Columbia Energy Center in the Distance, 2013
Marcellon’s story
179 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
- 1847Marcellon is settled
MarcellonWI
Population
1,141
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Median home value
$317K
Census ACS
Household income
$99K
median
Median age
50.6
years
Jobs based here
68
A commuter town
Is Marcellon a good place to live?
Marcellon’s best subject grades are an A− for incomes, cost of living, and history; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Marcellon’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, above both Wisconsin’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 12 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 78% of U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Becker Waterfowl Production Area, 348 acres with 2.1 miles of trail. Marcellon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Marcellon stand out
Where Marcellon beats most towns.
Small town
1,141 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BuffaloFort WinnebagoScottWyocenaMarcellon
How Marcellon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Marcellon is from typical.
Hazard riskhail tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income68 jobs based hereA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 8.7% of households have no car; 1.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $317K, 3.6 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household incomeA−Open →SchoolsBehind 62% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationC+Open →HealthAspirus Divine Savior Hospital 8.6 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 5% conserved landB−Open →HistoryA−Open →Civic life3.6 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 Marcellon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marcellon, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Marcellon’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 Marcellon ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP codes53954, 53901, 5392653954 66% · 53901 27% · 53926 7%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 Marcellon.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
In Marcellon, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
Marcellon’s FEMA risk score is 80 of 100, against 23 of 100 in Wisconsin’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Marcellon stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with fewer of its residents who live below the poverty line
0.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Marcellon. Only 2 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Marcellon. Marcellon’s median household income is $99,000.
1%work in town
| Marcellon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 0.5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Marcellon1%
Madison22%
Portage12%
DeForest4%
Pardeeville3%
32 mi
median commute distance
68
jobs based in Marcellon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 22% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Marcellon has four seasons and pleasant summers
Marcellon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 10° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring34–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall39–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
Marcellon has set aside 5.1% of its land for conservation
2.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Marcellon is 0.1 miles per square mile.
5.1%conserved
| Marcellon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
5.1%
conserved · 1,154 of 22,762 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Becker Waterfowl Production Area | 2.1 mi | 348 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Residents of Marcellon are healthier than 52% of U.S. towns
Marcellon beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 76% of Marcellon adults had a checkup this year.
52%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Marcellon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Marcellon | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 6.5% |
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital
8.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Marcellon
18pages on Marcellon
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Marcellon; the nearest are
Ripon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ripon28.5 mi$51,900 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison37 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionMoraine Park Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fond du Lac46.2 mi$4,819 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Marcellon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Marcellon for work
Where Marcellon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
68jobs based in Marcellon
1%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Marcellon
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Marcellon is a town in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,140 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Belle Fountain is located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 928 ft
Questions about Marcellon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Marcellon, 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−.