ISS013-E-27843, view of, 2006
Winter’s story
Winter in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Explore the history →WinterWI
A town of 1,053. 49% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,053
2025 Census estimate · +4.4% since 2020
Typical home
$241K
+5.5% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
61.3
years
Jobs based here
81
A commuter town
Is Winter a good place to live?
The best of Winter’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a C− for schools. 7% of residents are under 18 in Winter, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 22%. Only 82 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. 68% of the land in Winter is conserved, above both Wisconsin’s towns (3.8%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Flambeau River State Forest, 52,721 acres with 25.5 miles of trail. Winter has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Winter stand out
Where Winter beats most towns.
Small town
1,053 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
DraperOjibwaFlambeauBig FallsMeadowbrookSouth ForkRadissonHunterRound LakeCedar RapidsWinter
How Winter grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Winter is from typical.
SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 0.4% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$72K median household income; 81 jobs based hereC−Open →HealthMarshfield Medical Center - Ladysmith 23.5 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
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 Winter: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Winter, and how to reach them.
PowerBayfield Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterFlambeau Correctional Center water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers61% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Winter’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 Winter ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code5489654896 100%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 Winter.
OutdoorsB+
Winter has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
54 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
67.5%conserved
67.5%
conserved · 122,156 of 180,954 acres
54 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flambeau River State Forest | 25.5 mi | 52,721 |
| 2. Sawyer County Forest | 1.5 mi | 44,083 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
17%of WI districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOC: Flambeau Correctional CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
Winter stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: the median age there is higher
Winter’s median age is 61.3 years. Winter has grown 4.4% since 2020, to 1,053 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
61.3median age · WI 40.2
| Winter | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.3 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 32% | 29% |
WinterWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
28%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school29%
Some college17%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
33% women, 67% men
About 202 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 88% are men (WI 51%).
| Winter | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1.8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.2% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 28% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.4% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.3% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.6% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
The average trip to work in Winter is longer than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
The average trip to work in Winter is 32 minutes. The top destinations are Winter (13%), Hayward (7%) and Ladysmith (5%). 11% of residents live below the poverty line in Winter.
7%work in town
| Winter | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Winter7%
Winter13%
Hayward7%
Ladysmith5%
Hayward5%
33 mi
median commute distance
81
jobs based in Winter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Winter trails 73% of U.S. towns
45% of Winter adults have high blood pressure. Of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Winter. 17% of Winter adults report frequent physical distress.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Winter | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
4 better15 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Winter | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.6% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.9% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 6.5% |
Marshfield Medical Center - Ladysmith
23.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B−
A typical Winter home is worth about $241K
The typical Winter home is worth about $241,000, up 5.5% in a year, 29% below the Wisconsin typical home.
$241KZillow home value
| Winter | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 96% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,125 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Winter$241K
Wisconsin$337K
+5.5%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Winter
Winter has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 2° and about 57 inches of snow falls in a winter.
57″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring29–52°
Summer53–76°
Fall34–53°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Winter, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Winter since 2023.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2023
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Winter
18pages on Winter
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Winter; the nearest are
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Hayward26.3 mi$6,030 in-state tuitionNorthwood Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rice Lake45.8 mi$4,926 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Winter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Winter for work
Where Winter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
81jobs based in Winter
7%of working residents work in town
33 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Winter
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Winter is a village in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 325 at the 2020 census. The village is within the Town of Winter.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,401 ft
- ZIP code
- 54896
Questions about Winter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Winter, WI a good place to live?
49% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Winter, WI expensive?
That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($60,801 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.