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%

Dodge$1,240/mo

Typical home $185K (Census) · tax rate 1.76% · or rent about $796/mo · Housing →

Freeman$1,290/mo

Typical home $207K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $843/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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

DodgeFreeman

Snow a year42″36″

January low8°F 10°F

July high84°F 83°F

Growing season (days)152d 175d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th 25th

Outdoors & history

DodgeFreeman

Trails0 mi 4 mi

Conserved land2.1%21.6%

Archive photos4 —

Community

DodgeFreeman

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.

Where they are

56 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DodgeTrempealeau County FreemanCrawford County

Dodge ↔ Freeman56 miles apart

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

DodgeFreeman

People

Population 503Lowest 596Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +6% WI: +3.6%

Median age 62.8±10.8Highest 56% above WI 60.8±2Lowest 51% above WI

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

Kids under 18 20.1%±5.9Highest WI: 21.4% 10.9%±3.2Lowest WI: 21.4%

Age 65+ 47.3%±16Highest WI: 18.5% 38.6%±4.5Lowest WI: 18.5%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.8%Lowest WI: 33.4% 19.9%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±1.2Lowest WI: 5.8% 1.8%±1.1Highest WI: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,209±$7kLowest 31% below WI $57,083±$14kHighest 26% below WI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $185,400±$9kLowest 30% below WI $207,400±$24kHighest 22% below WI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $796±$141Lowest 27% below WI $843±$184Highest 22% below WI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,262Highest 14% below WI $2,467Lowest 35% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 88.9%±55.8Highest WI: 43.7% 40.9%±41.9Lowest WI: 43.7%

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

Below poverty line 16.5%Highest WI: 10.6% 12.8%Lowest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 86.7%Lowest WI: 67.8% 89.6%Highest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 11 yrs older than WI 1994Highest 19 yrs newer than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minLowest 29% above WI 33 minHighest 49% above WI

Work from home 14.2%±8.7Highest WI: 13.1% 7.5%±2.8Lowest WI: 13.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.5% 0.5%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miLowest 27.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.09Highest 0.08Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town La Crosse (16%)Prairie du Chien (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FreemanFew work in Dodge

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Lowest 21.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 4.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.3Lowest 1.9Highest

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.

Dodge neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dodge’s Town Square.

Freeman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freeman’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Dodge and Freeman

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

Bordering Dodge

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Buffalo725 people · $194K homes

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Cross437 people · $292K homes

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Trempealeau1,929 people · $305K homes

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Arcadia1,662 people · $267K homes

Towns like Dodge

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Monroe418 people · $210K homes

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Wolf River738 people · $193K homes

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Flambeau474 people · $176K homes

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Silver Cliff528 people · $229K homes

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.

Dodge vs Freeman

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

56 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Dodge and Freeman

Bordering Dodge

Towns like Dodge

Post to Dodge

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