Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sparta gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $277K for a typical one, or 4 years of the Sparta area’s $69K median household income. It grades C− overall, 340th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its police reported 34 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 82% of U.S. towns, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 77% of the country. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns. 33% of working residents work locally in Sparta, above both the Wisconsin town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Sparta has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Sparta Free Library and Monroe County Courthouse.
Where Sparta beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Sparta is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,284 in 1860, 10,025 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1863 and 4 maps from 1909 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sparta, 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 Sparta.
Sparta is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s and has cooler summers than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
At 38.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 95% of Wisconsin’s graded towns.
Sparta’s property crime rate is 18.8 per 1,000 residents. Sparta reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less. Sparta’s violent crime rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Sparta | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.8 per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Sparta Area School District. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Meadowview MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 687 | C |
| Sparta HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 871 | D |
| Innovations STEM AcademyTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 90 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
45% of Sparta adults have obesity. Sparta beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 26% of Sparta adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Sparta | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sparta | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 15.9% | 12.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 5.5% |
| More uninsured adults | 10.3% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 82.2°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 83% of Wisconsin places with climate records; January nights average 7.4°.
Sparta has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in Sparta is 7°F. About 55 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Sparta | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 7°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026. 65% of households own their home in Sparta.
| Sparta | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $861 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 3 of Sparta’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Sparta grew to 6,110 in 2023, 561 more than in 2013. The top destinations are La Crosse (12%), Tomah (5%) and Onalaska (5%).
| Sparta | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.8 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Memorial Park, at 57 acres.
| Sparta | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Park | — | 57 |
| 2. Amundson Park | — | 27 |
| 3. Evans-Bosshard Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sparta.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Sparta; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Sparta residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
6 places in Sparta on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Sparta.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Sparta is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States, along the La Crosse River. The population was 10,025 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Sparta.
Angelo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Sparta and Angelo report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Sparta with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sparta grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #340 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
12 notable people were born here, including Deke Slayton and Doane Robinson.
