Polk County, Wisconsin
Population 45,555 · Amery, Osceola, St. Croix Falls
- Overall cost of living: −10.4% vs the US average, higher than 56% of US counties.
- Lyme disease cases: 217.2/100k, higher than 96% of US counties.
- January low: 4°F, lower than 95% of US counties.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−10.4% | higher than 56% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for all of Wisconsin outside its metro areas. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $271,900 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Median rent | $957 | higher than 63% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $141/mo | lower than 82% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $8,840/yr | higher than 69% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 1.13% | higher than 73% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 5% | lower than 66% of US counties |
| State income tax | 5.3% | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Property tax paid / yr | $3,075 | higher than 85% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $77,219 | higher than 77% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | -0.9% | lower than 62% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 310.6 | higher than 64% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈196 days | lower than 71% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 81°F | lower than 86% of US counties |
| January low | 4°F | lower than 95% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | ≈61 in | higher than 92% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Luck, WI, 12 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Hot days (90°F+) | ≈4 days | lower than 92% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Luck, WI, 12 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | ≈162 days | higher than 83% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Luck, WI, 12 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Severe drought | 4.2% of weeks | lower than 74% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈58.5°F | lower than 75% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 32.5 in | lower than 71% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $83/yr | lower than 90% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $54/yr | lower than 87% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0/yr | the lowest in the US |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $0.03/yr | lower than 99% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $12/yr | higher than 59% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $0.18/yr | lower than 63% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 7 µg/m³ | lower than 68% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 90 mi | lower than 72% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈437.5 ft | higher than 50% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 94.1% | higher than 84% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 24.3% | higher than 59% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 7.1% | lower than 53% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 1 | lower than 63% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 13:1 | lower than 62% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 95.5% | higher than 89% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | gr 9.5 | higher than 96% of US counties |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | gr 9.08 | higher than 96% of US counties |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | gr 3.35 | higher than 88% of US counties |
| Library visits per resident | 3.1 | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 81/100k | higher than 83% of US counties |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 5 | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | 3★ | lower than 48% of US counties |
| Life expectancy | 77.8 yrs | higher than 74% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 6.6% | lower than 77% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 227/100k | higher than 67% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 59/100k | higher than 69% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 217.2/100k | higher than 96% of US counties |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 65.3% | higher than 52% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 73 min | higher than 72% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 73 min | lower than 72% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 30 min | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 88.3% | higher than 60% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| Work-from-home share | 11.8% | higher than 74% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 67 min | lower than 82% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 6 per sq mi | lower than 80% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 2.7 per 1k | higher than 65% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 3.3 per 1k | lower than 82% of US counties |
| Population | 45,555 | higher than 66% of US counties |
| Median age | 46.7 | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | +6.5 per 1k/yr | higher than 69% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 33.9% Dem | higher than 63% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 64.9% Rep | lower than 62% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 1.2% | lower than 51% of US counties |
| % White | 93% | higher than 89% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 2.2% | lower than 81% of US counties |
| % Black | 0.2% | lower than 88% of US counties |
| % Asian | 0.5% | lower than 55% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.4% | higher than 71% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 3.4% | lower than 52% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0.3% | higher than 46% of US counties |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 268 parks | higher than 80% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 15.6 | higher than 58% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 4.6 | higher than 73% of US counties |
| Drive to dark skies | 4 min | lower than 72% of US counties |
| Lakes & rivers | 4.4% | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 24 | higher than 70% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 46 | higher than 78% of US counties |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 144 km | lower than 54% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 50 km | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 23 | higher than 64% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 83 | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Museums within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 3 | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 3 | higher than 77% of US counties |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 22 | higher than 56% of US counties |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 5 | higher than 73% of US counties |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 99 | higher than 88% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 88 km | higher than 83% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data