Alanson M Kimball House, 2015
Pine River’s story
Pine River in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
Explore the history →Pine RiverWI
A town of 1,845. 30% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,845
2025 Census estimate · −1.3% since 2020
Median home value
$280K
Census ACS
Household income
$110K
median
Median age
49.8
years
Jobs based here
172
A commuter town
Is Pine River a good place to live?
Pine River’s best subject grades are an A− for incomes and an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for walkability. Only 51 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on walkability. Pine River’s January low is 5°F, below both the Wisconsin town median (11°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). Only 43 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on the outdoors. Pine River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pine River stand out
Where Pine River beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Pine River for work
Where Pine River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
172jobs based in Pine River
2%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Pine River grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Pine River is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 1.8% of households have no car; 0.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeA−Open →HealthAspirus Merrill Hospital 7.2 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $280K, 4.1 years of the county’s $68K median household incomeB+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsDOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life5 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 Pine River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pine River, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Public Service17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDeer Run Mobile Home Community water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers72% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pine River’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 hereTown of Pine River ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5445254452 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 Pine River.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Pine River’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Pine River for work: only 2% work in town. At $110,000, Pine River’s median household income is against $87,000 in Wisconsin’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Pine River fell to 172 in 2023, 78 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Pine River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $110,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Pine River2%
Merrill26%
Wausau15%
Schofield3%
Weston2%
17 mi
median commute distance
172
jobs based in Pine River
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 8% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
Pine River’s public schools outperform 53% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Merrill Area School District. Its one school is below.
53%of WI districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine River School for Young Learners (PRSYL)Largest public school before high schoolGrades PK | Grades PK | 124 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). Pine River’s median age is 49.8 years. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
49.8median age · WI 40.2
| Pine River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.8 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 21% | 22% |
Pine RiverWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school35%
Some college16%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Pine River | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.1% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.8% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,800, single groups can be off by several points
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Pine River is less healthy than 67% of U.S. towns
Pine River beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 42% of adults have obesity in Pine River.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Pine River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Pine River | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.6% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.6% |
Aspirus Merrill Hospital
7.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Pine River, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Pine River has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Pine River is 79°F.
54″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–25°
Spring30–53°
Summer54–77°
Fall35–54°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Cold waves leads a low hazard risk in Pine River
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsD
Pine River has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
1.6 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 8 of 40,619 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 5 attractions →Granite Peak Ski Area and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pine River. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Ski areaGranite Peak Ski Area52 runs · 660 ft vertical
15 mi MuseumLeigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
15 mi TheatreGrand Theater
15 mi MuseumLeigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum15 mi TheatreGrand TheaterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum: User:Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Grand Theater: Billertl, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pine River
18pages on Pine River
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pine River
About 6 of every 100 Pine River residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
About Pine River
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Pine River is a town in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,874 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 64 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,512 ft
Pine River’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Pine River.
ScottMerrillSchleyTexasAckleyMerrillPine River
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine River | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C |
| Scott | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C |
| Merrill | #329 | C | B+ | C | B− | C− |
| Schley | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Texas | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Ackley | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Merrill | #260 | B− | A− | — | B− | C |
Pine River, Scott and Texas have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Pine River, Scott, Texas and Merrill report no FBI crime data of their own. Schley and Ackley aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pine River with a neighbor →
Questions about Pine River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pine River, WI a good place to live?
30% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Pine River, 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+.