Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,617, settled in 1884.
Hurley’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living, an A+ for civic life, and an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a D for incomes. 34% of residents are 65 or older in Hurley, against 20% in Wisconsin’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 15 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Hurley is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. Hurley’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Wisconsin’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 37 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do better. Old Iron County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hurley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hurley beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Hurley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1886.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hurley, 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 Hurley.
Hurley’s median rent is $678 a month. The typical Hurley home is worth about $141,000, up 1.2% in a year, 58% below the Wisconsin typical home.
| Hurley | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $678 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Hurley School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Hurley High, with 309 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 235 | A− |
| Hurley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 309 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The July high in Hurley is 77°F. Hurley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hurley beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 14% of adults have diabetes in Hurley.
| Hurley | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hurley | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 3 of Hurley’s working residents works in town. 15% of Hurley residents live below the poverty line. Only 5 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower median household income than Hurley.
| Hurley | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hurley's reported crime rate is well below Wisconsin's. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| Hurley | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cary Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hurley
About 2 of every 100 Hurley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
5 notable people were born in Hurley.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Hurley is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,558 at the 2020 census. It is located directly across the Montreal River from Ironwood, Michigan.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Hurley.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurley | — | — | A | — | B | C+ |
| Kimball | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carey | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montreal | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oma | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hurley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Hurley reports no FBI crime data of its own. Kimball, Carey, Montreal and Oma aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hurley with a neighbor →
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 Frank Olson and Tony Ave.
