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Compare towns

Fayette vs Stark

64 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (14.3× in Stark) and seasonal homes (+27.4 pts in Stark).

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Fayette, WIAn outdoors townLafayette County · 366 people
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Stark, WIKnown for its schoolsVernon County · 389 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

FayetteAn outdoors town
Outdoors22.2% conserved land46 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Fayette →
StarkKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 5%of WI districts Work343 jobsbased in Stark, a regional job hub All about Stark →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker14.3×
Stark is more of a job hub
Stark 3.15Fayette 0.22
Seasonal homes+27.4 pts
Stark has more second homes
Stark 32.1%Fayette 4.7%
Age 65++16.6 pts
Stark has more people 65 and up
Stark 30.3%Fayette 13.7%
Conserved land+22 pts
Fayette has more conserved land
Fayette 22.2%Stark 0.2%
Typical home built28 yrs
Fayette’s homes are older
Stark 1988Fayette 1960
Trails2.1×
Fayette has more miles of trail
Fayette 46.1 miStark 21.9 mi
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $490 more a month in Stark

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.

Fayette$1,430/mo
Typical home $223K (Census) · tax rate 1.39% · or rent about $631/mo · Housing →
Stark$1,910/mo
Typical home $323K (Census) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $633/mo · Housing →

The difference: $490 a month, about $5,800 a year, between Stark and Fayette.

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Wisconsin ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
–FayetteNot graded DStarkBetter than 5% of districts in the state
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
FayetteStark
Snow a year31″46″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd60th
Outdoors & history
FayetteStark
Trails46 mi22 mi
Conserved land22.2%0.2%
Famous people born here2—
Community
FayetteStark
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

64 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FayetteLafayette CountyStarkVernon County
Fayette ↔ Stark64 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.

FayetteStark
People
Population 366Lowest 389Highest
Median age 47.4±10.9 18% above WI 47.4±6.6 18% above WI
Kids under 18 25.7%±4.3Highest WI: 21.4% 22.1%±5.4Lowest WI: 21.4%
Fayette and Stark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.7%±3.9Lowest WI: 18.5% 30.3%±4Highest WI: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.1%Lowest WI: 33.4% 19.6%Highest WI: 33.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±3.3Lowest WI: 5.8% 5.4%±2.7Highest WI: 5.8%
Stark and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $88,125±$19kHighest 14% above WI $75,250±$9kLowest about the WI average
Fayette and Stark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $223,200±$28kLowest 16% below WI $323,100±$88kHighest 21% above WI
Stark and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $631±$23Lowest 42% below WI $633±$194Highest 42% below WI
Stark and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,096Highest 18% below WI $2,638Lowest 30% below WI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest WI: 43.7% 33.3%±100Highest WI: 43.7%
Stark and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 13.1%Lowest WI: 10.6% 16.5%Highest WI: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 91%Highest WI: 67.8% 90.6%Lowest WI: 67.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 15 yrs older than WI 1988Highest 13 yrs newer than WI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minLowest 38% above WI 31 minHighest 39% above WI
Work from home 19.6%±5.3Highest WI: 13.1% 12.4%±8.4Lowest WI: 13.1%
Fayette and Stark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.3 miHighest 29.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.22Lowest 3.15Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Madison (15%)La Crosse (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in StarkFew work in Fayette
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 22.2%Highest 0.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 46.1 miHighest 21.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.3 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.3Lowest 1.6Highest
Schools
School district —La Farge School District
High school in town —None in town
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.

Fayette neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fayette’s Town Square.

Stark neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stark’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Fayette and Stark

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Bordering Fayette

W
+ Compare
Waldwick471 people · $307K homes
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Lamont313 people · $202K homes
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Blanchard330 people · $344K homes
A
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Argyle419 people · $338K homes

Towns like Fayette

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Lincoln327 people · $246K homes
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Two Creeks369 people · $212K homes
B
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Barronett480 people · $224K homes
S
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Sarona424 people · $233K 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.

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