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Georgetown vs Bone Lake

Next-door neighbors in Polk County. The biggest differences: trails (14.4× in Bone Lake) and median age (16.9 yrs in Bone Lake).

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Georgetown, WIA small town of 1,239Polk County · 1,239 people
B ×
Bone Lake, WIAn outdoors townPolk County · 704 people
Swap order
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.

GeorgetownA small town of 1,239
Quiet strengthsGeorgetown doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Georgetown →
Bone LakeAn outdoors town
Outdoors17.8% conserved land14 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves All about Bone Lake →
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.

Trails14.4×
Bone Lake has more miles of trail
Bone Lake 14.4 miGeorgetown 1.0 mi
Median age16.9 yrs
Bone Lake skews older
Bone Lake 60Georgetown 43.1
Work from home+15.7 pts
More people work from home in Georgetown
Georgetown 21.5%Bone Lake 5.8%
Age 65++16.4 pts
Bone Lake has more people 65 and up
Bone Lake 39.6%Georgetown 23.2%
Kids under 18+10.6 pts
Georgetown has more kids
Georgetown 22.7%Bone Lake 12.1%
Growth since 2010+10.3 pts
Georgetown has grown faster since 2010
Georgetown +6%Bone Lake -4.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Georgetown$1,830/mo
Typical home $303K (Census) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →
Bone Lake$1,710/mo
Typical home $279K (Census) · tax rate 1.05% · or rent about $950/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,500 a year, between Georgetown and Bone Lake.

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

Georgetown and Bone Lake share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

GeorgetownBone LakeGeorgetownBone Lake
Georgetown ↔ Bone Lake6.0 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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.

Health
B−GeorgetownHealthier than 46% of U.S. towns –Bone LakeNot graded
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
GeorgetownBone Lake
Snow a year61″61″
January low5°F5°F
July high81°F81°F
Growing season (days)149d149d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)19th23rd
Outdoors & history
GeorgetownBone Lake
Trails1 mi14 mi
Conserved land0.4%17.8%
Famous people born here—1
Community
GeorgetownBone Lake
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.

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.

GeorgetownBone Lake
People
Population 1,239Highest 704Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6%Highest WI: +3.6% -4.3%Lowest WI: +3.6%
Median age 43.1±6.2Lowest 7% above WI 60±6.3Highest 49% above WI
Kids under 18 22.7%±4.9Highest WI: 21.4% 12.1%±3.4Lowest WI: 21.4%
Age 65+ 23.2%±2Lowest WI: 18.5% 39.6%±8.7Highest WI: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.9%Lowest WI: 33.4% 37.1%Highest WI: 33.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.6%±4Highest WI: 5.8% 1.8%±2.1Lowest WI: 5.8%
Georgetown and Bone Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $77,308±$16kLowest about the WI average $97,250±$19kHighest 26% above WI
Bone Lake and Georgetown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $303,400±$55kHighest 14% above WI $279,300±$13kLowest 5% above WI
Georgetown and Bone Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $938±$136Lowest 14% below WI $950±$755Highest 13% below WI
Bone Lake and Georgetown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,887Lowest 24% below WI $2,922Highest 23% below WI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.1%±100Lowest WI: 43.7% 100%±50Highest WI: 43.7%
Bone Lake and Georgetown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.1%Lowest WI: 10.6% 8.9%Highest WI: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Lowest WI: 67.8% 96.3%Highest WI: 67.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest 3 yrs newer than WI 1979Highest 4 yrs newer than WI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 65% above WI 33 minLowest 50% above WI
Work from home 21.5%±8.4Highest WI: 13.1% 5.8%±3Lowest WI: 13.1%
Work in townworking residents 0.5%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.3 miHighest 20.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.11Highest 0.05Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town La Follette (6%)Frederic (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Bone LakeFew work in Georgetown
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.4%Lowest 17.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miLowest 14.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.6Highest 1.7Lowest
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.

Georgetown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Georgetown’s Town Square.

Bone Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bone Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Georgetown and Bone Lake

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Bordering Georgetown

A
+ Compare
Apple River1,194 people · $263K homes
M
+ Compare
Milltown1,360 people · $331K homes
J
+ Compare
Johnstown623 people · $303K homes

Towns like Georgetown

+ Compare
Lowell1,075 people · $322K homes
C
+ Compare
Colfax1,238 people · $276K homes
M
+ Compare
Milford1,164 people · $388K homes
B
+ Compare
Bergen1,348 people · $331K 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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