Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Montello’s best subject grades are an A for civic life and an A− for history; its weakest is a D for incomes. On civic life, just 75 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do better. Montello has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Montello Commercial Historic District and Charles Samuel Richter House. Montello has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Montello beats most towns.
Marquette County Courthouse and Marquette County Sheriff's Office and JailIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Montello is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Montello, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Montello.
In Montello, the income of the median household is $56,000. Most people who work leave Montello to do it: just 18% work in town. 20% of residents live below the poverty line here, above both Wisconsin’s towns (6.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). For half of commuters, work is under 25 miles away.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Two of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Montello School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lane Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 284 | B+ |
| Montello Junior/Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 232 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
39% of adults have high blood pressure in Montello, above both the Wisconsin town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). Montello: 17% of adults smoke cigarettes. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Montello. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Montello is ahead of Wisconsin on 1 and behind on 13.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Montello | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Montello’s rate of reported violence stands at 2.8 per 1,000 residents. The rate of thefts and burglaries for Montello comes to 5.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Montello’s peak summer temperature comes in at 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Zillow values the typical Montello home at about $268,000, up 4.9% in a year, 21% below the Wisconsin typical home. 62% of households are owner-occupiers here.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $638 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The national flood insurance program has paid 8 claims in Montello since 2004. Compared with 58% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. FEMA puts 38% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 36% to inland flooding. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 1.4 miles of trail. Montello’s trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 2, covering 13 acres.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Montello Granite Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Andy Krakow Memorial Fishing Area | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Montello; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Montello residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Montello’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Montello on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Montello is a city in and the county seat of Marquette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,448 at the 2020 census. The Fox River flows through the city. Montello is home to the largest tree in Wisconsin. A notable attraction in the city is the former granite quarry, which has been transformed into a park with several waterfalls. The Montello post office was established in 1850, and still operates today with the zip code 53949.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
33% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
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 B+.
