Packwaukee Wisconsin Downtown Looking North CountyD, 2012
Packwaukee’s story
177 years in pictures
The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1849Packwaukee is settled
PackwaukeeWI
20% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,497
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Median home value
$200K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
51.1
years
Jobs based here
35
A commuter town
Is Packwaukee a good place to live?
Packwaukee’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for schools. Only 42 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. A typical home costs about $200K, 3 years of the county’s $66K median household income. Only 47 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns score lower on health. Page Creek Marsh State Natural Area, at 652 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Packwaukee has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Packwaukee stand out
Where Packwaukee beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Packwaukee4.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA
20% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1849
A long history
A history going back 177 years.
Small town
1,497 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MoundvilleMontelloHarrisBuffaloOxfordShieldsPackwaukee
How Packwaukee grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Packwaukee is from typical.
SchoolsBehind 86% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationDOpen →Jobs & income35 jobs based hereC−Open →HealthLess healthy than 79% of U.S. towns; Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital 14 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 2.7% of households have no car; 3.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trails; 3% conserved landB−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life4.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 Packwaukee: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Packwaukee, and how to reach them.
PowerAdams-Columbia Electric Coop19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLily Meadows Assisted Living water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpPackwaukee Recycling CenterIn townOpenStreetMap
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 Packwaukee ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes53949, 5395353949 84% · 53953 14%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 Packwaukee.
HealthC−
More of Packwaukee’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Packwaukee, above both the Wisconsin town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 44% of adults have obesity in Packwaukee. Only 7 of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Packwaukee.
21%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Packwaukee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
2 better16 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Packwaukee | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.1% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.5% | 85.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 6.5% |
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital
14 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, fewer of Packwaukee’s working residents work locally
0.7% of working residents work locally in Packwaukee, below both Wisconsin’s towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). The average trip to work in Packwaukee is 28 minutes. The top destinations are Portage (14%), Montello (8%) and Madison (5%).
1%work in town
| Packwaukee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Packwaukee1%
Portage14%
Montello8%
Madison5%
Westfield4%
23 mi
median commute distance
35
jobs based in Packwaukee
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
High risk in Packwaukee, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHail
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Packwaukee
Packwaukee has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 9° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–30°
Spring34–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall38–59°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
3.3% of Packwaukee is conserved land
5.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Packwaukee’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
3.3%conserved
| Packwaukee | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.3%
conserved · 843 of 25,831 acres
5.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Page Creek Marsh State Natural Area | 1.1 mi | 652 |
| 2. Montello School Forest | — | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Packwaukee
18pages on Packwaukee
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Packwaukee; the nearest are
Ripon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ripon28.7 mi$51,900 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-OshkoshUniversity or college · Public · Oshkosh46.4 mi$8,532 in-state tuitionMid-State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wisconsin Rapids47.3 mi$5,002 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Packwaukee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Packwaukee for work
Where Packwaukee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
35jobs based in Packwaukee
1%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Packwaukee
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Packwaukee is a town in Marquette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,469 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Buffalo Shore Estates and Packwaukee are located in the town. Packwaukee was named in honor of Winnebego Chief Packwaukee. It was plotted in 1850 and a post office established. The name Packwaukee comes from the Ojibwa, meaning 'shallow land', or the Potawatomi, meaning 'it is shallow'. Pioneer missionary priest Father Verwyst claimed the name came from the Ojibwa word for 'forest opening'. In the Menominee language, it is called Paehkuahkiw, which means 'small round elevation, hillock'.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 41 sq mi
- Elevation
- 791 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Packwaukee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Packwaukee, WI a good place to live?
20% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Packwaukee, 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 B+.