Sumpter, WI, USA - panoramio (1), 2011
Sumpter’s story
Sumpter in pictures
The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
Explore the history →SumpterWI
A town of 1,030.
Population
1,030
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Median home value
$200K
Census ACS
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
37.2
years
Jobs based here
47
A commuter town
Is Sumpter a good place to live?
The best of Sumpter’s subject grades is an A+ for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for walkability. Only 14 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. A typical home costs about $200K, 2.5 years of the Baraboo area’s $80K median household income. Only 24 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on walkability. 39% of the land in Sumpter is conserved, against 3.8% in Wisconsin’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area, at 3,745 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. On the outdoors, just 25 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Sumpter has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Sumpter stand out
Where Sumpter beats most towns.
Small town
1,030 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MerrimacBarabooPrairie du SacHoney CreekFreedomSumpter
How Sumpter grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Sumpter is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 2.4 of 20; 4.8% of households have no carDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →SchoolsBehind 55% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationB−Open →HealthSauk Prairie Hospital 2.8 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors38% conserved landA+Open →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life4.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
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 Sumpter: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sumpter, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBluffview Sanitary District1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sumpter’s trash rules yet
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 Sumpter ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP codes53951, 53578, 5391353951 67% · 53578 31% · 53913 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 Sumpter.
OutdoorsA+
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Sumpter
37 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. At 1.0 miles per square mile, Sumpter’s trail density is where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
38.5%conserved
38.5%
conserved · 9,251 of 24,052 acres
37 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area | 30.5 mi | 2,326 |
| 2. Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area | 3.3 mi | 3,745 |
| 3. South Bluff/Devil's Nose State Natural Area | 1.4 mi | 2,296 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The FEMA risk score in Sumpter is higher than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
The FEMA risk score in Sumpter is 80 of 100. Since 2000, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sumpter.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
7
paid flood claims since 2000
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Sumpter than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
0.6% of working residents work locally in Sumpter. Jobs based in Sumpter fell to 47 in 2023, 48 fewer than in 2013. Sumpter’s median household income is $59,000.
1%work in town
| Sumpter | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sumpter1%
Madison19%
Sauk City9%
Prairie du Sac6%
Baraboo5%
23 mi
median commute distance
47
jobs based in Sumpter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 6% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Sumpter has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Sumpter has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–31°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–59°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Sumpter is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns
Sumpter tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures. 40% of Sumpter adults have obesity.
52%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Sumpter | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Sauk Prairie Hospital
2.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Camp Randall Stadium and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sumpter. Close and well known come first.
28 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
6 mi Park & preserveIce Age Trail
5 mi State parkDevil's Lake State Park
19 mi Canyon & gorgeDells of the Wisconsin River16 mi Theme parkNoah's Ark Water Park
28 mi Stadium & arenaKohl CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Camp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Ice Age Trail: MDuchek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Lake State Park: CrispAir at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Dells of the Wisconsin River: atramos, CC BY 2.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sumpter
19pages on Sumpter
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sumpter; the nearest are
University of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison27.8 mi$11,603 in-state tuitionSouthwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fennimore50.8 mi$4,904 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Sumpter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A shrinking town
Sumpter has shrunk 14% since 2010
1,191 counted in 2010 and 1,055 in 2020; an estimated 1,030 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Sumpter
Town in Wisconsin, United States
The Town of Sumpter is located in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. It contains the census-designated place of Bluffview.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 38 sq mi
- Elevation
- 860 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Sumpter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sumpter, WI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.