Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hudson grades A− overall, ranked 108th of 357 in Wisconsin, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 86% of Wisconsin towns and the median household earns $94K. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 80% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $498K for a typical one and 5 times the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. Only 48 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on walkability. Its National Register listings include John S. Moffat House and St Croix County Courthouse.
Where Hudson beats most towns.
John S. Moffat House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson Prairie Elementary | K–5 | 481 |
| Rock Elementary | K–5 | 383 |
| River Crest Elementary | PK–5 | 366 |
Census counts: 1,570 in 1860, 14,755 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1855 and 2 maps from 1985 on.
14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Hudson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hudson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
18 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
24 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
27 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
21 mi Stadium & arenaAllianz Field
23 mi LandmarkFort SnellingU.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Allianz Field: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Snelling: en:User:The Statue With The Dictionary, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hudson, 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 Hudson.
Hudson draws workers from Hudson and beyond, is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s and has cooler summers than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
11,286 jobs are based in Hudson, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 31% of working residents cross a state line to work, St. Paul among the top destinations.
22% of Hudson working residents work locally, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 8.2% and U.S. towns at 8%. Jobs based in Hudson grew to 11,286 in 2023, 2,001 more than in 2013. 18% of Hudson workers work from home.
| Hudson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Work from home | 18% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Hudson School District. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,089 | A− |
| Hudson HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,697 | B+ |
| Hudson Prairie ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 481 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
At $1,359 a month, Hudson’s median rent is above both Wisconsin’s towns ($1,076 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Hudson home is worth about $499,000, up 2.1% in a year, 48% above the Wisconsin typical home. 67% of households own their home in Hudson.
| Hudson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,359 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with Wisconsin is tooth loss: 5.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.9% statewide.
Hudson beats the Wisconsin average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Hudson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hudson | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.1% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.7 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Grandview Park, at 37 acres.
| Hudson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grandview Park | 0.3 mi | 37 |
| 2. Prospect Park | 0.3 mi | 27 |
| 3. Birkmose Park | — | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hudson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 82.3°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 85% of Wisconsin places with climate records; January nights average 6°.
Hudson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Hudson’s January low is 6°F. About 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Hudson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 6°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Wisconsin average. The median age in Hudson is 38.1 years. 43% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Hudson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 32% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.1 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 21% | 22% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.3, men 36.7.
| Hudson | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.8% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.2% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
At 21.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 75% of Wisconsin’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hudson
About 4 of every 100 Hudson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
12,719 counted in 2010 and 14,755 in 2020; an estimated 15,019 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
14 places in Hudson on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Hudson.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Hudson is a city in and the county seat of St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,755. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Hudson.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson | #108 | A− | C | C+ | A | A− |
| Hudson | #82 | A | C | — | A | A− |
| North Hudson | #81 | A | C+ | — | A | A− |
| Troy | #152 | B+ | C | — | A | A− |
Hudson, North Hudson and Troy report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hudson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hudson grades A− overall, better than 82% of U.S. towns and #108 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health, C+ for safety and A for schools.
Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
11 notable people were born here, including Bjørn Selander and Isaac Howard.
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