TownsendWI
A town of 1,084, settled in 1903.
Is Townsend a good place to live?
Townsend’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a D for schools. 6.4% of residents are under 18 in Townsend, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 22%. On cost of living, just 31 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. 52% of the land in Townsend is conserved, above both Wisconsin’s towns (3.8%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 9 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Glocke Lake State Natural Area, at 162 acres. Townsend has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Townsend stand out
Where Townsend beats most towns.
1,084 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Townsend grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Townsend is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Townsend: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Townsend, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Townsend.
Nearly a third of Townsend is conserved land
35 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Townsend’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Glocke Lake State Natural Area | 0.7 mi | 162 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most of Townsend’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Townsend for work: only 8% work in town. The top destinations are Lakewood (10%), Wabeno (7%) and Riverview (5%). Half commute less than 39 miles.
| Townsend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Low risk in Townsend, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Townsend stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a larger share of its adults have diabetes
17% of adults have diabetes in Townsend. Of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Townsend. 42% of adults have obesity in Townsend.
| Townsend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Townsend | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.6% | 19% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.8% | 9.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 11.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Townsend has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Townsend has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Townsend is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median rent in Townsend is lower than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
Only 4 of the 341 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower median rent than Townsend. 95% of Townsend households own their home. Typical home values rose 9.9% in the year to September 2026.
| Townsend | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $621 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Townsend
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Townsend; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Townsend residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
92% of working residents leave Townsend for work
Where Townsend’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Townsend
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Townsend, 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 A.