Prairie du Chien’s weakest is health: residents are less healthy than just over four fifths of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Where it does best is walkability — it is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Add schools to its strengths — its public schools beat 69% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation. At about $212K, a typical home costs 3.3 years of the county’s $64K median household income. All told, that adds up to a C+ overall and a rank of 285th of 357 in Wisconsin. That leaves it better than 44% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Fort Crawford Military Hospital and Dousman Hotel. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 17 places on the National Register.

Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.

StrongestA⁺History AWalkability AOutdoorsWeakestC⁻Health CJobs & income

What makes Prairie du Chien stand out

Where Prairie du Chien beats most towns.

Astor Fur Warehouse

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1673

A history going back 353 years.

WalkabilityA

More walkable than 87% of U.S. towns

5.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Astor Fur Warehouse · National Register of Historic Places

Prairie du Chien’s story

353 years in pictures

Astor Fur Warehouse is one of 5 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1673, is the earliest of any Wisconsin town we grade.

Census counts: 2,398 in 1860, 5,506 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1780 and 3 maps from 1929 on.

17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1673Prairie du Chien is settled

Explore the history →

How Prairie du Chien grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Prairie du Chien is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.8 of 20; 7.9% of households have no carAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 81% of U.S. towns; Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center 4 miles awayC⁻Open →Jobs & income$54K median household income; 3,965 jobs based hereCOpen →SchoolsSchools do better than mostB⁺Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnBOpen →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 45% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors4 miles of trails; 3% conserved landAOpen →History11 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life5.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Housing market64 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 46.7; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Prairie du Chien: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Prairie du Chien, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerXcel Energy15.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterPrairie Du Chien WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Prairie du Chien’s trash rules yet

SchoolsPrairie du Chien Area School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereCity of Prairie Du Chien ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP code5382153821 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 Prairie du Chien.

Prairie du Chien draws workers from Bridgeport and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

About one in two working residents works right in Prairie du Chien

3,965 jobs are based in Prairie du Chien, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16 minutes, against 22.2 across Wisconsin.

Prairie du Chien’s typical journey to work comes in at 16 minutes. 42% of Prairie du Chien working residents work locally, above both the Wisconsin town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). For residents here, the share who live below the poverty line is 17%. The top destinations are Bridgeport (7%), La Crosse (5%) and Prairie du Chien (2%).

42%work in town

	Prairie du Chien	Wisconsin towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	42%	8.2%	8%
Average trip to work	16 minutes	22 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	17%	6.3%	9.6%
Median household income	$54,000	$88,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Prairie du Chien42%

Bridgeport7%

La Crosse5%

Prairie du Chien2%

Marquette2%

3 mi

median commute distance

3,965

jobs based in Prairie du Chien

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here3,965 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work42% work in Prairie du Chien Commute times16 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 3 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SchoolsB⁺

Prairie du Chien earns a B+ for schools

Three of its 9 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The Prairie du Chien Area School District runs its public schools. Public school enrollment here: 894 students across 4 schools.

69%of WI districts it outscoresB⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
BA Kennedy SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2	Grades PK–2	217	–
Prairie du Chien HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	287	B⁻
Bluff View ElementaryTop results in townGrades 3–5	Grades 3–5	190	A⁻

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsPrairie du Chien Area School District Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Every school9 schools · Prairie du Chien High Questions“Are Prairie du Chien’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation

OutdoorsA

2.9% of Prairie du Chien is conserved land

LaRiviere Park, at 261 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Count the trails in 14 parks and preserves and they come to 3.5 miles. The concentration of trails for Prairie du Chien comes to 0.5 miles per square mile, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4.

#121for trails in WI

	Prairie du Chien	Wisconsin towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.5 miles per square mile	0.4	0.4
Conserved land	2.9%	3.8%	4.3%

2.9%

conserved · 121 of 4,150 acres

3.5 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. LaRiviere Park	1.9 mi	261
2. St. Feriole Island Park	0.6 mi	160
3. Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge	—	51

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map3.5 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk1.9 miles of trail · LaRiviere Park Conserved land2.9% conserved · 121 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Prairie du Chien?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

HealthC⁻

Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, more of Prairie du Chien’s adults have diabetes

Against the 7,205 U.S. towns with household incomes like Prairie du Chien’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.

In Prairie du Chien, 18% of adults smoke cigarettes. Against the Wisconsin average, Prairie du Chien comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 18.

19%healthier than U.S. townsC⁻Health Grade

	Prairie du Chien	Wisconsin towns	U.S. towns
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	33%	26%	25%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	18%	14%	14%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	16%	13%	14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	14%	11%	12%

32 measures vs. Wisconsin

1 better13 too close to call18 worse

What stands out	Prairie du Chien	WI
More adults treating high blood pressure	80.3%	77.8%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	14.6%	9.9%

Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center

4 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

2nd

percentile among WI towns

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby4 miles to an ER · Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than WI on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

HousingCost of living grade B

Prairie du Chien earns a B for cost of living

Zillow values the typical Prairie du Chien home at about $212,000, up 6.6% in a year, 37% below the Wisconsin typical home. In Prairie du Chien, the typical rent is $795 a month. Also worth knowing: among households here, 67% own their home.

