Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,414, settled in 1880. 2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Shell Lake’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a C− for incomes. 31% of residents are 65 or older in Shell Lake, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%. On incomes, just 77 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Only 78 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score higher on civic life. Shell Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Shell Lake beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Shell Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 902 in 1910, 1,371 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shell Lake, 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 Shell Lake.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 2002, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shell Lake.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Shell Lake School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Shell Lake Junior/Senior High, with 300 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)Largest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 153 | B+ |
| Shell Lake Junior/Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 300 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
People 65 and older are 31% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). Shell Lake’s median age is 49.8 years, above both Wisconsin’s towns (42.1 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Shell Lake has grown 3.6% since 2020, to 1,414 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Shell Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.8 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 21% | 22% |
57% women, 43% men
About 75 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.7 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Shell Lake | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.3% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Shell Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Shell Lake’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Shell Lake for work: only 14% work in town. The average trip to work in Shell Lake is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Spooner (20%), Rice Lake (5%) and Eau Claire (3%).
| Shell Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Shell Lake home is worth about $321,000, up 5.2% in a year, close to the Wisconsin typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
41% of Shell Lake adults have high blood pressure. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Shell Lake. 21% of Shell Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Shell Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Shell Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 9.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.6% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.8% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Shell Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Shell Lake; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Shell Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Shell Lake is a city in Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,371 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Washburn County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Not for the area. That is 5.1 years of the area's median household income ($63,441 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.