Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. River Falls earns an A, ranked 27th of 357 in Wisconsin. Its schools rank ahead of 81% of Wisconsin towns, residents are healthier than 80% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and it has 15 miles of trail. Its lowest mark, a B, is in cost of living. River Falls’ trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile, above both Wisconsin’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). On walkability, just 67 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. River Falls is home to University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Where River Falls beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Branch Elementary | PK–5 | 441 |
| Greenwood Elementary | K–5 | 409 |
| Westside Elementary | PK–5 | 403 |
Census counts: 272 in 1860, 16,182 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and a map from 1946 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far River Falls is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in River Falls, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in River Falls.
River Falls is shaped by its college students, sends many workers across the state line to St. Paul and is one of Wisconsin’s best towns for the outdoors.
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #3 of 362 in Wisconsin.
The biggest park or preserve is Hoffman Park, at 54 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hoffman Park | 0.2 mi | 54 |
| 2. Glen Park | 0.1 mi | 39 |
| 3. Mound Park | 0.2 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the River Falls School District. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 725 | B |
| River Falls HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,062 | B |
| Greenwood ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 409 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
25% of River Falls adults have high blood pressure, below both the Wisconsin town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 7.5% of adults have diabetes in River Falls. River Falls beats the Wisconsin average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 78% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.5% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | River Falls | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.5% | 11.4% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.4% | 6.6% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.2% | 19% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical River Falls home is worth about $415,000, up 3.6% in a year, 23% above the Wisconsin typical home. 55% of River Falls households own their home.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,107 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 181 to 107 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
River Falls’ property crime rate is 4.7 per 1,000 residents.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 81.9°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 75% of Wisconsin places with climate records; January nights average 6°.
River Falls has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in River Falls is 6°F. About 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 6°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
31% of working residents cross a state line to work, St. Paul among the top destinations. River Falls has about as many jobs (5,577) as working residents, but only 1,557 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of River Falls’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, River Falls has added 603 jobs, to 5,577 in 2023. The top destinations are Hudson (12%), St.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in River Falls since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around River Falls. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
24 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
30 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
33 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
30 mi Theme parkNickelodeon Universe
27 mi Stadium & arenaAllianz FieldU.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nickelodeon Universe: Tyler Vigen, CC BY 4.0 · Allianz Field: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of River Falls
College town 26 of every 100 River Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
15.6% of the town is conserved land, across 14 parks and preserves.
7 places in River Falls on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in River Falls.
City in Pierce and St. Croix Counties, Wisconsin
River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is mostly within the town of River Falls, and adjacent to the town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierce County. The population was 16,182 at the 2020 census, with 12,546 residing in Pierce County and 3,636 in St. Croix County. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area and about 30 miles (48 km) east of the center of that region. River Falls is the home of the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with River Falls.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Falls | #27 | A | B | B+ | A− | A− |
| Troy | #152 | B+ | C | — | A | A− |
| River Falls | — | — | C+ | — | A− | A− |
| Kinnickinnic | — | — | B− | — | A− | A− |
River Falls and Kinnickinnic have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Troy, River Falls and Kinnickinnic report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare River Falls with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. River Falls grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #27 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools.
That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($99,833 across the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro 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.
13 notable people were born here, including Anna Dodge and Frankie Rayder.
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