Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Hillsboro’s subject grades are an A− for cost of living and civic life; the weakest is a D for health. On health, just 5 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns do worse. Hillsboro is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. On incomes, just 72 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Hillsboro Condensed Milk Company is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hillsboro has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hillsboro beats most towns.
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 Hillsboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 195 in 1880, 1,397 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 3 maps from 1927 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hillsboro, 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 Hillsboro.
About one in 5 of Hillsboro’s working residents works in town. At $60,000, Hillsboro’s median household income is below both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The average trip to work in Hillsboro is 21 minutes.
| Hillsboro | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Hillsboro School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 220 | B− |
| Hillsboro HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 252 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Hillsboro, above both the Wisconsin town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 25% of Hillsboro adults say their health is fair or poor. Hillsboro beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20.
| Hillsboro | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 17% | 19% |
| What stands out | Hillsboro | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 6.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.8% | 9.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.8% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Hillsboro home is worth about $214,000, up 12.2% in a year, 37% below the Wisconsin typical home. Hillsboro’s median rent is $805 a month.
| Hillsboro | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $805 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Hillsboro 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.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (19% statewide). 24% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hillsboro.
| Hillsboro | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 32% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.9 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
45% women, 55% men
About 123 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.1 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Hillsboro | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.5% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.2% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.7% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.6% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 16 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hillsboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.1 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Hillsboro | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Albert Field Memorial Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Field Veteran’s Memorial Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Hammer / Klopfeisch Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Hillsboro; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Hillsboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Hillsboro’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Hillsboro.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Hillsboro is a city in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,397 at the 2020 Census. The city is located within the Town of Hillsboro.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
5 notable people were born here, including Marc Mitscher and Denny Sullivan.
