Cato is a town in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,621 at the 2020 census. A Manitowoc County park is located in the town; it is called "Cato Falls" after a waterfall on the Manitowoc River.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

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Area code920

Living in Cato

Work & commute in Cato

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Most working residents leave Cato for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Manitowoc (22%), Valders (7%) and Sheboygan (4%). Half commute less than 15 miles.

Manitowoc

22%

Valders

Sheboygan

Chilton

2%Work in townlive and work in Cato 15 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 330Jobs based herea commuter town

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Cato →

Health in Cato

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 49% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Wisconsin

≈Just like Wisconsin

No difference on any of 32 measures is outside the margin of error.

Conditions all close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Nothing stands out: Cato tracks Wisconsin closely.

Care nearby

Holy Family MemorialManitowoc · 9.6 mi · ER

Lchc CalumetManitowoc · 9.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP codes 54230, 54220, 54245 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Cato →

Natural hazards in Cato

Very low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 13% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🧊 Hail

0Does Cato flood?no paid flood claims on record 1Disasters that paid out herefederal disaster sent FEMA money to Cato MapCato vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Cato →

Climate in Cato

Full climate →

Cato has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

29° / 14°Winter

53° / 33°Spring

78° / 57°Summer

57° / 39°Fall

How much snow does Cato get?About 43 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 6, with the last in spring around May 6.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Cato →

Schools in Cato

All Cato schools →

School Grade B

The public schools Cato’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 58% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

Schools1

St. Mary/St. Michael SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 55 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within WI. Ratings are from neighbors.