Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Viroqua gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $279K for a typical one, or 3.8 years of the La Crosse metro’s $73K median household income. It grades A− overall, ranked 117th of 357 in Wisconsin. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. 37% of working residents work locally in Viroqua, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 8.2% and U.S. towns at 8%. On walkability, just 27 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. Viroqua's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Where Viroqua beats most towns.
Masonic Temple BuildingWhere Viroqua’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Viroqua is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 762 in 1880, 4,504 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1865 and 3 maps from 1923 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Viroqua, 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 Viroqua.
Viroqua pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Wisconsin norm, draws workers from Viroqua and beyond and is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s.
The biggest park or preserve is Vernon County Fairgrounds, at 37 acres. Trails run 3.6 miles in 2 parks and preserves. For Viroqua, the concentration of trails is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Viroqua | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vernon County Fairgrounds | — | 37 |
| 2. City Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is Viroqua High, with 301 students. Three of its 8 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the Viroqua Area School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viroqua ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 276 | B+ |
| Viroqua HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 301 | C |
| Laurel HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 43 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
3,146 jobs are based in Viroqua, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
For Viroqua, the average trip to work is 18 minutes. The top destinations are La Crosse (8%), Westby (4%) and Cashton (2%). The median commute is under 13 miles.
| Viroqua | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Viroqua, the FEMA hazard score is 9 of 100. The national flood insurance program has paid one claim here since 2007. Expected losses in Viroqua break down as 57% from cold waves and 18% from inland flooding. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Viroqua’s midsummer high comes in at 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (19% statewide). In Viroqua, the median age is 46.4 years. The share of residents in Viroqua who are under 18: 19%.
| Viroqua | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 46.4 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 21% | 22% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Viroqua | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.6% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.5% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.1% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.9% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.7% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,400, single groups can be off by several points
Against the 10,261 U.S. towns with household incomes like Viroqua’s, it is healthier than 84%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Viroqua: just over a fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression. Against the Wisconsin average, Viroqua comes out ahead on 6 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 3. Among adults in the town, 28% feel lonely and 14% report frequent mental distress.
| Viroqua | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Viroqua | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.7% | 9.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Viroqua grades A− overall with a typical home of about $279K, below the Wisconsin typical value; only 24 of the 118 Wisconsin towns graded A− or better can say that.
A typical home in Viroqua is worth about $279,000, up 8.8% in a year, 17% below the Wisconsin typical home. The town’s midpoint rent stands at $815 a month. Nearly two thirds of households live in a home they own in the town.
| Viroqua | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $815 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 19.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 71% of Wisconsin’s graded towns.
The property crime rate in Viroqua is 7.3 per 1,000 residents. The violent crime rate here is 1.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Viroqua | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Viroqua; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Viroqua residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
5 places in Viroqua on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Viroqua.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Viroqua is the county seat of Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,504 at the 2020 census. The city is within the town of Viroqua.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Viroqua.
Viroqua and Jefferson have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Viroqua and Jefferson report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Viroqua with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Viroqua grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #117 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B+ for health, B− for safety and B for schools.
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+.
11 notable people were born here, including Butch Vig and Chris Mulkey.
