Remolino de vapor, 2018
Jackson’s story
171 years in pictures
Census counts: 481 in 1870, 1,141 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1855Jackson is settled
Population
1,183
2025 Census estimate · +3.8% since 2020
Median home value
$203K
Census ACS
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
58.4
years
Jobs based here
113
A commuter town
Is Jackson a good place to live?
Jackson’s best subject grade is an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. 33% of residents are 65 or older in Jackson, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%. On incomes, just 50 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Jackson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A growing town
Jackson has grown 18% since 2010
1,003 counted in 2010 and 1,141 in 2020; an estimated 1,183 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Jackson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Jackson is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.9 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $203K, 3.4 years of the county’s $59K median household incomeCOpen →HealthGundersen Moundview Hospital and Clinics 15.8 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsBehind 63% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 49% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksCOpen →HistoryC−Open →Civic life3.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jackson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jackson, and how to reach them.
PowerAdams-Columbia Electric Coop19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCamp Deep Lake LLC water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressDay by addressTown site
SchoolsAdams-Friendship Area School DistrictWisconsin Dells School DistrictWestfield School District3 districts serve Jackson; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 Jackson ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes53952, 53965, 5393653952 78% · 53965 17% · 53936 4%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Jackson.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Jackson stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: the average trip to work there is longer
Jackson: 16% of residents live below the poverty line. Jobs in Jackson grew by 92 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 113. In Jackson, 1% of working residents work locally, below both Wisconsin’s towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). The income of the median household for Jackson comes to $60,000.
1%work in town
| Jackson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Jackson1%
Wisconsin Dells19%
Lake Delton12%
Baraboo6%
Portage6%
18 mi
median commute distance
113
jobs based in Jackson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 18% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Jackson is less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
The share of adults in Jackson who sleep under 7 hours: 35%. Two figures for adults in the town: 32% get no exercise outside work, 14% have diabetes.
26%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Jackson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Jackson | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.3% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.4% | 5.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 15.7% | 12.1% |
Gundersen Moundview Hospital and Clinics
15.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–30°
Spring34–56°
Summer57–80°
Fall38–58°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Jackson: inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. 46% of Jackson’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 24%.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Dells of the Wisconsin River and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jackson. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
24 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail14 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water Park
26 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
13 mi Theme parkMt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
22 mi MuseumCircus World MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park: User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Circus World Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jackson
17pages on Jackson
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jackson; the nearest are
Ripon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ripon40.6 mi$51,900 tuitionMid-State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wisconsin Rapids42.7 mi$5,002 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison50.3 mi$11,603 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Jackson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Small town
1,183 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
New HavenOxfordNew ChesterDouglasSpringvilleJackson
About Jackson
Town in Wisconsin, United States
There are some other places named Jackson in Wisconsin. Jackson is a town in Adams County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,141 at the 2020 census, up from 1,003 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 971 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Jackson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jackson, WI expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.