Martell Wisconsin School, 2016
Martell’s story
168 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1949 on.
- 1858Martell is settled
MartellWI
A town of 1,187, settled in 1858.
Population
1,187
2025 Census estimate · +3.3% since 2020
Median home value
$357K
Census ACS
Household income
$95K
median
Median age
54.5
years
Jobs based here
57
A commuter town
Is Martell a good place to live?
Martell’s best subject grade is an A− for schools; its weakest is a C for walkability. Martell’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Martell. The biggest park or preserve is Martell County Forest, at 31 acres. Martell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Schools
Small town
1,187 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
River FallsGilmanRush RiverEllsworthMartell
How Martell grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Martell is from typical.
SchoolsBeat 78% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationA−Open →HealthRiver Falls Area Hospital 9.2 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.1 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 3.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$95K median household income; 57 jobs based hereB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $357K, 3.6 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landCOpen →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−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 Martell: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Martell, and how to reach them.
PowerPierce-Pepin Coop ServicesEIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet7 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Martell’s trash rules yet
SchoolsEllsworth Community School DistrictRiver Falls School District2 districts serve Martell; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 Martell ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes54003, 54022, 54767, 5400254003 43% · 54022 32% · 54767 23% · 54002 2%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 Martell.
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 52% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). At 54.5 years, Martell’s median age is above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 15% of residents are under 18 in Martell.
54.5median age · WI 40.2
| Martell | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.5 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
MartellWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school28%
Some college23%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Martell | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.1% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.8% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.1% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 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
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Martell’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Martell for work: only 0% work in town. 4.5% of Martell residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are River Falls (17%), Hudson (9%) and Baldwin (4%).
0%work in town
| Martell | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Martell0%
River Falls17%
Hudson9%
Baldwin4%
Ellsworth4%
18 mi
median commute distance
57
jobs based in Martell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Martell ranks healthier than 74% of the country’s towns
Martell beats the Wisconsin average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
74%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Martell | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
4 better28 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Martell | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.6% | 12.1% |
River Falls Area Hospital
9.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Martell
Martell has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Martell is 81°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–25°
Spring33–54°
Summer58–78°
Fall37–56°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Martell faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1989, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Martell.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
9
paid flood claims since 1989
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
Martell has set aside 0.7% of its land for conservation
1.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.7%conserved
0.7%
conserved · 159 of 22,784 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Martell County Forest | — | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Martell
19pages on Martell
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Martell
About 2 of every 100 Martell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Martell for work
Where Martell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
57jobs based in Martell
0%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Martell
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Martell mar-TEL) is a town in Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,147 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,070 ft
Questions about Martell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Martell, WI expensive?
Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.