Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Green Lake’s best subject grades are an A for walkability, civic life, and history; its weakest is a C for incomes. On civic life, just 68 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do better. Green Lake has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Green Lake County Courthouse and Thrasher's Opera House. Green Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Green Lake beats most towns.
Green Lake County CourthouseIn 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 Green Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 241 in 1880, 1,001 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1918 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Green Lake, 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 Green Lake.
For most workers, Green Lake is a place to come home to: only 13% work in town. Green Lake’s typical journey to work stands at 21 minutes, against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Employers in Green Lake shed 96 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 787. Also worth knowing: the typical household income for Green Lake comes to $56,000.
| Green Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Green Lake School District runs its public schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. 2 public schools serve Green Lake, with 276 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Lake ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 137 | A− |
| Green Lake HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 139 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
College graduates make up 33% of adults 25 and older, against 33% across Wisconsin. People 65 and older are 37% of residents (19% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (38% statewide). Green Lake’s median age stands at 54.1 years, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 42.1 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. In Green Lake, 14% of residents are under 18.
| Green Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.1 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 32% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.2 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Green Lake | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.3% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 18.3% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.5% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.7% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.9% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 8.2%. For Green Lake, the going rate for rent is $721 a month. Among households locally, 63% own their home.
| Green Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $721 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For adults in Green Lake, the share who report frequent mental distress is 14%. This Wisconsin town beats the Wisconsin average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 29% of adults in Green Lake feel lonely; 31% sleep under 7 hours.
| Green Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Green Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Green Lake since 2012. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities. 44% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 18%. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Green Lake’s midsummer high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The rate of thefts and burglaries in Green Lake is 3.8 per 1,000 residents. Green Lake's reported crime rate is well below Wisconsin's. Only 9 of the 183 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower violent offense rate than Green Lake. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Green Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Count the trails in 7 parks and preserves and they come to 0.1 miles. The biggest park or preserve is Green Lake County Fairgrounds, at 27 acres.
| Green Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Lake County Fairgrounds | — | 27 |
| 2. Highknocker Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
| 3. Friday Club Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Green Lake
About 6 of every 100 Green Lake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
Where Green Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Green Lake on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Green Lake.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Green Lake is a city in, and the county seat of, Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The city had a population of 1,001 in the 2020 census. It is located on the north side of Green Lake. The Town of Green Lake is located on the south side of Big Green Lake, opposite the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
That is 6.6 years of the area's median household income ($68,196 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+.
3 notable people were born here, including Elda Emma Anderson and L. E. Potter.
