Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Oshkosh is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C+ overall, 298th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: homes are within reach, about $260K for a typical one, or 3.5 years of the Oshkosh metro’s $75K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its schools rank behind 70% of the state's. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 39 places on the National Register. 42% of working residents work locally in Oshkosh, against 8.2% in Wisconsin’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 18 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on walkability. Its National Register listings include Paine Art Center and Arboretum and Jessie Jack Hooper House.
Where Oshkosh beats most towns.
Oshkosh Grand Opera House
Lewis Hine
Its founding year, 1818, comes before those of 98% of the Wisconsin towns we grade with a known year. Its 39 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Wisconsin towns with a listing.
Census counts: 6,086 in 1860, 66,816 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1824 and 3 maps from 1961 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Oshkosh is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oshkosh, 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 Oshkosh.
Oshkosh is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s.
10 miles of trail in 38 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Winnebago County Community Park, at 260 acres.
| Oshkosh | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ken Robl Conservation Park | 1.1 mi | 40 |
| 2. Coughlin Community Natural Area | 1 mi | 48 |
| 3. Winnebago County Community Park | 0.1 mi | 260 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Oshkosh Area School District. Three of its 29 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vel Phillips Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 832 | D |
| West HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,623 | B+ |
| Traeger ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 423 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 34% of residents (38% statewide). Oshkosh’s median age is 34.4 years. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Oshkosh | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.4 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1 point. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 34.2, men 34.5.
| Oshkosh | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18.1% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.7% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.5% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
55% of Oshkosh households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.5% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Oshkosh is $935 a month.
| Oshkosh | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $935 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 44% | 39% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Oshkosh has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 10° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 67 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oshkosh.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 24.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 84% of Wisconsin’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 1,238 to 1,052 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
18% of residents live below the poverty line in Oshkosh. Since 2013, Oshkosh has added 1,915 jobs, to 40,049 in 2023. The top destinations are Appleton (5%), Neenah (5%) and Fond du Lac (5%).
| Oshkosh | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,466 U.S. towns with household incomes like Oshkosh’s, it is healthier than 67%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Oshkosh beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Oshkosh | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Oshkosh | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 8.9% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oshkosh. Close and well known come first.
8 mi LakeLake Winnebago
in town MuseumEAA Aviation Museum
in town MuseumOshkosh Public Museumin town Zoo & aquariumMenominee Park Zoo
18 mi MuseumThe History Museum at the Castle
29 mi MuseumWade House Historic SiteLake Winnebago: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · EAA Aviation Museum: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Oshkosh Public Museum: The original uploader was Royalbroil at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5 · The History Museum at the Castle: Sirala at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Wade House Historic Site: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Oshkosh
About 13 of every 100 Oshkosh residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
39 places in Oshkosh on the National Register of Historic Places.
54 notable people were born in Oshkosh.
City in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, US
Oshkosh ( ) is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Fox River between Lake Butte des Morts and Lake Winnebago. The population was 66,816 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth-most populous city in Wisconsin. The Oshkosh metropolitan statistical area, consisting solely of Winnebago County, had 171,730 residents. Oshkosh is included in the greater Fox Cities region of Wisconsin.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Oshkosh.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshkosh | #298 | C+ | B | C+ | C | B− |
| Oshkosh | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Black Wolf | — | — | B | — | C | C+ |
| Nekimi | — | — | B− | — | C | B |
| Algoma | #279 | C+ | C+ | — | C | B+ |
Oshkosh, Black Wolf and Nekimi have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Oshkosh, Black Wolf, Nekimi and Algoma report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Oshkosh with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oshkosh grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #298 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and C for schools.
Wisconsin has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Oshkosh sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
54 notable people were born here, including Lewis Hine and Tyrese Haliburton.
