Star Prairie Town Hall 01, 2024
Star Prairie’s story
Star Prairie in pictures
Census counts: 253 in 1910, 678 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2024 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
Explore the history →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
3,771
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$383K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$102K
median
Median age
46.3
years
Jobs based here
200
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#88 of 357 in WI
Is Star Prairie a good place to live?
Where it does best is incomes: the median household earns $102K. The catch is walkability. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. Homes run about $383K for a typical one, 3.8 times the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. All told, that adds up to an A− overall and a rank of 88th of 357 in Wisconsin. Set against the rest, it does better than 85% of U.S. towns. Only 23 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Prairie Flats South Waterfowl Production Area, at 317 acres.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Star Prairie stand out
Where Star Prairie beats most towns.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Star Prairie for work
Where Star Prairie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
200jobs based in Star Prairie
1%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Star Prairie grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Star Prairie is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedAOpen →SchoolsBeat 75% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationA−Open →HealthWestfields Hospital and Clinic 4.3 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 42% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landCOpen →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageC−Open →Civic life1.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Star Prairie: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Star Prairie, and how to reach them.
WaterSomerset Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWaterman's SanitationTrash haulerTown site
SchoolsNew Richmond School DistrictSomerset School District2 districts serve Star Prairie; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 Star Prairie ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP codes54017, 54025, 5402654017 72% · 54025 26% · 54026 2%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 Star Prairie.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most of Star Prairie’s workers leave town for work
31% of working residents cross a state line to work, St. Paul among the top destinations. Star Prairie has 200 jobs for its 1,909 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
1.3% of Star Prairie working residents work locally, against 8.4% in Wisconsin’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its average commute is 31 minutes. It had 200 jobs in 2023, up 98 from 2013. The top destinations are New Richmond (12%), Hudson (6%) and St. Paul (5%).
1%work in town
| Star Prairie | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Star Prairie1%
New Richmond12%
Hudson6%
St. Paul5%
Somerset4%
18 mi
median commute distance
200
jobs based in Star Prairie
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 12% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Star Prairie is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns
In Star Prairie, 21% of adults binge drink. 75% of Star Prairie adults had a checkup this year, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 78% and U.S. towns at 79%.
72%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Star Prairie | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Star Prairie | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.8% | 3.4% |
Westfields Hospital and Clinic
4.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
64th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
The climate in Star Prairie brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 82° in July, and January nights bottom out around 5°; snowfall runs to about 43 inches a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring33–55°
Summer58–80°
Fall38–57°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
Star Prairie earns a B for cost of living
Zillow values the typical Star Prairie home at about $383,000, up 3.8% in a year, 14% above the Wisconsin typical home. 97% of households own their home in the town.
$383KZillow home value
Typical home value
Star Prairie$383K
Wisconsin$337K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Moderate risk in Star Prairie, with inland flooding at the top
Expected losses in Star Prairie break down as 52% from inland flooding and 17% from tornadoes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 58% of U.S. communities.
42risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
In Star Prairie, 3.7% of the land is conserved
6 parks and preserves cover 678 acres in Star Prairie.
3.7%conserved
3.7%
conserved · 703 of 19,153 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prairie Flats South Waterfowl Production Area | — | 317 |
| 2. Prairie Flats North Waterfowl Production Area | — | 215 |
| 3. Apple River County Park | — | 77 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 75 attractions →U.S. Bank Stadium and 64 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Star Prairie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
33 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
29 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
36 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
31 mi Stadium & arenaAllianz Field
38 mi Theme parkNickelodeon UniverseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
U.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Allianz Field: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0 · Nickelodeon Universe: Tyler Vigen, CC BY 4.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Star Prairie
18pages on Star Prairie
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Star Prairie; the nearest are
Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Center City, MN17.3 miCentury CollegeCommunity college · Public · White Bear Lake, MN20.5 mi$6,214 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-River FallsUniversity or college · Public · River Falls21.9 mi$9,008 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Star Prairie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Star Prairie
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Star Prairie is a village in St. Croix County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 678 at the 2020 census. The village is located along the Apple River on the boundary between the Town of Star Prairie and the Town of Stanton.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
- ZIP code
- 54026
Star Prairie’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Star Prairie.
New RichmondSomersetAldenStar PrairieRichmondFarmingtonStar Prairie
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Prairie · Star Prairie | #88 | A− | B | — | A− | B+ |
| New Richmond | #36 | A | B+ | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Somerset | #72 | A | C | — | B+ | A− |
| Alden | #196 | B | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Richmond | #238 | B− | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Farmington | — | — | C | — | A− | B+ |
Farmington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Star Prairie, Somerset, Alden, Richmond and Farmington report no FBI crime data of their own. Star Prairie and Star Prairie are one community, graded once. Compare Star Prairie with a neighbor →
Questions about Star Prairie
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Star Prairie, WI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Star Prairie grades A− overall, better than 85% of U.S. towns and #88 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Star Prairie, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.