Swiss Reformed Church, 1895
New Glarus’s story
181 years in pictures
Census counts: 356 in 1890, 2,266 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1858 and 2 maps from 1923 on.
- 1845New Glarus is settled
New GlarusWI
Population
1,427
2025 Census estimate · +2.4% since 2020
Median home value
$494K
Census ACS
Household income
$138K
median
Median age
45.6
years
Jobs based here
102
A commuter town
Is New Glarus a good place to live?
New Glarus’ best subject grades are an A for incomes and schools. New Glarus’ average trip to work is 38 minutes, above both the Wisconsin town median (22 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than New Glarus. The biggest place to walk is New Glarus Woods State Park, 428 acres with 6.3 miles of trail. New Glarus has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes New Glarus stand out
Where New Glarus beats most towns.
Small town
1,427 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PrimroseExeterYorkWashingtonNew Glarus
How New Glarus grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far New Glarus is from typical.
Jobs & incomeAOpen →SchoolsBeat 86% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationAOpen →HealthThe Monroe Clinic 14.3 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 0.4% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $494K, 5.6 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household incomeC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4% conserved landBOpen →History4 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life0.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
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 New Glarus: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Glarus, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNew Glarus Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers22% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have New Glarus’ trash rules yet
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 New Glarus ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP codes53574, 5357053574 93% · 53570 6%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 New Glarus.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
New Glarus stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
1% of working residents work locally in New Glarus, against 8.3% in Wisconsin’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in New Glarus grew to 102 in 2023, 29 more than in 2013. The median household income in New Glarus is $138,000.
1%work in town
| New Glarus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $138,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In New Glarus1%
Madison22%
New Glarus10%
Monroe9%
Verona6%
19 mi
median commute distance
102
jobs based in New Glarus
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, New Glarus is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
New Glarus beats the Wisconsin average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of New Glarus adults feel lonely.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| New Glarus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
7 better24 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | New Glarus | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.2% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 4.9% | 6.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.6% |
The Monroe Clinic
14.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in New Glarus
New Glarus has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 11° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring36–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in New Glarus
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New Glarus.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2013
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB
New Glarus has set aside 3.6% of its land for conservation
7.2 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
3.6%conserved
| New Glarus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.6%
conserved · 768 of 21,624 acres
7.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New Glarus Woods State Park | 6.3 mi | 428 |
| 2. Wilhelm Tell Shooting Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 40 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Glarus. Close and well known come first.
22 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
36 mi MountainCharles Mound
22 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
18 mi State parkBlue Mound State Park
21 mi Zoo & aquariumHenry Vilas Zoo
16 mi MuseumLittle Norway, WisconsinSources: 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 · Charles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Blue Mound State Park: Mailseth at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Henry Vilas Zoo: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 · Little Norway, Wisconsin: Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about New Glarus
19pages on New Glarus
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of New Glarus; the nearest are
Edgewood CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison20.7 mi$35,860 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison22.3 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionBlackhawk Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Janesville36.2 mi$4,267 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 New Glarus residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave New Glarus for work
Where New Glarus’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
102jobs based in New Glarus
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from New Glarus
4 notable people were born in New Glarus.
H
Herbert KublyAmerican journalist · 1915–1996W
Walter SchindlerHighly-decorated career officer in the United States Navy, who ultimately achieved the rank of Vice Admiral. · 1897–1991S
Stan ZweifelAmerican football coach · born 1952T
Theodore G. StreissguthAmerican politician – Minnesota -- "T." Senate 1891-94 (District 18) · 1855–1915About New Glarus
Village in Green County, Wisconsin, United States
New Glarus is a village in Green County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1845 by immigrants from the canton of Glarus in eastern Switzerland, from which the village takes its name. It is located at the intersection of Wisconsin Highways 69 and 39 within the Madison metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1845
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 899 ft
- ZIP code
- 53574
Questions about New Glarus
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New Glarus, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is New Glarus, WI known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Herbert Kubly and Walter Schindler.