Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,174.
The best of Montello’s subject grades is an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D for schools. 32% of residents are 65 or older in Montello, above both Wisconsin’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%). On health, just 46 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns do worse. 17% of the land in Montello is conserved, above both the Wisconsin town median (3.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Grand River Marsh Wildlife Area, at 958 acres. Montello has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Montello beats most towns.
In 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 →
Census counts: 394 in 1880, 1,448 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 2 maps from 1984 on.
Explore the history →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.
16% of Montello adults report frequent physical distress. Montello beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 22% of Montello adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Montello | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.1% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No town among the 363 in Wisconsin we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Montello. Since 2013, Montello has lost 138 jobs, to 87 in 2023. Montello’s average trip to work is 30 minutes.
| Montello | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
4.9 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Montello is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grand River Marsh Wildlife Area | — | 958 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Montello has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 9° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Montello.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Montello; the nearest are
About 1 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
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.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.