Capt. Alexander A. Arnold Farm, 1874
Gale’s story
Gale in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1874 and 2 maps from 1929 on.
Explore the history →GaleWI
A town of 1,743.
Population
1,743
2025 Census estimate · +2% since 2020
Median home value
$296K
Census ACS
Household income
$105K
median
Median age
49.3
years
Jobs based here
140
A commuter town
Is Gale a good place to live?
The best of Gale’s subject grades is an A− for incomes; the weakest is a C for walkability. Gale’s median age is 49.3 years, above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 4 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Gale. Gale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Jobs & income
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Gale for work
Where Gale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
140jobs based in Gale
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Gale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Gale is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $296K, 3.9 years of the county’s $76K median household incomeC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →HealthWinona Health Services 17 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life3.5 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 Gale: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gale, and how to reach them.
PowerRiverland Energy Cooperative16.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGalesville Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers61% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gale’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 Gale ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54630, 54627, 5464254630 82% · 54627 14% · 54642 4%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 Gale.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Gale’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Gale for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Gale has added 63 jobs, to 140 in 2023. Gale’s median household income is $105,000, above both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000).
1%work in town
| Gale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $105,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Gale1%
La Crosse18%
Winona9%
Whitehall7%
Onalaska7%
19 mi
median commute distance
140
jobs based in Gale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
65%of WI districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berean Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 26 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 51% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide). 20% of residents are under 18 in Gale. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
49.3median age · WI 40.2
| Gale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
GaleWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school30%
Some college17%
Associate’s21%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.3 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 59% are men (WI 50%).
| Gale | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.5% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.2% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.3% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 21.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.6% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Gale
Gale has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 8° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–28°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–80°
Fall39–58°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Residents of Gale are healthier than 59% of U.S. towns
Gale beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of Gale adults feel lonely.
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Gale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Gale | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.1% | 12.1% |
Winona Health Services
17 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 C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Gale
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 2017, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gale.
53risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 2017
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC−
Conserved land covers 0.3% of Gale
3.2 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Gale is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.3%conserved
| Gale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
0.3%
conserved · 124 of 38,561 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trempealeau County Fair Grounds | — | 18 |
| 2. Fireman's Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Van Loon Wildlife Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Minnesota Marine Art Museum and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gale. Close and well known come first.
18 mi MuseumMinnesota Marine Art Museum
20 mi GardenRiverside Park
17 mi MuseumWinona County History CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Minnesota Marine Art Museum: EverettMath, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Riverside Park: Wikideas1, CC0 · Winona County History Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gale
18pages on Gale
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gale; the nearest are
Minnesota State College SoutheastCommunity college · Public · Winona, MN16.9 mi$6,432 in-state tuitionWinona State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Winona, MN17.7 mi$10,576 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Gale residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Gale
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Gale is a town in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,708 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Butman Corners and Frenchville are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 61 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
- Area code
- 608
Gale’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Gale.
HollandFarmingtonEttrickTrempealeauCaledoniaArcadiaGale
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gale | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | B |
| Holland | #136 | A− | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
| Farmington | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Ettrick | — | — | B | — | B− | B− |
| Trempealeau | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Caledonia | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arcadia | — | — | C | — | C | C− |
Gale, Farmington, Ettrick and Arcadia have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Gale, Holland, Farmington, Ettrick and Arcadia report no FBI crime data of their own. Trempealeau and Caledonia aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Gale with a neighbor →
Questions about Gale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gale, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.