Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of River Falls’ subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for schools and health. River Falls’ average trip to work is 31 minutes, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. River Falls has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where River Falls’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far River Falls is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 272 in 1860, 16,182 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1946 on.
Explore the history →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 beats the Wisconsin average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 21% of adults binge drink in River Falls, above both the Wisconsin town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 28% of adults have high blood pressure in River Falls.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 78% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | River Falls | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.8% | 77.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave River Falls for work: only 1% work in town. River Falls’ median household income is $119,000. Jobs based in River Falls grew to 121 in 2023, 27 more than in 2013.
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $119,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
River Falls has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in River Falls is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| River Falls | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Golf View East Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of River Falls
About 2 of every 100 River Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
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)
5 towns share a border with River Falls.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Falls | — | — | C+ | — | A− | A− |
| River Falls | #27 | A | B | B+ | A− | A− |
| Martell | — | — | B | — | A− | B+ |
| Trimbelle | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Clifton | — | — | B− | — | A− | A− |
| Kinnickinnic | — | — | B− | — | A− | A− |
River Falls, Martell, Trimbelle, Clifton and Kinnickinnic have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. River Falls, Martell, Trimbelle, Clifton 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.
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 C+.
