Merrimac Ferry · National Register of Historic Places
Merrimac’s story
Merrimac in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →MerrimacWI
A town of 523.
3 bordering townsMap →
Merrimac Ferry · Photo: User:Freekee · Public domain
Population
523
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Typical home
$489K
+4% in a year
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
39.3
years
Jobs based here
42
A commuter town
Is Merrimac a good place to live?
Merrimac’s typical journey to work is 31 minutes, against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Merrimac Ferry is on the National Register of Historic Places. Merrimac has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
523 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MerrimacLake WisconsinWest PointMerrimac
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Merrimac: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Merrimac, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMerrimac Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offWest Point Waste Transfer Station, 3 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereVillage of Merrimac ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5356153561 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 Merrimac.
Housing
A typical Merrimac home is worth about $489K
The share of households in Merrimac who are owner-occupiers: 80%. Home values are up 4% over the year to September 2026. In Merrimac, the midpoint rent is $992 a month, near the Wisconsin town median ($1,078 a month) and below the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$489KZillow home value
| Merrimac | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $992 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Merrimac$489K
Wisconsin$337K
+4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Merrimac’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Sauk Prairie School District. Its one school is below. Merrimac’s only public school teaches 134 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimac CommunityLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 134 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Merrimac is higher
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Merrimac after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2026. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 70% come from inland flooding and 11% from cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Merrimac has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
6.6% of workers work from home in Merrimac. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles. The top destinations are Madison (20%), Sauk City (10%) and Prairie du Sac (8%).
0%work in town
| Merrimac | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.6% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Merrimac0%
Madison20%
Sauk City10%
Prairie du Sac8%
Baraboo7%
19 mi
median commute distance
42
jobs based in Merrimac
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Merrimac’s year
In Merrimac, the typical July afternoon high is 83°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–31°
Spring35–57°
Summer58–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Merrimac is
14% of Merrimac adults report frequent physical distress. The town tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures. In Merrimac, 30% of adults get no exercise outside work, and 16% smoke cigarettes.
| Merrimac | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Sauk Prairie Hospital
8.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Ages in Merrimac track Wisconsin closely
Among residents in Merrimac, 17% are 65 or older. Age groups here sit within 4 points of the Wisconsin average. The town’s age of the median resident comes in at 39.3 years.
39.3median age · WI 40.2
| Merrimac | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 24% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.3 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 32% | 29% |
MerrimacWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school28%
Some college16%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.3 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 72% are men (WI 50%).
| Merrimac | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.2% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.1% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.1% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 940 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Merrimac. Close and well known come first.
24 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
6 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
5 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
20 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River18 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water Park
24 mi Stadium & arenaKohl CenterSources: 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 · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Merrimac
18pages on Merrimac
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Merrimac; the nearest are
Madison Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Madison23.1 mi$4,977 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison23.6 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionSouthwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore57.9 mi$4,904 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Merrimac residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Merrimac for work
Where Merrimac’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
42jobs based in Merrimac
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Merrimac
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Merrimac, WI a good place to live?
Merrimac has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.