ATC Power Line - panoramio (117), 2014
Lewiston’s story
168 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
- 1858Lewiston is settled
LewistonWI
A town of 1,244, settled in 1858.
Population
1,244
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Median home value
$244K
Census ACS
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
46.8
years
Jobs based here
304
A commuter town
Is Lewiston a good place to live?
The best of Lewiston’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D for walkability. Only 17 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. 96% of households own their home in Lewiston, against 74% in Wisconsin’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Only 12 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Pine Island State Wildlife Area, at 506 acres. Lewiston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,244 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CaledoniaFairfieldPortageDouglasNewportNew HavenBriggsvilleFort WinnebagoMoundvilleLewiston
How Lewiston grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Lewiston is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.8 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskhail tops the listC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $244K, 2.7 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household incomeA−Open →SchoolsC+Open →Jobs & incomeBOpen →HealthAspirus Divine Savior Hospital 5.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 5% conserved landB−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 Lewiston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lewiston, and how to reach them.
PowerAdams-Columbia Electric Coop19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOakwood Terrace water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers33% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lewiston’s trash rules yet
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 Lewiston ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP codes53901, 5396553901 88% · 53965 12%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 Lewiston.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Lewiston’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Lewiston for work: only 2% work in town. At 28 minutes, Lewiston’s average trip to work is where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Since 2013, Lewiston has added 49 jobs, to 304 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Lewiston | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lewiston2%
Wisconsin Dells15%
Portage15%
Lake Delton13%
Madison11%
14 mi
median commute distance
304
jobs based in Lewiston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Lewiston fall behind 63% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Portage Community School District. Its one school is below.
37%of WI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 84 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Lewiston faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by hail
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lewiston.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingCold waves
4
paid flood claims since 1998
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 25% of residents (19% statewide). Lewiston’s median age is 46.8 years. 24% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
46.8median age · WI 40.2
| Lewiston | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 46.8 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 32% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 21% | 22% |
LewistonWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school29%
Some college19%
Associate’s20%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.5 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 81% are men (WI 43%).
| Lewiston | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.5% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.7% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.5% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.7% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.7% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.2% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Lewiston
Lewiston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 9° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring34–57°
Summer58–81°
Fall38–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 4.7% of Lewiston
3.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Lewiston is 0.1 miles per square mile.
4.7%conserved
| Lewiston | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
4.7%
conserved · 1,652 of 34,985 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pine Island State Wildlife Area | — | 506 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Lewiston is less healthy than 54% of U.S. towns
Lewiston beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 75% of adults had a checkup this year in Lewiston.
46%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Lewiston | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Lewiston | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.6% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 16.2% | 13.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 6.5% |
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital
5.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 29 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lewiston. Close and well known come first.
37 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
12 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
14 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail11 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water Park
15 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
11 mi Theme parkMt. Olympus Water & Theme 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 · 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
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lewiston
18pages on Lewiston
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lewiston; the nearest are
Herzing University-MadisonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison34.3 mi$13,450 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison37.1 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionMid-State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wisconsin Rapids55.8 mi$5,002 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lewiston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Lewiston for work
Where Lewiston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
304jobs based in Lewiston
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lewiston
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Lewiston is a town in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,262 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 55 sq mi
- Elevation
- 804 ft
Questions about Lewiston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lewiston, WI expensive?
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−.