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%

Hamilton$2,320/mo

Typical home $369K (Census) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $1,207/mo · Housing →

Onalaska$2,400/mo

Typical home $370K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.50% · or rent about $1,130/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Onalaska and Hamilton.

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

Onalaska places higher on 15 of 19 WI lists

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.

Safety

–HamiltonNot graded C+OnalaskaSafer than 38% of U.S. towns

Schools

–HamiltonNot graded B+OnalaskaBetter than 68% of districts in the state

Health

A−HamiltonHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns A−OnalaskaHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns

2Hamilton

15Onalaska

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 301 towns #278#24 Most walkableOutdoors · 371 towns #367#100 Most conserved landOutdoors · 356 towns #287#111 Fastest growingGrowth · 358 towns #285#133 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 371 towns #276#139 Highest incomeIncome · 371 towns #65#198 Shortest commuteGetting around · 371 towns #150#37 Lowest depressionHealth · 366 towns #178#78

Left end = #1 in Wisconsin. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Hamilton’s rankings →

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

HamiltonOnalaska

Snow a year43″43″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)23rd 15th

Outdoors & history

HamiltonOnalaska

Trails4 mi 17 mi

Conserved land1.7%6.1%

Settled—1851

National Register places—2

Archive photos5 6

Community

HamiltonOnalaska

Library hours a week—57 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

HamiltonOnalaska

People

Population 2,668Lowest 19,348Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.3%Lowest WI: +3.6% +6%Highest WI: +3.6%

Median age 42.6±3.8Highest 6% above WI 40.7±2Lowest about the WI average

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

Kids under 18 25.1%±4.1Highest WI: 21.4% 19.4%±2.6Lowest WI: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 17.8%±4.1Lowest WI: 18.5% 20.4%±2.6Highest WI: 18.5%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 37.6%Lowest WI: 33.4% 41.7%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±2.3 WI: 5.8% 3.9%±1.2 WI: 5.8%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $112,500±$7kHighest 45% above WI $85,867±$5kLowest 11% above WI

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $368,800±$24kHighest 38% above WI $288,900±$16kLowest 8% above WI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,207±$155Highest 11% above WI $1,130±$104Lowest 4% above WI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,604Highest 21% above WI $4,326Lowest 14% above WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 6.5%±25.5Lowest WI: 43.7% 38.6%±9.3Highest WI: 43.7%

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

Below poverty line 2.4%Lowest WI: 10.6% 6%Highest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 90.8%Highest WI: 67.8% 63.1%Lowest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1991 16 yrs newer than WI 1991 16 yrs newer than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 4% below WI 17 minLowest 22% below WI

Work from home 10.3%±3.1Lowest WI: 13.1% 10.9%±2.7Highest WI: 13.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.7%Lowest 18.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 5.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.18Lowest 1.36Highest

Top workplaceoutside town La Crosse (37%)La Crosse (45%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 13% work in OnalaskaFew work in Hamilton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Lowest 6.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.4 miLowest 16.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 1.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 29Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.2Lowest 59.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#130 of 262 in WI

School district —Onalaska School District

High school in town —Onalaska High

Students per teacherat that high school — 13.9

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.

Hamilton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hamilton’s Town Square.

Onalaska neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Welcoming New Neighbors

1 neighbor in Onalaska can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hamilton and Onalaska

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

Bordering Hamilton

+ Compare

Farmington1,902 people · $243K homes

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Onalaska5,798 people · $320K homes

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Barre1,363 people · $384K homes

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Burns768 people · $265K homes

Towns like Hamilton

+ Compare

Stettin2,572 people · $370K homes

+ Compare

Pittsfield2,772 people · $308K homes

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Red Cedar2,042 people · $300K homes

+ Compare

Lafayette1,843 people · $409K 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.

Hamilton vs Onalaska

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Hamilton and Onalaska share a border

A typical home costs about the same each month

Onalaska places higher on 15 of 19 WI lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Welcoming New Neighbors

Set another town beside Hamilton and Onalaska

Bordering Hamilton

Towns like Hamilton

Post to Hamilton

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