Spencer, Wis, 1912
Spencer’s story
Spencer in pictures
Census counts: 526 in 1890, a low of 362 in 1910, 1,818 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 2 maps from 1979 on.
Explore the history →Population
1,599
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Median home value
$269K
Census ACS
Household income
$101K
median
Median age
32.0
years
Jobs based here
200
A commuter town
Is Spencer a good place to live?
Spencer’s median age is 32 years, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 42.1 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. The biggest park or preserve is McMillan State Wildlife Area, at 2,111 acres. We don’t grade Spencer yet; the figures below are still real.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Spencer for work
Where Spencer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
200jobs based in Spencer
1%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Spencer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Spencer, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy15.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSpencer Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown pickupTown crews pick up at the curbTown site
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 Spencer ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP codes54449, 5447954449 57% · 54479 43%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 Spencer.
Work & commute
Most of Spencer’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Spencer for work: only 1% work in town. At 20 minutes, Spencer’s average trip to work is below both the Wisconsin town median (22 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Spencer’s median household income is $101,000.
1%work in town
| Spencer | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Spencer1%
Marshfield38%
Spencer9%
Abbotsford3%
Stratford3%
9 mi
median commute distance
200
jobs based in Spencer
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in Spencer, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Spencer has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Spencer has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Spencer is 80°F.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–26°
Spring31–53°
Summer55–78°
Fall36–55°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
9.5%conserved
9.5%
conserved · 1,920 of 20,130 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McMillan State Wildlife Area | — | 2,111 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Spencer is
Spencer tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Spencer.
| Spencer | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Marshfield Medical Center
4.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Spencer
18pages on Spencer
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Spencer; the nearest are
Mid-State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wisconsin Rapids32.5 mi$5,002 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens PointUniversity or college · Public · Stevens Point36 mi$9,488 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Spencer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Spencer
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Spencer is a village in Marathon County, Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,818 at the 2020 census. The village, which lies between two marshes (Spencer Marsh to the northwest and McMillan Marsh to the southeast) was founded in 1874 at a branch on the Wisconsin Central Railway. Today it sits at the crossroads of Wisconsin Highway 13 (WIS 13) and WIS 98 and serves as the terminus of several Marathon County Trunk Highways. Spencer lies about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Marshfield, along WIS 13.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,312 ft
- ZIP code
- 54479
Spencer’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Spencer.
SpencerMarshfieldMcMillanShermanLincolnBrightonSpencer
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Spencer | — | — | A+ | — | B | B− |
| Marshfield | #157 | B+ | B | B− | B+ | B |
| McMillan | — | — | B | — | B+ | B |
| Sherman | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | B |
| Brighton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Spencer, McMillan and Lincoln have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Spencer, McMillan and Lincoln report no FBI crime data of their own. Spencer, Sherman and Brighton aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Spencer with a neighbor →
Questions about Spencer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Spencer, WI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Spencer yet; the figures below are still real.