City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Baraboo, WI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Baraboo - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

12,506
Residents
$73,515
Median income
$201,800
Median home
$1,111
Median rent (state)

Baraboo - the verdict

Nationally, Baraboo sits in the 54th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

54th
percentile, household income
43rd
percentile, home value
30th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Baraboo, WI

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 12,506 residents in Baraboo, a small town within Wisconsin. The typical household in Baraboo brings in $73,515 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.0%. Baraboo's housing stock carries a median value of $201,800, and the median resident age is 40.2 years. Educational attainment runs 26.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 64.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 157 residential building permits were authorized in Baraboo (Building Boom), up 1327% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. NOAA puts Baraboo's yearly average temperature at 46.6°F with 38.9 inches of precipitation per year and 42.7 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Wisconsin at 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,111 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Wisconsin's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 72.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

12,506 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$73,515 /yr

Poverty 4.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.1 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average

How does Baraboo compare to other US cities?

Here's how Baraboo stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 54% higher than other cities
Home value 43% pricier than other cities
Median rent 30% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Baraboo's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Wisconsin, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

54thIncome percentile

54th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Baraboo's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$201,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 57% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Baraboo $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Baraboo, WI Baraboo, WI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Baraboo, WI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Baraboo, WI median $73,515/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Baraboo, WI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Baraboo, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 26.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
12,506
Median Income
$73,515
Median Home Value
$201,800
Median Age
40.2
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Labor force participation
64.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.7%

Climate

Avg Temperature
46.6°F
Annual Precipitation
38.9"
Annual Snowfall
42.7"

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
12,000 residents12,500 residents13,000 residents13,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 12,533 residents 13,224 residents ▲ +5.5%
Baraboo's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
157
housing units authorized
Single-Family
17
detached homes
Multifamily
140
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
12.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 11
2020 8
2021 152
2022 19
2023 151
2024 157

Permit volume increased 1327% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.8%
Carpool
9.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
7.2%
Other
1.9%

Based on 6,537 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Wisconsin - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Wisconsin state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Wisconsin state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Baraboo sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,111/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
72.1 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Wisconsin

Fort Atkinson
12,490 people
Port Washington
12,569 people
Brown Deer
12,615 people
Cedarburg
12,317 people
Grafton
12,274 people
Greenville
12,911 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Baraboo's 12,506 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Ridge, NY
12,506 people
Winnetka, IL
12,508 people
Lake Elmo, MN
12,504 people
Freehold, NJ
12,504 people
Haddonfield, NJ
12,502 people
North St. Paul, MN
12,511 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Baraboo's $73,515 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Estelle, LA
$73,519 median income
Arlington, TX
$73,519 median income
Bressler, PA
$73,525 median income
Newman, IL
$73,526 median income
Fort Clark Springs, TX
$73,503 median income
Pollard, AL
$73,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Baraboo, WI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Baraboo, WI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 91.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.0% White 91.2% Black or African American 1.3% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.9% Two or more races 5.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Baraboo compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Baraboo (this city) 12,506 $73,515
Fort Atkinson 12,490 $75,350
Port Washington 12,569 $81,582
Brown Deer 12,615 $91,567
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Baraboo, WI?

What is the population of Baraboo, WI? +

12,506 people live in Baraboo, WI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Baraboo, WI? +

Baraboo households earn a median of $73,515 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Baraboo? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Baraboo; the closest available measure is the Wisconsin state average, a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Wisconsin vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Baraboo, WI? +

A typical home in Baraboo is worth $201,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Baraboo? +

Climate normals put Baraboo's yearly average temperature at 46.6°F, 38.9 inches of precipitation, and 42.7 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.