Collapse Barn and a Silo, 2013
Primrose’s story
179 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1923 on.
- 1847Primrose is settled
PrimroseWI
Trash day: ThursdayPopulation
719
2025 Census estimate · −2.7% since 2020
Median home value
$479K
Census ACS
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
53.5
years
Jobs based here
41
A commuter town
Is Primrose a good place to live?
Primrose’s median age is 53.5 years, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 42.1 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Primrose. The biggest park or preserve is Mount Vernon Creek Fishery Area, at 311 acres. Primrose has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Primrose stand out
Where Primrose beats most towns.
Small town
719 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
New GlarusSpringdalePerryMontroseVeronaPrimrose
Nearby attractions
All 39 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Primrose. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
18 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
40 mi MountainCharles Mound
38 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
14 mi State parkBlue Mound State Park
36 mi State parkDevil's Lake State ParkSources: 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 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Charles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Mound State Park: Mailseth at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Primrose: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Primrose, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers4% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTown’s haulerTown site
SchoolsMount Horeb Area School DistrictNew Glarus School District2 districts serve Primrose; 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 Primrose ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP codes53572, 53508, 53593, 5357453572 39% · 53508 38% · 53593 17% · 53574 6%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 Primrose.
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Primrose, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 2018, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Primrose.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 2018
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Primrose’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Primrose for work: only 1% work in town. At 30 minutes, Primrose’s average trip to work is above both the Wisconsin town median (22 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). 2.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Primrose.
1%work in town
| Primrose | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $108,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Primrose1%
Madison36%
Verona9%
Belleville6%
Fitchburg4%
16 mi
median commute distance
41
jobs based in Primrose
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Primrose has four seasons and pleasant summers
Primrose has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 11° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–80°
Fall39–60°
Oct 9
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Wisconsin overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). 23% of Primrose residents are 65 or older. Primrose has lost 2.7% of its people since 2020, down to 719 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
53.5median age · WI 40.2
| Primrose | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 32% | 29% |
PrimroseWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school29%
Some college16%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Primrose | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.3% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.6% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.7% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.8% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.2% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Primrose is
Primrose beats the Wisconsin average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Primrose | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
20 better12 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Primrose | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.6% | 12.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.9% | 9.9% |
Madison VA Medical Center
17.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Primrose has set aside 3.2% of its land for conservation
4.5 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Primrose’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
3.2%conserved
| Primrose | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.2%
conserved · 721 of 22,764 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SW WI Grassland & Stream Conservation Area - Sherven & Gnewuch Unit | 0.4 mi | 293 |
| 2. Mount Vernon Creek Fishery Area | 0.1 mi | 311 |
| 3. Forest of Fame Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Primrose
18pages on Primrose
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Primrose; the nearest are
Edgewood CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Madison16.6 mi$35,860 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison18.2 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionBlackhawk Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Janesville38.5 mi$4,267 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Primrose residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Primrose for work
Where Primrose’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
41jobs based in Primrose
1%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Primrose
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Primrose, WI a good place to live?
Primrose has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Primrose, WI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Robert M. La Follette and Charles S. Eastman.