Enterprise Building · National Register of Historic Places
Palmyra’s story
182 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1845.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1844Palmyra is settled
PalmyraWI
Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,720
2025 Census estimate · −0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$377K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$86K
median
Median age
36.2
years
Jobs based here
748
Balanced
Is Palmyra a good place to live?
The best of Palmyra’s subject grades are an A− for cost of living and an A for history and civic life; the weakest is a C− for schools. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 4 have a lower share of workers working from home than Palmyra. Palmyra is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns. Palmyra’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Wisconsin’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Only 33 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on history. Palmyra has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Palmyra stand out
Where Palmyra beats most towns.
Enterprise BuildingHistoryA
Settled in 1844
A history going back 182 years.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Palmyra8.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA
2.3 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Palmyra grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Palmyra is from typical.
SchoolsC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 21% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.9 of 20; 8.4% of households have no car; 11.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$86K median household income; 748 jobs based hereB+Open →HealthFort Memorial Hospital 11.9 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsB−Open →HistoryAOpen →Civic life8.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.2; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Palmyra: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Palmyra, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPalmyra WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Palmyra’s trash rules yet
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 hereVillage of Palmyra ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5315653156 100%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 Palmyra.
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Palmyra’s schools trail 84% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
16%of WI districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmyra-Eagle MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 96 | C |
| Palmyra-Eagle HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 165 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Palmyra faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Palmyra since 2019.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2019
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Palmyra, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Palmyra has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 13° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–31°
Spring36–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall40–60°
Oct 9
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most working residents commute out of Palmyra
Most working residents leave Palmyra for work: only 4% work in town. At 29 minutes, Palmyra’s average trip to work is where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 11% of Palmyra residents live below the poverty line.
4%work in town
| Palmyra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Palmyra4%
Whitewater15%
Waukesha5%
Madison5%
Fort Atkinson5%
20 mi
median commute distance
748
jobs based in Palmyra
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Palmyra
Palmyra's reported crime rate is well below Wisconsin's. Palmyra’s property crime rate is 4.8 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Palmyra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 8.8 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.8 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Palmyra1.2
Wisconsin3
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Palmyra4.8
Wisconsin12.6
U.S.19.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2023
8
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Palmyra is valued at about $377K
The typical Palmyra home is worth about $377,000, up 5.6% in a year, 12% above the Wisconsin typical home. The median rent in Palmyra is $775 a month.
$377KZillow home value
| Palmyra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $775 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Palmyra$377K
Wisconsin$337K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB−
Palmyra is less healthy than 54% of U.S. towns
Palmyra beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 43% of adults have obesity in Palmyra.
46%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Palmyra | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Palmyra | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.6% | 9.9% |
Fort Memorial Hospital
11.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,493 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Palmyra Village Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Xenobia Springs Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Trailhead park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 55 attractions →Fiserv Forum and 29 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Palmyra. Close and well known come first.
36 mi Stadium & arenaFiserv Forum
37 mi MuseumMilwaukee Art Museum350K visitors a year
13 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
18 mi State parkAztalan State Park
36 mi Stadium & arenaUW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
36 mi MuseumHarley-Davidson Museum300K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fiserv Forum: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milwaukee Art Museum: Michael Hicks (Mulad), CC BY 2.0 · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Aztalan State Park: Joshua Mayer - Flickr user wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena: Shadowlink1014, Public domain · Harley-Davidson Museum: Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 us
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Palmyra
19pages on Palmyra
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 84% of WI districts · 4 schoolsSafety1.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthB−Better than WI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$377K typical home · up 5.6% in a yearWork & commuteB+$86K median household income · 748 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 21% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Palmyra
About 3 of every 100 Palmyra residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Landmarks
4 places in Palmyra on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Palmyra
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Palmyra is a village in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Scuppernong River. It was named after Palmyra, Syria. The population was 1,719 at the 2020 census. The village is adjacent to the Town of Palmyra.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 850 ft
Questions about Palmyra
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Palmyra, 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−.