children than Wisconsin overall
The median household earns $121,711, against $77,485 across Wisconsin, one input to its A+ for jobs and income.
The share of residents in Freedom who are 65 or older: 13%. Among 362 Wisconsin towns, just 9 have a higher share of children under 18 than Freedom. For Freedom, the midpoint age is 38 years. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Freedom at 6,354 residents, up 2.3% since 2020.
38median age · WI 40.2
| Freedom | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 38 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 32% | 29% |
FreedomWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school33%
Some college13%
Associate’s19%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Freedom | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.1% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.2% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.7% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.3% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.5% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Freedom
Expect July afternoons of 81° and January nights of 10°, with about 49 inches of snow a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring34–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall39–58°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC
Conserved land covers 0.7% of Freedom
6.0 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. The trail network density in Freedom is 0.2 miles per square mile.
#233for trails in WI
| Freedom | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
0.7%
conserved · 153 of 21,811 acres
6.0 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. VFW Memorial Park | — | 40 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 23 attractions →Lambeau Field and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Freedom. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaLambeau Field
25 mi LakeLake Winnebago
15 mi Stadium & arenaResch Center
15 mi MuseumNational Railroad Museum
38 mi MuseumUSS Cobia
20 mi Theme parkBay Beach Amusement ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lambeau Field: JL1Row, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Winnebago: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Resch Center: User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · National Railroad Museum: Dual Freq, CC BY 3.0 · USS Cobia: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Bay Beach Amusement Park: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Freedom
18pages on Freedom
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Freedom
Lawrence UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Appleton8.8 mi$56,982 tuitionFox Valley Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Appleton9.6 mi$5,040 in-state tuitionSaint Norbert CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · De Pere13 mi$45,580 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Freedom residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Freedom’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Freedom.
At #26 in WI, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Center (A) comes closest.
AppletonVandenbroekOsbornCenterOneidaGrand ChuteFreedom
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom | #26 | A | B+ | — | B | A− |
| Appleton | #168 | B+ | B+ | C+ | C | B+ |
| Vandenbroek | — | — | B | — | A− | B+ |
| Osborn | — | — | C | — | C− | B− |
| Center | #38 | A | B− | — | A− | A− |
| Oneida | #171 | B+ | A− | — | C+ | B+ |
| Grand Chute | #267 | B− | C+ | D | C | A− |
Vandenbroek and Osborn have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Freedom, Vandenbroek, Osborn, Center and Oneida report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Freedom with a neighbor →
Questions about Freedom
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Freedom, WI a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Freedom grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #26 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health and B for schools.
Is Freedom, 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+.