Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,704, platted in 1854.
The best of Galesville’s subject grades is an A− for history. 29% of residents are under 18 in Galesville, above both the Wisconsin town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Galesville’s trail network density is 1.0 miles per square mile, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Gale College Historic District and Capt. Alexander A. Arnold Farm. Galesville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Galesville beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,068 in 1870, a low of 410 in 1880, 1,662 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 2 maps from 1929 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Galesville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Galesville, 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 Galesville.
Galesville: 12% of residents live below the poverty line. For most workers, Galesville is a place to come home to: only 7% work in town. It had 662 jobs in 2023, down 118 from 2013. The income of the median household for Galesville comes to $71,000.
| Galesville | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The largest public high school is Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau High, with 411 students. The Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District runs its public schools. Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 286 | B+ |
| Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 411 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Among adults in Galesville, 15% say their health is fair or poor. In Galesville, nearly two in five adults have obesity, and 32% have high blood pressure.
| Galesville | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Galesville | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Galesville at 1,704 residents, up 2.6% since 2020. The town’s median age stands at 32.8 years. Nearly a quarter of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin. For residents in the town, the share who are 65 or older is 17%.
| Galesville | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.8 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Galesville | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.6% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.8% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.8% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.7% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
In Galesville, the typical July afternoon high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 5.8%. 52% of households live in a home they own in Galesville. Its median rent comes in at $959 a month.
| Galesville | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $959 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Galesville has had 2 paid flood insurance claims since 2017. Compared with 53% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher. FEMA puts 55% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 18% to cold waves. Also worth knowing: households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2017.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. High Cliff Park | 0.5 mi | 8 |
| 2. Reception Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Trempealeau County Fair Grounds | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Galesville. Close and well known come first.
15 mi MuseumMinnesota Marine Art Museum
19 mi City parkRiverside Park
14 mi MuseumWinona County History CenterMinnesota Marine Art Museum: EverettMath, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Riverside Park: Wikideas1, CC0 · Winona County History Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Galesville
About 5 of every 100 Galesville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
1,481 counted in 2010 and 1,662 in 2020; an estimated 1,704 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
8 places in Galesville on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Galesville is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,662 at the 2020 census. A dam on Beaver Creek is located at Galesville, forming Lake Marinuka north of the city. The mayor is Vince Howe.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($76,313 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Steve Brown and Sam Brenegan.
