White RiverWI
A town of 1,098.
Is White River a good place to live?
White River’s weakest subject grade is a D for schools. 40% of residents are under 18 in White River, above both the Wisconsin town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Only 4 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower median age than White River. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Mabel Cora Maxwell Nature Study Area, at 93 acres. White River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes White River stand out
Where White River beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,098 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How White River grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far White River is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to White River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in White River, 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 White River.
Public schools in White River fall behind 92% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Ashland School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marengo Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 184 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
White River faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Residents of White River are less healthy than 70% of U.S. towns
White River beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in White River, against 14% in Wisconsin’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 41% of adults have obesity in White River.
| White River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | White River | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 17.2% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.8% | 5.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in White River
White River has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. White River’s July high is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About two in five of White River’s working residents commute to Ashland
Most working residents leave White River for work: only 10% work in town. 3.3% of White River residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in White River fell to 610 in 2023, 63 fewer than in 2013.
| White River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
White River has set aside 0.5% of its land for conservation
3.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in White River is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| White River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mabel Cora Maxwell Nature Study Area | 0.1 mi | 93 |
| 2. Ashland County Fairgrounds | — | 32 |
| 3. White River Fishery Area | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about White River
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of White River
About 3 of every 100 White River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About White River
Town in Wisconsin, United States
White River is a town in Ashland County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,067 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Marengo and unincorporated communities of Sanborn and part of Jolmaville are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 44 sq mi
- Elevation
- 784 ft
Questions about White River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is White River, 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.