City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Cottage Grove, WI

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

7,906
Residents
$132,717
Median income
$401,900
Median home
$1,694
Median rent (state)

Cottage Grove - the verdict

Cottage Grove ranks in the 91st percentile for household income and the 82nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

91st
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
67th
percentile, median rent
82nd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Cottage Grove, WI

7,906 people live in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $132,717 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.3%. Cottage Grove's housing stock carries a median value of $401,900, and the median resident age is 40.0 years. 54.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 75.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 41 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 356% from five years earlier. Cottage Grove reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 567.4 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: the state registers 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,694 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Wisconsin's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 93.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

7,906 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$132,717 /yr

Poverty 3.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.1 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average

How does Cottage Grove compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 91% higher than other cities
Home value 78% pricier than other cities
Median rent 67% pricier than other cities
Safety 82% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Wisconsin alone, Cottage Grove ranks #60 of 202 Wisconsin cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

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 Cottage Grove'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.

91stIncome percentile
82ndSafety percentile

91st percentile nationally for median household income · 82nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Cottage Grove's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Cottage Grove's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 67 Avg. percentile National median
Cottage Grove's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Cottage Grove's home value compares nationally

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

$401,900 22nd percentile more affordable than 22% 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%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Cottage Grove $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 - Cottage Grove, WI Cottage Grove, WI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Cottage Grove, 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 Cottage Grove, WI median $132,717/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%
Cottage Grove, 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 Cottage Grove, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 54.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 75.9%

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

Population
7,906
Median Income
$132,717
Median Home Value
$401,900
Median Age
40.0
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Labor force participation
75.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
54.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
567.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
115.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
451.8
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,000 residents7,500 residents8,000 residents8,500 residents9,000 residents9,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 7,385 residents 8,930 residents ▲ +20.9%
Cottage Grove's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
41
housing units authorized
Single-Family
37
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 9
2020 38
2021 665
2022 37
2023 68
2024 41

Permit volume increased 356% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
75.6%
Carpool
4.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
18.5%

Based on 4,550 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 Cottage Grove sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,694/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
93.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Wisconsin

Ashland
7,884 people
Jackson
7,882 people
Ripon
7,803 people
Antigo
8,058 people
Jefferson
7,722 people
Mount Horeb
7,719 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Cottage Grove's 7,906 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Dexter, MO
7,906 people
Siler City, NC
7,905 people
Woodland Park, CO
7,909 people
Carrollton, VA
7,903 people
Mount Ivy, NY
7,913 people
Broadview, IL
7,898 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Cottage Grove's $132,717 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lake Ketchum, WA
$132,716 median income
Bayview, TX
$132,695 median income
Treynor, IA
$132,679 median income
Woodburn, VA
$132,760 median income
South Weber, UT
$132,667 median income
Breckenridge, CO
$132,666 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Cottage Grove, 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 Cottage Grove, WI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 84.0% 8.6% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.4% White 84.0% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 8.6% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 6.3% 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 Cottage Grove 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
Cottage Grove (this city) 7,906 $132,717
Ashland 7,884 $49,258
Jackson 7,882 $95,960
Ripon 7,803 $59,063
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Cottage Grove, WI?

What is the population of Cottage Grove, WI? +

7,906 people live in Cottage Grove, WI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Cottage Grove, WI? +

The median household income in Cottage Grove is $132,717 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Cottage Grove? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Cottage Grove; 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.

Is Cottage Grove, WI safe? +

Cottage Grove has a total crime rate of 567.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Cottage Grove, WI? +

Homes in Cottage Grove carry a median value of $401,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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

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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.