Jack Pine cone, Gotham Jack Pine Barrens, Wisconsin 1, 2009
Gotham’s story
144 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1905 on.
- 1882Gotham is settled
GothamWI
Settled in 1882, this town now has 177 residents.
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
177
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$151K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
39.5
years
Jobs based here
4
A commuter town
Settled
1882
144 years ago
Is Gotham a good place to live?
6.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Gotham, below both the Wisconsin town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Gotham’s trail network density is 3.0 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Wisconsin’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Gotham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
177 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gotham.
Work & commute
Most of Gotham’s workers commute out: the town has 0.0 jobs for each of them
0%work in town
Gotham’s typical journey to work stands at 19 minutes. The top destinations are Madison (14%), Spring Green (8%) and Richland Center (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 32 miles away.
| Gotham | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 9% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Gotham0%
Madison14%
Spring Green8%
Richland Center7%
Muscoda4%
32 mi
median commute distance
4
jobs based in Gotham
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Gotham brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
40″snow a winter
For Gotham, the peak summer temperature is 83°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–31°
Spring35–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
High risk in Gotham, with inland flooding at the top
66risk score of 100
58% of Gotham’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 17%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in nearly two thirds of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Gotham is
Two figures for adults here: 17% smoke cigarettes, 15% report frequent physical distress. 77% of Gotham adults had a checkup this year.
| Gotham | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Gotham | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.1% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 17.3% | 13.6% |
Richland Hospital
9.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%
conserved · 0 of 251 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gotham
16pages on Gotham
The big questions
Out and about
Getting set up
Moving to Gotham: who provides what
Gotham is unincorporated, so Richland County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRichland CountyRichland County provides services here
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 Buena Vista ClerkTown of Buena Vista (Richland County); contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes53540, 5355653540 66% · 53556 34%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Gotham for work
Where Gotham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4jobs based in Gotham
0%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gotham; the nearest are
Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore24.2 mi$4,904 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-PlattevilleUniversity or college · Public · Platteville35.1 mi$8,644 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Gotham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Gotham
Census-designated place in Wisconsin, United States
Gotham (also Richland City) is a census-designated place, in the town of Buena Vista, in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located at the intersection of Wisconsin Highway 60 and U.S. Route 14. It is just north of the Wisconsin River, northeast of Avoca and southeast of Richland Center. As of the 2020 census, its population was 189.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 715 ft
- ZIP code
- 53540
Questions about Gotham
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gotham, WI a good place to live?
Gotham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Gotham is in here
Say something about Gotham.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.