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%

Maple Valley$1,050/mo

Typical home $178K (Census) · tax rate 0.79% · Housing →

Spruce$1,390/mo

Typical home $222K (Census) · tax rate 1.20% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,000 a year, between Spruce and Maple Valley.

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

Maple Valley and Spruce share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Maple ValleySpruce

Maple Valley ↔ Spruce6.2 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

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

Maple ValleySpruce

Snow a year57″52″

January low5°F 9°F

July high79°F 81°F

Growing season (days)139d 150d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)16th 19th

Outdoors & history

Maple ValleySpruce

Trails5 mi —

Conserved land0.7%—

Settled—1870

Community

Maple ValleySpruce

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.

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

Maple ValleySpruce

People

Population 542Lowest 834Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.3%Lowest WI: +3.6% +9.9%Highest WI: +3.6%

Median age 54.6±2.8Highest 36% above WI 46.8±1.6Lowest 16% above WI

Kids under 18 17.7%±4.9Lowest WI: 21.4% 24.3%±5.1Highest WI: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 24.9%±4.5Highest WI: 18.5% 23.9%±3.9Lowest WI: 18.5%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14%Lowest WI: 33.4% 18.3%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2%±2.1Highest WI: 5.8% 1%±1.3Lowest WI: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $58,125±$13kLowest 25% below WI $75,417±$14kHighest about the WI average

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $178,400±$36kLowest 33% below WI $222,300±$42kHighest 17% below WI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $850±$286 22% below WI

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,403Lowest 63% below WI $2,672Highest 30% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest WI: 43.7% 62.2%±56Highest WI: 43.7%

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

Below poverty line 8.6%Lowest WI: 10.6% 12.1%Highest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 98.5%Highest WI: 67.8% 81.5%Lowest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 1 yr older than WI 1969Lowest 6 yrs older than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 39 minHighest 77% above WI 32 minLowest 42% above WI

Work from home 2.6%±2.1Lowest WI: 13.1% 11.6%±6.4Highest WI: 13.1%

Work in townworking residents 2.5%Highest 1.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.3 miLowest 31.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.44Highest 0.14Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Gillett (8%)Green Bay (12%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SpruceFew work in Maple Valley

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.7%Highest 0.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 5.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.8Highest 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.

Maple Valley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Maple Valley’s Town Square.

Spruce neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spruce’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Maple Valley and Spruce

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

Bordering Maple Valley

+ Compare

Suring411 people · $85K homes

+ Compare

How702 people · $212K homes

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Bagley348 people · $228K homes

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Gillett907 people · $203K homes

Towns like Maple Valley

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Morris459 people · $169K homes

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Springbrook578 people · $155K homes

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Sherry674 people · $173K homes

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Mecan699 people · $210K 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.

Maple Valley vs Spruce

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Spruce

Maple Valley and Spruce share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Maple Valley and Spruce

Bordering Maple Valley

Towns like Maple Valley

Post to Maple Valley

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