C.W. Elphicke, c. 1895
Manitowoc’s story
Manitowoc in pictures
Census counts: 3,059 in 1860, 34,626 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
Explore the history →ManitowocWI
A town of 1,074.
Population
1,074
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Median home value
$257K
Census ACS
Household income
$82K
median
Median age
49.4
years
Jobs based here
205
A commuter town
Is Manitowoc a good place to live?
Manitowoc’s weakest subject grade is a D for walkability. On the outdoors, just 80 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Manitowoc's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns. Manitowoc has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Manitowoc stand out
Where Manitowoc beats most towns.
Small town
1,074 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
ManitowocTwo RiversNewtonTwo RiversManitowoc
How Manitowoc grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Manitowoc is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 15% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsBehind 84% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationC−Open →Jobs & income$82K median household incomeBOpen →HealthHoly Family Memorial 2.6 miles awayC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $257K, 3.7 years of the Manitowoc area’s $69K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsDOpen →History27 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−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 Manitowoc: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Manitowoc, and how to reach them.
PowerManitowoc Public Utilities11.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterManitowoc WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Manitowoc’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 Manitowoc ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5422054220 100%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 Manitowoc.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Manitowoc, with inland flooding at the top
38% of Manitowoc’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 23%. Compared with 85% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About half of Manitowoc’s working residents commute to Manitowoc
In Manitowoc, 1.4% of working residents work locally, below both the Wisconsin town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Since 2013, Manitowoc has added 85 jobs, to 205 in 2023. Its typical journey to work is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Manitowoc (46%), Two Rivers (4%) and Sheboygan (3%).
1%work in town
| Manitowoc | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Manitowoc1%
Manitowoc46%
Two Rivers4%
Sheboygan3%
Green Bay3%
6 mi
median commute distance
205
jobs based in Manitowoc
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 6% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
A older population than Wisconsin as a whole
For Manitowoc, the age of the median resident is 49.4 years. People 65 and older are 28% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). In Manitowoc, 25% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, below both Wisconsin’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (29%).
49.4median age · WI 40.2
| Manitowoc | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.4 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 32% | 29% |
ManitowocWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school30%
Some college19%
Associate’s20%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Manitowoc | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.7% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.2% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.1% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.6% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Manitowoc’s year
Expect July afternoons of 79° and January nights of 13°, with about 35 inches of snow a winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–29°
Spring34–51°
Summer57–76°
Fall40–57°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Manitowoc trails 57% of U.S. towns
For adults in Manitowoc, the share who get no exercise outside work is 31%. Among adults locally, 19% binge drink and 37% have high blood pressure.
43%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Manitowoc | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Manitowoc | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.7% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 6.5% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 31.4% | 26.6% |
Holy Family Memorial
In Manitowoc · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsD
0% of Manitowoc is conserved land
There are 0.1 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Manitowoc: one, of 9 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 3,869 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Manitowoc Futbol Club | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Lambeau Field and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Manitowoc. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaLambeau Field
3 mi MuseumUSS Cobia
38 mi LakeLake Winnebago
32 mi Stadium & arenaResch Center
16 mi Ancient siteRouse Simmons
30 mi MuseumNational Railroad MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lambeau Field: JL1Row, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Cobia: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Lake Winnebago: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Resch Center: User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Rouse Simmons: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · National Railroad Museum: Dual Freq, CC BY 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Manitowoc
19pages on Manitowoc
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Manitowoc; the nearest are
Lakeshore Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cleveland15.1 mi$4,844 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-Green BayUniversity or college · Public · Green Bay30 mi$8,700 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Manitowoc residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Manitowoc for work
Where Manitowoc’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
205jobs based in Manitowoc
1%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Manitowoc
27 notable people were born in Manitowoc.
R
Robert O. CookSound engineer · 1903–1995
J
Judy GoldsmithAmerican activist and academic · born 1938About Manitowoc
City in Wisconsin, United States
Manitowoc ( MAN-it-ə-wok) is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. The population was 34,626 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 604 ft
- ZIP code
- 54220, 54221
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Manitowoc
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Manitowoc, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.