Lake Wisconsin - panoramio (1), 2013
Lake Wisconsin’s story
Lake Wisconsin in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Explore the history →Lake WisconsinWI
Some 5,384 people live in this town, in Wisconsin State.
Population
5,384
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$452K
Census ACS
Household income
$124K
median
Median age
51.3
years
Jobs based here
347
A commuter town
Is Lake Wisconsin a good place to live?
Lake Wisconsin’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, against 22 minutes in Wisconsin State’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Steenbock Preserve, 138 acres with 2.2 miles of trail. We don’t grade Lake Wisconsin yet; the figures below are still real.
A growing town
Lake Wisconsin has grown 10% from 2010 to 2020
4,189 counted in 2010 and 4,616 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Getting set up
Moving to Lake Wisconsin: who provides what
Lake Wisconsin is unincorporated, so Columbia County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHarmony Grove San Dist water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesColumbia CountyColumbia County provides services here
SchoolsLodi School DistrictSauk Prairie School District2 districts serve Lake Wisconsin; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin State 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 Lodi ClerkTown of Lodi (Columbia County); contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes53555, 53955, 53578, 5356153555 68% · 53955 18% · 53578 11% · 53561 3%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 Lake Wisconsin.
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Lake Wisconsin is higher than in most of Wisconsin State or the rest of the country
46% of Lake Wisconsin’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hail at 35%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Lake Wisconsin’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Lake Wisconsin rose by 86, to 347. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. In Lake Wisconsin, the middle household income is $124,000. Half of commuters travel less than 21 miles.
2%work in town
| Lake Wisconsin | Wisconsin State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 22% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $124,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lake Wisconsin2%
Madison30%
Lodi6%
Waunakee4%
Middleton4%
21 mi
median commute distance
347
jobs based in Lake Wisconsin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Lake Wisconsin, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer adults under 35 in Lake Wisconsin than across Wisconsin State
43% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin State. Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (38% statewide). Lake Wisconsin’s age of the median resident comes in at 51.3 years.
51.3median age · WI 40.2
| Lake Wisconsin | Wisconsin State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 21% | 22% |
Lake WisconsinWisconsin StateUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school24%
Some college18%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
48.3% women, 51.7% men
About 107 men for every 100 women. Across Wisconsin State, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Lake Wisconsin | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.4% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.4% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.6% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.3% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Health
How healthy Lake Wisconsin is
Lake Wisconsin: 23% of adults get no exercise outside work. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Lake Wisconsin is ahead of Wisconsin State on 9 and behind on 1. 14% of adults in Lake Wisconsin report frequent mental distress; 31% sleep under 7 hours.
| Lake Wisconsin | Wisconsin State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin State
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Lake Wisconsin | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.5% | 12.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.2% | 8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.6% |
Sauk Prairie Hospital
9.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Lake Wisconsin keeps 3.5% of its land conserved
There are 5.0 miles of trail across 7 parks and preserves. Lake Wisconsin’s concentration of trails stands at 0.2 miles per square mile.
3.5%conserved
| Lake Wisconsin | Wisconsin State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.5%
conserved · 553 of 15,584 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steenbock Preserve | 2.2 mi | 138 |
| 2. Wildenberg Wildlife Park | 0.4 mi | 11 |
| 3. Lower Wisconsin State Riverway | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Homes in Lake Wisconsin sell for about $605K
A home in Lake Wisconsin typically sold within 46 days of listing. In Lake Wisconsin, 94% of households are owner-occupiers. For Lake Wisconsin, the midpoint rent is $1,515 a month.
$605Kmedian sale price
| Lake Wisconsin | Wisconsin State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,515 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
46
days on market
97.2%
sale-to-list price
9
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Wisconsin. Close and well known come first.
22 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
8 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
7 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
22 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
23 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center19 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Camp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake Wisconsin
16pages on Lake Wisconsin
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake Wisconsin; the nearest are
Madison Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Madison21.5 mi$4,977 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison22.2 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionSouthwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore59 mi$4,904 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lake Wisconsin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin State.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Lake Wisconsin for work
Where Lake Wisconsin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
347jobs based in Lake Wisconsin
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lake Wisconsin
CDP in Wisconsin, United States
Lake Wisconsin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Columbia and Sauk counties, in the towns of Lodi and Merrimac, in Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,616 at the 2020 census, up from 4,189 at the 2010 census. The Columbia County portion of the Lake Wisconsin is part of the Madison, Wisconsin metropolitan area, while the Sauk County portion is part of the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 22 sq mi
- Elevation
- 807 ft
Lake Wisconsin’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Lake Wisconsin.
MerrimacMerrimacWest PointPrairie du SacPrairie du SacLake Wisconsin
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wisconsin | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Merrimac · Merrimac | — | — | C | — | C+ | C+ |
| West Point | — | — | C | — | B− | A− |
| Prairie du Sac | — | — | B− | — | B− | B+ |
| Prairie du Sac | #262 | B− | C | — | B− | B |
Merrimac, West Point and Prairie du Sac have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Merrimac, West Point, Prairie du Sac and Prairie du Sac report no FBI crime data of their own. Lake Wisconsin isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Merrimac and Merrimac are one community, graded once. Compare Lake Wisconsin with a neighbor →
Questions about Lake Wisconsin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Wisconsin, WI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Lake Wisconsin yet; the figures below are still real. Some 5,384 people live in this town, in Wisconsin State.