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Compare towns

La Pointe vs Bell

20 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.5× in La Pointe) and trails (2.4× in Bell).

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La Pointe, WIAn outdoors townAshland County · 321 people
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Bell, WIAn outdoors townBayfield County · 345 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.

La PointeAn outdoors town
Outdoors75.4% conserved land34 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 16936 places on the National Register SchoolsBetter than 0%of WI districts All about La Pointe →
BellAn outdoors town
Outdoors67.8% conserved land81 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves All about Bell →
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 worker4.5×
La Pointe is more of a job hub
La Pointe 0.85Bell 0.19
Trails2.4×
Bell has more miles of trail
Bell 81.4 miLa Pointe 33.9 mi
Property tax bill+41%
Tax bills are bigger in La Pointe
La Pointe $3,591Bell $2,548
Average commute9 min
La Pointe has the shorter commute
Bell 22 minLa Pointe 13 min
Street grid+50%
Bell has the more walkable street grid
Bell 1.2La Pointe 0.8
Seasonal homes+9.6 pts
La Pointe has more second homes
La Pointe 72.5%Bell 62.9%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,050 more a month in La Pointe

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.

La Pointe$2,760/mo
Typical home $438K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.29% · or rent about $555/mo · Housing →
Bell$1,710/mo
Typical home $286K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · Housing →

The difference: $1,050 a month, about $12,600 a year, between La Pointe and Bell.

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
D−La PointeBetter than 0% of districts in the state –BellNot 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
La PointeBell
Snow a year74″74″
January low7°F7°F
July high77°F77°F
Growing season (days)140d140d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)0th9th
Outdoors & history
La PointeBell
Trails34 mi81 mi
Conserved land75.4%67.8%
Settled1693—
National Register places6—
Archive photos12—
Community
La PointeBell
Library hours a week42 hrs—
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

20 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

La PointeBellLa PointeBell
La Pointe ↔ Bell20 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.

La PointeBell
People
Population 321Lowest 345Highest
Median age 62.9±4.4Lowest 56% above WI 63.6±3.2Highest 58% above WI
Bell and La Pointe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 10.6%±6.4Highest WI: 21.4% 7.2%±5.4Lowest WI: 21.4%
La Pointe and Bell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 45.5%±4.6Lowest WI: 18.5% 46.4%±4.5Highest WI: 18.5%
Bell and La Pointe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 51.9%Lowest WI: 33.4% 56%Highest WI: 33.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.6%±3.8Highest WI: 5.8% 0.3%±3Lowest WI: 5.8%
La Pointe and Bell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $71,250±$21kLowest 8% below WI $88,625±$14kHighest 14% above WI
Bell and La Pointe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $278,600±$76kLowest 5% above WI $286,100±$51kHighest 7% above WI
Bell and La Pointe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $555±$318 49% below WI —
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,591Highest 5% below WI $2,548Lowest 33% below WI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 33.3%±98.2Highest WI: 43.7% 0%±100Lowest WI: 43.7%
La Pointe and Bell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.2%Highest WI: 10.6% 4.3%Lowest WI: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 89.9%Lowest WI: 67.8% 98.4%Highest WI: 67.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1986Highest 11 yrs newer than WI 1977Lowest 2 yrs newer than WI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 41% below WI 22 minHighest about the WI average
Work from home 21.1%±10.2Highest WI: 13.1% 19.9%±10Lowest WI: 13.1%
La Pointe and Bell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.3%Lowest 1.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miLowest 20.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.85Highest 0.19Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Ashland (46%)Bayfield (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BellFew work in La Pointe
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 75.4%Highest 67.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 33.9 miLowest 81.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 1.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Highest 5Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.8Lowest 1.2Highest
Schools
School district Bayfield 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.

La Pointe neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to La Pointe’s Town Square.

Bell neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bell’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like La Pointe

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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.

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