MarkesanWisconsin, 2007
Markesan’s story
177 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1849Markesan is settled
MarkesanWI
Trash day: Monday3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
1,380
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$333K
+9.7% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
51.2
years
Jobs based here
715
Balanced
Is Markesan a good place to live?
Markesan’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a C− for incomes. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Markesan, above both the Wisconsin town median (6.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On cost of living, just 17 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Markesan has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Markesan stand out
Where Markesan beats most towns.
Typical home value
Markesan$333K
Wisconsin$337K
Cost of livingA
4.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 91% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Markesan6.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA
59% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
HistoryB+
Settled in 1849
A long history
A history going back 177 years.
Small town
1,380 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MackfordGreen LakeManchesterMarkesan
How Markesan grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Markesan is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthRipon Medical Center 12.3 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 2.7% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailCOpen →History2 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life6.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 51.2; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Markesan: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Markesan, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMarkesan WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
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 hereCity of Markesan ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5394653946 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 Markesan.
HealthC
Health in Markesan trails 69% of U.S. towns
Markesan beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 33% of Markesan adults get no exercise outside work, above both Wisconsin’s towns (26%) and U.S. towns (25%). 15% of adults report frequent physical distress in Markesan.
31%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Markesan | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Markesan | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.1% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 6.6% |
Ripon Medical Center
12.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Markesan’s public schools outperform 63% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Markesan School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
63%of WI districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Markesan PrimaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 163 | – |
| Markesan HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 244 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Markesan, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Markesan.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
5
paid flood claims since 2008
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Markesan, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Markesan has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Markesan’s July high is 81°F.
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring34–55°
Summer58–79°
Fall38–58°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Markesan has 1.2 jobs for every working resident, and 617 people commute in
Most working residents leave Markesan for work: only 17% work in town. The median household income in Markesan is $62,000. Since 2013, Markesan has lost 57 jobs, to 715 in 2023.
17%work in town
| Markesan | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Markesan17%
Ripon6%
Fond du Lac5%
Oshkosh4%
Beaver Dam4%
18 mi
median commute distance
715
jobs based in Markesan
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Markesan stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with property crime lower than most
Among 189 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a lower property crime rate than Markesan. Markesan's reported crime rate is well below Wisconsin's. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2023.
| Markesan | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 8.8 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.8 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Markesan0.7
Wisconsin3
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Markesan0
Wisconsin12.6
U.S.19.5
1
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, the median rent in Markesan is lower
Typical home values rose 9.7% in the year to September 2026.
$333KZillow home value
| Markesan | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $514 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Markesan$333K
Wisconsin$337K
+9.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,491 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kiwanis Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Hein Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Markesan
20pages on Markesan
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 63% of WI districts · 4 schoolsSafety0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthCBetter than WI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$333K typical home · up 9.7% in a yearWork & commuteC−$62K median household income · 715 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Markesan
About 2 of every 100 Markesan residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Markesan
City in Wisconsin, United States
Markesan is a city in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,377 at the 2020 census. The center of population of Wisconsin is located in Markesan.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 853 ft
- ZIP code
- 53946
- Area code
- 920
Questions about Markesan
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Markesan, 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.
What is Markesan, WI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Arthur Frank Mathews and Alex Dallman.