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%

Vesper$1,600/mo

Typical home $246K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $621/mo · Housing →

Hansen$1,540/mo

Typical home $241K (Census) · tax rate 1.35% · or rent about $1,083/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $800 a year, between Vesper and Hansen.

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.

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

VesperHansen

Snow a year48″48″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st 51st

Outdoors & history

VesperHansen

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land0%0.9%

Community

VesperHansen

Library hours a week30 hrs —

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

VesperHansen

People

Population 496Lowest 801Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12.2%Lowest WI: +3.6% +8.3%Highest WI: +3.6%

Median age 50±15Highest 24% above WI 46±4.4Lowest 14% above WI

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

Kids under 18 18.3%±2.8Lowest WI: 21.4% 24.2%±4.8Highest WI: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 31.5%±18.1Highest WI: 18.5% 15.5%±3.5Lowest WI: 18.5%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.6%Lowest WI: 33.4% 30.2%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.4Lowest WI: 5.8% 5.1%±2.5Highest WI: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $61,149±$3kLowest 21% below WI $94,167±$32kHighest 22% above WI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $120,700±$22kLowest 55% below WI $241,000±$16kHighest 10% below WI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $621±$39Lowest 43% below WI $1,083±$524Highest about the WI average

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,839Lowest 52% below WI $3,257Highest 14% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.1%±26.7Highest WI: 43.7% 30%±100Lowest WI: 43.7%

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

Below poverty line 8%Highest WI: 10.6% 6.4%Lowest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Lowest WI: 67.8% 92.9%Highest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 17 yrs older than WI 1981Highest 6 yrs newer than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 9% above WI 27 minHighest 21% above WI

Work from home 4.9%±4.3Lowest WI: 13.1% 14.8%±8.7Highest WI: 13.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.9%Highest 1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Highest 0.07Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Wisconsin Rapids (23%)Wisconsin Rapids (24%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HansenFew work in Vesper

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miLowest 1.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 36.6Highest 2.1Lowest

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.

Vesper neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vesper’s Town Square.

Hansen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hansen’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Vesper and Hansen

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

Bordering Vesper

+ Compare

Sigel1,059 people · $210K homes

Towns like Vesper

+ Compare

Mentor597 people · $128K homes

+ Compare

Hixton422 people · $159K homes

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Rudolph466 people · $181K homes

+ Compare

Gilman388 people · $123K 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.

Vesper vs Hansen

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Vesper and Hansen share a border

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Vesper and Hansen

Bordering Vesper

Towns like Vesper

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