Holt-Balcom Lumber Company Office, 1854
Oconto’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1854.
- 1869Oconto is settled
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,398
2025 Census estimate · +4.3% since 2020
Median home value
$275K
Census ACS
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
41.4
years
Jobs based here
41
A commuter town
Is Oconto a good place to live?
Oconto’s best subject grades are a B for cost of living and incomes; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Only 33 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. The biggest park or preserve is Oconto County Forest, at 1,357 acres. Oconto has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,398 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
OcontoStilesLittle RiverPensaukeeOconto
How Oconto grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Oconto is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →HealthBellin Health Oconto Hospital 3.7 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 1% of households have no car; 2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $275K, 3.5 years of the Green Bay metro’s $79K median household incomeBOpen →Jobs & income$93K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trails; 6% conserved landBOpen →History8 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life0.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
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 Oconto: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oconto, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Public Service17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery other week (by_zone: Wed, Thu)Curbside recyclingTown site
SchoolsOconto School DistrictLena School District2 districts serve Oconto; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 Oconto ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54153, 5413954153 87% · 54139 13%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 Oconto.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Oconto has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Oconto for work: only 2% work in town. At 33 minutes, Oconto’s average trip to work is against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Oconto fell to 41 in 2023, 24 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Oconto | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Oconto2%
Oconto22%
Green Bay12%
Marinette6%
Ashwaubenon6%
25 mi
median commute distance
41
jobs based in Oconto
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 37% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
35%of WI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lena Mennonite School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades 1–8 | Grades 1–8 | 39 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HealthC
Oconto is less healthy than 73% of U.S. towns
Oconto beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 44% of adults have obesity in Oconto, above both Wisconsin’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (35%). 31% of adults get no exercise outside work in Oconto.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Oconto | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Oconto | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 17.2% | 13.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 6.6% |
Bellin Health Oconto Hospital
3.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Oconto, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 31 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oconto.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
31
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Oconto
Oconto has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Oconto’s July high is 80°F.
52″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring32–53°
Summer56–78°
Fall38–57°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
6.2%conserved
| Oconto | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.2% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
6.2%
conserved · 1,458 of 23,350 acres
6.8 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oconto County Forest | 0.4 mi | 1,357 |
| 2. Oconto Sportsmens Club | — | 85 |
| 3. Oconto City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oconto
19pages on Oconto
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Oconto; the nearest are
University of Wisconsin-Green BayUniversity or college · Public · Green Bay24.6 mi$8,700 in-state tuitionNortheast Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Green Bay26.3 mi$4,960 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Oconto residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Oconto for work
Where Oconto’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
41jobs based in Oconto
2%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Oconto
8 notable people were born in Oconto.
About Oconto
City in Wisconsin, United States
Oconto is a city and county seat of Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,609 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area. The city is located partially within the town of Oconto.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 7.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 584 ft
- ZIP code
- 54153
- Area code
- 920
Questions about Oconto
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oconto, 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 B.
What is Oconto, WI known for?
8 notable people were born here, including Fay Holderness and David G. Classon.