Is Oulu a good place to live?
Oulu’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, above both Wisconsin’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 7 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Oulu. John and Justina Palo Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places. Oulu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
582 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Oulu: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oulu, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Oulu.
Very low risk in Oulu, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Oulu’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Oulu for work: only 3% work in town. Oulu’s median household income is $97,000, above both the Wisconsin town median ($87,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). The top destinations are Duluth (12%), Port Wing (11%) and Superior (10%).
| Oulu | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $97,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Oulu
Oulu has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Oulu’s July high is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Oulu than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
40% of Oulu adults have high blood pressure. Oulu beats the Wisconsin average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 13% of Oulu adults have diabetes.
| Oulu | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Oulu | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.1% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 12.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Oulu has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
4.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Oulu is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Oulu | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bayfield County Forest | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 2. Oulu Cultural & Heritage Center | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Oulu
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Oulu; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Oulu residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
97% of working residents leave Oulu for work
Where Oulu’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Oulu
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Oulu ( OO-loo) is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 560 at the 2020 census, up from 527 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Oulu, the fifth most populous city of Finland located in the North Ostrobothnia region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1904
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,010 ft
Questions about Oulu
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oulu, WI a good place to live?
Oulu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.