C&NW 4408 at Niagara, MI on October 5, 1988, 1988
Niagara’s story
129 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1988.
- 1897Niagara is settled
NiagaraWI
A town of 1,577, settled in 1897. A typical home costs 3 years of the Marinette area’s $61K median household income.
Trash day: Wednesday3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,577
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$185K
+8.4% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
440
A commuter town
Is Niagara a good place to live?
Niagara’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and safety; its weakest is a D for incomes. Niagara has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Niagara stand out
Where Niagara beats most towns.
Typical home value
Niagara$185K
Wisconsin$337K
Cost of livingA
3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 86% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Niagara1.9
Wisconsin2.4
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
21% less violent crime than WI
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Niagara for work
Where Niagara’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
440jobs based in Niagara
9%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Niagara grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Niagara is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SafetyAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 2.5% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →HealthDickinson County Memorial Hospital 2.9 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksBOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life4.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.6; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Niagara: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Niagara, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNiagara WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereCity of Niagara ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5415154151 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 Niagara.
SafetyA
In Niagara, property crime runs lower than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
Niagara reports less crime per resident than 85% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Its violent crime rate comes in at 1.9 per 1,000 residents.
85%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Niagara | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Niagara1.9
Wisconsin2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Niagara0.6
Wisconsin10.3
U.S.15.5
85th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsC
On state tests, Niagara’s schools trail 71% of Wisconsin districts
Its two schools are below. The Niagara School District runs its public schools. Public school enrollment in the town: 455 students across 2 schools.
29%of WI districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 271 | B− |
| Niagara HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 184 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
A home in Niagara is worth about $185K, on Zillow’s estimate
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 8.4% in value. Niagara’s midpoint rent comes in at $910 a month. The share of households in Niagara who live in a home they own is 81%, against 74% in Wisconsin’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
$185KZillow home value
| Niagara | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $910 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Niagara$185K
Wisconsin$337K
+8.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Niagara’s workers commute out
The share of residents in Niagara who live below the poverty line is 15%, above both Wisconsin’s towns (6.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Most people who work leave Niagara to do it: just 9% work in town. In Niagara, the typical journey to work is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Niagara has lost 169 jobs, to 440 in 2023.
9%work in town
| Niagara | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Niagara9%
Iron Mountain29%
Kingsford10%
Breitung Township6%
Norway3%
6 mi
median commute distance
440
jobs based in Niagara
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 27% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Niagara is less healthy than 70% of U.S. towns
32% of Niagara adults sleep under 7 hours. Two figures for adults locally: 16% report frequent physical distress, 17% smoke cigarettes.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Niagara | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Niagara | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6.5% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.5% | 6.6% |
Dickinson County Memorial Hospital
2.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Niagara’s year
Niagara’s peak summer temperature stands at 80°F.
61″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–27°
Spring28–53°
Summer53–78°
Fall35–55°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 17
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Niagara, with cold waves at the top
Since 2015, Niagara has seen 2 flood insurance claims paid out. Compared with 61% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Expected losses in Niagara break down as 61% from cold waves and 32% from inland flooding.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 2015
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Niagara
17pages on Niagara
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 71% of WI districts · 2 schoolsSafetyA1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than WI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$185K typical home · up 8.4% in a yearWork & commuteD$61K median household income · 440 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Niagara; the nearest are
Bay de Noc Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Escanaba, MI44.2 mi$5,712 in-state tuitionNorthern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marquette, MI61 mi$14,277 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Niagara residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Niagara
City in Wisconsin, United States
Niagara is a city in Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,602 at the 2020 census. The city lies to the north of and adjacent to the Town of Niagara. It is part of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 54151
Niagara’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Niagara.
Breitung TownshipNiagaraQuinnesecNiagara
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara · Niagara | — | — | A | A | C | C |
Niagara has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Niagara and Niagara are one community, graded once. Compare Niagara with a neighbor →
Questions about Niagara
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Niagara, WI expensive?
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 A.