A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Ackley$1,090/mo

Typical home $177K (Census) · tax rate 1.12% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →

Vilas$1,250/mo

Typical home $200K (Census) · tax rate 1.23% · Housing →

The difference: $160 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Vilas and Ackley.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Ackley and Vilas share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

AckleyVilas

Ackley ↔ Vilas5.3 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

Who commutes between them

3 Vilas residents work in Ackley (2.3% of its workers)

Work & commute in Vilas →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AckleyVilas

Snow a year54″65″

January low4°F —

July high78°F —

Growing season (days)139d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)25th 25th

Outdoors & history

AckleyVilas

Trails54 mi 24 mi

Conserved land51.8%5.9%

Settled1879 —

Archive photos1 —

Community

AckleyVilas

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Wisconsin average

AckleyVilas

People

Population 459Highest 192Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10.9% WI: +3.6% —

Median age 41.1±9.8Lowest about the WI average 57.1±5Highest 42% above WI

Kids under 18 22.9%±6.7Highest WI: 21.4% 17.2%±8.6Lowest WI: 21.4%

Ackley and Vilas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.4%±6.4Lowest WI: 18.5% 31.3%±3.9Highest WI: 18.5%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.6%Highest WI: 33.4% 12.4%Lowest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.1%±1Highest WI: 5.8% 1%±5.3Lowest WI: 5.8%

Ackley and Vilas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $80,000±$13kHighest 3% above WI $65,417±$23kLowest 16% below WI

Ackley and Vilas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $176,800±$17kLowest 34% below WI $200,000±$28kHighest 25% below WI

Vilas and Ackley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $938±$66 14% below WI —

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,983Lowest 48% below WI $2,466Highest 35% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 12%±57.6 WI: 43.7% —

Below poverty line 0.7%Lowest WI: 10.6% 7.8%Highest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 79.2%Lowest WI: 67.8% 94.5%Highest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1963Lowest 12 yrs older than WI 1973Highest 2 yrs older than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 25% below WI 26 minHighest 17% above WI

Work from home 6.1%±3.6Lowest WI: 13.1% 11.6%±11.2Highest WI: 13.1%

Vilas and Ackley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 1.4%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miLowest 22.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.26Highest 0.10Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Antigo (35%)Antigo (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Vilas2% work in Ackley

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 51.8%Highest 5.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 53.5 miHighest 23.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.5Lowest 0.6Highest

Wisconsin average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Ackley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ackley’s Town Square.

Vilas neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vilas’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ackley and Vilas

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Ackley

+ Compare

Antigo8,069 people · $105K homes

+ Compare

Peck333 people · $224K homes

+ Compare

Pine River1,734 people · $280K homes

+ Compare

Antigo1,384 people · $194K homes

Towns like Ackley

+ Compare

Sterling575 people · $223K homes

+ Compare

Wauzeka441 people · $236K homes

+ Compare

Neosho536 people · $242K homes

+ Compare

Marion580 people · $243K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Wisconsin towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Ackley vs Vilas

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Vilas

Ackley and Vilas share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Ackley and Vilas

Bordering Ackley

Towns like Ackley

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