$212KZillow home value

	Prairie du Chien	Wisconsin towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$795 a month	$1,080 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	67%	74%	73%

Typical home value

Prairie du Chien$212K

Wisconsin$337K

Market temperature

days on market

96.8%

sale-to-list price

+6.6%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in September

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 6.6% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.9 years of income Rents$795 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of its graded neighbor

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

The climate in Prairie du Chien brings four seasons and pleasant summers

Only 7 of the 362 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher midsummer high than Prairie du Chien. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.

34″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter14–31°

Spring37–58°

Summer60–81°

Fall40–60°

Oct 12

typical first frost

Apr 28

typical last frost

+0.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 83°, January lows 10°Rain & snow34″ of snow a winter · 37 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B⁻

The biggest natural risk in Prairie du Chien is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level

FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Prairie du Chien than in 55% of U.S. communities. The town has had 42 paid flood insurance claims since 1978. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 46% come from inland flooding and 18% from cold waves. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.

45risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims42 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters7 federal disasters · Paid out in Prairie du Chien Get ready2.5 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SafetyB⁻

More crime per resident in Prairie du Chien than in 53% of U.S. towns

At 19.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 71% of Wisconsin’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 107 to 38 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

The violent crime rate in Prairie du Chien is 0.7 per 1,000 residents. Its property crime rate stands at 6.2 per 1,000 residents.

47%of U.S. towns report more crimeB⁻Safety Grade

	Prairie du Chien	Wisconsin towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	0.7 per 1,000 residents	1.1	1.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	6.2 per 1,000 residents	6.5	9.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Prairie du Chien0.7

Wisconsin2.4

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Prairie du Chien6.2

Wisconsin10.3

U.S.15.5

47th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

29th

percentile among WI towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pagePrairie du Chien’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighbors2 bordering towns Questions“Is Prairie du Chien, WI safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Prairie du Chien

20pages on Prairie du Chien

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Prairie du Chien; the nearest are

Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore25.5 mi$4,904 in-state tuition University of Wisconsin-PlattevilleUniversity or college · Public · Platteville39.2 mi$8,644 in-state tuition

About 3 of every 100 Prairie du Chien residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A job hub

Every workday, about 2,904 people come to Prairie du Chien for work

Where Prairie du Chien’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

3,965jobs based in Prairie du Chien

42%of working residents work in town

3 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Landmarks

17 places in Prairie du Chien on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Astor Fur WarehouseBuilt 1835 · National Historic Landmark

Dousman HotelBuilt 1864 · National Historic Landmark

Fort Crawford Military HospitalNational Historic Landmark

Michael Brisbois HouseBuilt 1837 · National Historic Landmark

Famous people from Prairie du Chien

11 notable people were born in Prairie du Chien.

See all 11 →

Pat BowlenAmerican football executive · 1944–2019

Kirk MunroeAmerican writer · 1850–1930

Frederic O. MacCartneyAmerican politician and minister, Massachusetts · 1864–1903

Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark Van CleveAmerican suffragist · 1819–1907

Daniel W. LawlerAmerican mayor · 1859–1926

Jeremiah Burnham TainterAmerican inventor · 1836–1920

About Prairie du Chien

City in Wisconsin, United States

Official town website ↗

Prairie du Chien ( PRAIR-ee doo SHEEN) is a city in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Often called Wisconsin's second-oldest city, Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late 17th century. Its settlement date of June 17, 1673, makes it the fourth colonial settlement by European settlers in the Midwestern United States, after Green Bay, Wisconsin; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; and St. Ignace, Michigan. The city has many sites showing its rich history in the region. Prairie du Chien is near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, a strategic point along the Fo…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1673
Area: 6.6 sq mi
Elevation: 640 ft
ZIP code: 53821
Area code: 608

Prairie du Chien’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Prairie du Chien.

Explore the map →

BridgeportPrairie du ChienPrairie du Chien

Bridgeport

SE · 7% of Prairie du Chien workers commute here

Visit

Prairie du Chien

NE · 2% of Prairie du Chien workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	WI rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Prairie du Chien · Prairie du Chien	#285	C⁺	B	B⁻	B⁺	C⁻
Bridgeport	—	—	B⁻	—	B⁺	C⁻

Bridgeport has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Bridgeport reports no FBI crime data of its own. Prairie du Chien and Prairie du Chien are one community, graded once. Compare Prairie du Chien with a neighbor →

Questions about Prairie du Chien

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Prairie du Chien, WI a good place to live?

Prairie du Chien grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #285 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Prairie du Chien, WI expensive?

Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.

What is Prairie du Chien, WI known for?

11 notable people were born here, including Pat Bowlen and Kirk Munroe.

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