Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Waupun gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $270K for a typical one, or 3.6 years of the Beaver Dam area’s $76K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 201st of 357 in Wisconsin. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. On history, just 53 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do better. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Waupun, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Waupun is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns.
Where Waupun beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,736 in 1860, 11,344 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1851 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Waupun is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waupun, 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 Waupun.
Waupun has seen reported crime rise by a fifth or more, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waupun.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Waupun School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Waupun Area Junior/Senior High School, with 832 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock River IntermediateLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–6 | Grades 2–6 | 585 | B− |
| Waupun Area Junior/Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 832 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
2.0 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Waupun Area Sports Complex, at 30 acres.
| Waupun | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Waupun Area Sports Complex | 0.3 mi | 30 |
| 2. Waupun Park Maple Forest State Natural Area | — | 104 |
| 3. Lynn Siedschlag Baseball Complex | 0.2 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here fell from 3,663 in 2013 to 2,661.
The average trip to work in Waupun is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Waupun has lost 1,002 jobs, to 2,661 in 2023. 6.1% of workers work from home in Waupun.
| Waupun | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
46% of Waupun adults have obesity. Waupun beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 21% of Waupun adults binge drink.
| Waupun | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Waupun | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 8% | 5.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Waupun has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 10° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Waupun home is worth about $271,000, up 4.4% in a year, 20% below the Wisconsin typical home. Waupun’s median rent is $951 a month.
| Waupun | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $951 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes rose from 56 to 75 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. At 13.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 52% of Wisconsin’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Waupun; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Waupun residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Waupun’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 places in Waupun on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Waupun.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Waupun is a city in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 11,344 at the 2020 census. Of this, 7,795 were in Dodge County, and 3,549 were in Fond du Lac County. In Fond du Lac County, the Town of Waupun abuts the city of Waupun.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Waupun.
Waupun and Alto have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Waupun and Alto report no FBI crime data of their own. Chester isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Waupun with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Waupun grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #201 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades C 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 Emory Richard Johnson and Oliver Smith.
