Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Gardner’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for walkability. Gardner’s median age is 56 years, above both Wisconsin’s towns (42.1 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 28 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on cost of living. Peshtigo Reef Light is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gardner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Gardner beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Door Elementary | PK–5 | 482 |
| Southern Door Middle | 6–8 | 205 |
| Southern Door High | 9–12 | 304 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Gardner is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gardner, 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 Gardner.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gardner.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Southern Door County School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Southern Door High, with 304 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Door ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 482 | A− |
| Southern Door HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 304 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
People 65 and older are 32% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide). 14% of residents are under 18 in Gardner, below both the Wisconsin town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Gardner | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 32% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.2 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 94% are men (WI 51%).
| Gardner | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.4% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.1% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.6% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
1% of working residents work locally in Gardner. Jobs based in Gardner fell to 61 in 2023, 204 fewer than in 2013. 4.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Gardner.
| Gardner | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Gardner’s July high is 77°F. Gardner has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Gardner beats the Wisconsin average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 28% of Gardner adults feel lonely.
| Gardner | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Gardner | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.8% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.8% | 12.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.1 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Sugar Creek County Park, at 38 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sugar Creek County Park | — | 38 |
| 2. Tornado Memorial County Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Claflin County Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Gardner; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Gardner residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Gardner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Gardner is a town in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,218 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Little Sturgeon is located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.