Fort Winnebago Surgeon's Quarters · National Register of Historic Places
Pacific’s story
172 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 maps from 1957 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1854Pacific is settled
PacificWI
A town of 2,769, settled in 1854.
5 bordering townsMap →
Fort Winnebago Surgeon's Quarters · Photo: Perrywattleworth · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,769
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$286K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
51.5
years
Jobs based here
353
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#225 of 357 in WI
Is Pacific a good place to live?
Pacific gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $286K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household income. It grades B overall, 225th of 357 graded towns in Wisconsin. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, the median household earns $88K. 18% of the land in Pacific is conserved, against 3.8% in Wisconsin’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 71 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on walkability. The biggest park or preserve is Swan Lake Wildlife Area, at 2,436 acres.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Pacific for work
Where Pacific’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
353jobs based in Pacific
1%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Pacific grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Pacific is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 1.2% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & incomeA−Open →SchoolsBehind 62% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationC+Open →HealthAspirus Divine Savior Hospital 4.9 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsB+Open →History1 place on the National RegisterCOpen →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 Pacific: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pacific, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSaddle Ridge Estates water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pacific’s trash rules yet
SchoolsPortage Community School DistrictPardeeville Area School District2 districts serve Pacific; 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 Pacific ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes53954, 5390153954 70% · 53901 29%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 Pacific.
Pacific has fewer 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Wisconsin; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Wisconsin (mostly inland flooding).
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Pacific is higher
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Wisconsin towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Among 362 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a higher FEMA risk score than Pacific.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most working residents commute out of Pacific
Pacific has 353 jobs for its 1,331 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 846 in 2013 to 353.
Most working residents leave Pacific for work: only 1% work in town. 3.2% of Pacific residents live below the poverty line, below both the Wisconsin town median (6.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Pacific has lost 493 jobs, to 353 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Pacific | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Pacific1%
Madison20%
Portage17%
Baraboo3%
DeForest3%
27 mi
median commute distance
353
jobs based in Pacific
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 10% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB+
For the outdoors, Pacific earns a B+
1.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Pacific is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#267for trails in WI
18.1%
conserved · 2,488 of 13,729 acres
1.7 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Swan Lake Wildlife Area | — | 2,436 |
| 2. Lib Cross Island | — | 108 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Pacific has four seasons and pleasant summers
The Portage Wwtp weather station records that about 9 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 77% of Wisconsin places with climate records.
Pacific has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring35–57°
Summer58–81°
Fall39–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Pacific is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns
Within Wisconsin it is less healthy than 71% of the 357 graded towns: Wisconsin sets a high bar.
Pacific beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 76% of adults had a checkup this year in Pacific.
54%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Pacific | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Pacific | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 6.5% |
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital
4.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
29th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 21 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pacific. Close and well known come first.
31 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
17 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
21 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River
17 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park20 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water Park
31 mi Stadium & arenaKohl CenterSources: 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 · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pacific
18pages on Pacific
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pacific; the nearest are
Herzing University-MadisonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison26.1 mi$13,450 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison30.2 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionMoraine Park Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fond du Lac52.8 mi$4,819 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Pacific residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Pacific
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Pacific is a town in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,791 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 22 sq mi
- Elevation
- 787 ft
Pacific’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Pacific.
PortageCaledoniaDekorraWyocenaFort WinnebagoPacific
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | #225 | B | A | — | C+ | B− |
| Portage | #293 | C+ | B+ | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Caledonia | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B− |
| Dekorra | — | — | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Wyocena | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Fort Winnebago | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Caledonia, Dekorra and Wyocena have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Pacific, Caledonia, Dekorra and Wyocena report no FBI crime data of their own. Fort Winnebago isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pacific with a neighbor →
Questions about Pacific
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pacific, WI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Pacific grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #225 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Pacific, 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.