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%

Spruce$1,390/mo

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

Maple Valley$1,050/mo

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

Spruce and Maple Valley share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SpruceMaple Valley

Spruce ↔ Maple Valley6.2 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

SpruceMaple Valley

Snow a year52″57″

January low9°F 5°F

July high81°F 79°F

Growing season (days)150d 139d

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

Outdoors & history

SpruceMaple Valley

Trails—5 mi

Conserved land—0.7%

Settled1870 —

Community

SpruceMaple Valley

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

SpruceMaple Valley

People

Population 834Highest 542Lowest

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

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

Kids under 18 24.3%±5.1Highest WI: 21.4% 17.7%±4.9Lowest 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+ 23.9%±3.9Lowest WI: 18.5% 24.9%±4.5Highest 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+ 18.3%Highest WI: 33.4% 14%Lowest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±1.3Lowest WI: 5.8% 2%±2.1Highest 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 $75,417±$14kHighest about the WI average $58,125±$13kLowest 25% below WI

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 $222,300±$42kHighest 17% below WI $178,400±$36kLowest 33% 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 $2,672Highest 30% below WI $1,403Lowest 63% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 62.2%±56Highest WI: 43.7% 0%±100Lowest 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 12.1%Highest WI: 10.6% 8.6%Lowest WI: 10.6%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

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

Work in townworking residents 1.3%Lowest 2.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.8 miHighest 29.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Maple ValleyFew work in Spruce

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 0.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 5.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.7Lowest 1.8Highest

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.

Spruce neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spruce’s Town Square.

Maple Valley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Maple Valley’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Spruce and Maple Valley

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

Bordering Spruce

+ Compare

Oconto Falls1,634 people · $280K homes

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Brazeau1,207 people · $231K homes

+ Compare

Lena662 people · $209K homes

Towns like Spruce

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Waterville863 people · $217K homes

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Springfield810 people · $249K homes

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Clearfield741 people · $212K homes

+ Compare

West Sweden748 people · $231K 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.

Spruce vs Maple Valley

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Spruce

Spruce and Maple Valley share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Spruce and Maple Valley

Bordering Spruce

Towns like Spruce

Post to Spruce

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