PrincetonWisconsinDowntown, 2007
Princeton’s story
Princeton in pictures
Census counts: 705 in 1870, 1,267 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1918 on.
Explore the history →PrincetonWI
The town, home to 1,552 people, lies in Wisconsin. 85% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,552
2025 Census estimate · +1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$275K
Census ACS
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
56.3
years
Jobs based here
212
A commuter town
Is Princeton a good place to live?
Princeton’s best subject grade is an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C for health. Princeton’s age of the median resident is 56.3 years, above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 84 of Wisconsin’s 874 towns score lower on health. The biggest park or preserve is Fox River Public Access, at 32 acres. Princeton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Princeton stand out
Where Princeton beats most towns.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Princeton for work
Where Princeton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
212jobs based in Princeton
3%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Princeton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Princeton is from typical.
HealthLess healthy than 74% of U.S. towns; Thedacare Medical Center - Berlin 13.5 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsBehind 66% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 3.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $275K, 4 years of the county’s $68K median household incomeB−Open →Jobs & income$84K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landC−Open →History3 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life7.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
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 Princeton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Princeton, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPrinceton Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers65% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Princeton’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 Princeton ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54968, 53946, 5494154968 89% · 53946 7% · 54941 5%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 Princeton.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Princeton has 0.3 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The mean commuting time for Princeton comes to 28 minutes. Just 3% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Employers in Princeton added 95 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 212. The top destinations are Ripon (11%), Oshkosh (6%) and Fond du Lac (4%).
3%work in town
| Princeton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Princeton3%
Ripon11%
Oshkosh6%
Fond du Lac4%
Princeton4%
28 mi
median commute distance
212
jobs based in Princeton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 41% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
A larger share of adults in Princeton have diabetes than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
21% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Princeton. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Princeton. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Princeton is ahead of Wisconsin on 1 and behind on 12.
26%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Princeton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Princeton | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.9% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.5% |
Thedacare Medical Center - Berlin
13.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Princeton stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with fewer of its residents who are under 18
Among residents in Princeton, 30% are 65 or older. Four-year graduates: 27% of adults 25 and older here, 33% across Wisconsin.
56.3median age · WI 40.2
| Princeton | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 30% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
PrincetonWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school34%
Some college22%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate9%
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. Among residents 75 and older, 67% are men (WI 43%).
| Princeton | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.2% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.3% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.6% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.4% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Princeton
A winter brings about 42 inches of snow, with January nights at 9° and July afternoons at 82°.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring34–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall38–58°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Princeton, with inland flooding at the top
Princeton’s FEMA risk score stands at 42 of 100. FEMA puts 46% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 16% to tornadoes. Federal aid has come to Princeton households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2018.
42risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
5
paid flood claims since 1979
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC−
Conservation land takes up 0.3% of Princeton
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 0.8 miles.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 58 of 22,556 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fox River Public Access | 0.1 mi | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Princeton
19pages on Princeton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Princeton
About 4 of every 100 Princeton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Famous people from Princeton
3 notable people were born in Princeton.
About Princeton
City in Wisconsin, United States
Princeton is a city in western Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,267 at the 2020 census. The city is located within the Town of Princeton. The Fox River flows through the city, dividing the city into an eastern half and western half.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 771 ft
- ZIP code
- 54968
- Area code
- 920
Princeton’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Princeton.
Green LakeMarquetteMecanPrincetonBrooklynSt. MariePrinceton
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | — | — | B− | — | C | C |
| Green Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marquette | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mecan | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Princeton | — | — | A | — | C | C |
| Brooklyn | — | — | C+ | — | B− | B− |
| St. Marie | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Princeton, Princeton and Brooklyn have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Princeton, Princeton and Brooklyn report no FBI crime data of their own. Green Lake, Marquette, Mecan and St. Marie aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Princeton with a neighbor →
Questions about Princeton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Princeton, WI a good place to live?
85% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Princeton, 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−.