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%

Wilson$2,450/mo

Typical home $391K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $1,667/mo · Housing →

Lorain$1,260/mo

Typical home $209K (Census) · tax rate 0.95% · Housing →

The difference: $1,190 a month, about $14,300 a year, between Wilson and Lorain.

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.

Health

B−WilsonHealthier than 54% of U.S. towns –LorainNot 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

WilsonLorain

Snow a year41″61″

January low5°F 5°F

July high82°F 81°F

Growing season (days)143d 149d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th 23rd

Outdoors & history

WilsonLorain

Trails0 mi 14 mi

Conserved land0%25.3%

Community

WilsonLorain

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.

Where they are

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WilsonWI LorainPolk County

Wilson ↔ Lorain50 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.

Only big differences vs Wisconsin average

WilsonLorain

People

Population 200Lowest 279Highest

Median age 39.9±6.8Lowest about the WI average 42.1±15.2Highest 5% above WI

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

Kids under 18 18%±7Highest WI: 21.4% 16.5%±6.4Lowest WI: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 13%±10.5Lowest WI: 18.5% 24.4%±3.7Highest WI: 18.5%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.4%Lowest WI: 33.4% 17.7%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±4Highest WI: 5.8% 1.4%±1.2Lowest WI: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $88,750±$32kHighest 15% above WI $75,750±$15kLowest about the WI average

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $216,700±$48kHighest 19% below WI $208,600±$19kLowest 22% below WI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,667±$226 53% above WI —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,696Highest 29% below WI $1,983Lowest 48% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 WI: 43.7% 0%±100 WI: 43.7%

Below poverty line 10.4%Highest WI: 10.6% 3.2%Lowest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 90.9%Lowest WI: 67.8% 97.3%Highest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 1 yr older than WI 1976Highest 1 yr newer than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 31 minLowest 39% above WI 35 minHighest 58% above WI

Work from home 9.4%±7Lowest WI: 13.1% 9.6%±5.9Highest WI: 13.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 1%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.8 miLowest 27.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.03Lowest 0.25Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Menomonie (10%)Frederic (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LorainFew work in Wilson

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 25.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 14.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.6Highest 1.1Lowest

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.

Wilson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wilson’s Town Square.

Lorain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lorain’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Wilson and Lorain

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

Bordering Wilson

+ Compare

Springfield1,093 people · $310K homes

Towns like Wilson

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Roosevelt281 people · $243K homes

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Little Grant253 people · $267K homes

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Seif220 people · $228K homes

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Peru321 people · $200K 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.

Wilson vs Lorain

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,190 more a month in Wilson

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

50 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wilson and Lorain

Bordering Wilson

Towns like Wilson

Post to Wilson

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