Grant County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Lancaster’s story
189 years in pictures
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1837Lancaster is settled
LancasterWI
A town of 3,976, settled in 1837. Nearly 6% of it is conserved land.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
3,976
+1% since 2010
Typical home
$227K
+6.1% in a year
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
45.1
years
Jobs based here
2,545
Balanced
What makes Lancaster stand out
The 3 things Lancaster does most differently from other towns.
Lancaster’s report card
Outdoors3 mi#39 for trails in WIHousing$227K33% below the WI typical homeCommute14 miHalf of commuters travel lessHazards6/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageSchoolsC+Beats 44% of WI districtsSafetyC−Less crime than 15% of U.S. townsHealthBHealthier than 56% of U.S. townsClimate82°/10°Summer high · winter low · 37″ snow
Now in Lancaster
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lancaster. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
6% of Lancaster is conserved land
3.4 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves.
#39for trails in WI
6%
conserved · 116 of 1,921 acres
3.4 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
#124
most conserved land in WI
#94
most walkable in WI
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grant County Fairgrounds | 0.9 mi | 50 |
| 2. Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 25 |
| 3. Schreiner Park | 0.1 mi | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Lancaster home is worth about $227K
The typical Lancaster home is worth about $227,000, up 6.1% in a year, 33% below the Wisconsin typical home.
$227KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lancaster$227K
Wisconsin$340K
+6.1%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Lancaster
About one in 3 of Lancaster’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Platteville (8%), Fennimore (4%) and Dubuque (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
36%work in town
Where working residents work
In Lancaster36%
Platteville8%
Fennimore4%
Dubuque4%
Madison4%
14 mi
median commute distance
2,545
jobs based in Lancaster
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 6% of U.S. communities.
6risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1998
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Lancaster’s public schools outperform 44% of Wisconsin districts
The public schools Lancaster’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 56% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winskill Elementary | PK–5 | 435 | A |
| St. Clement School Private | PK–6 | 117 | |
| Lancaster Middle | 6–8 | 231 | B− |
| Lancaster High | 9–12 | 325 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 15% of U.S. towns
Lancaster reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lancaster2
Wisconsin2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lancaster5.4
Wisconsin10.3
U.S.15.5
15th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
5th
percentile among WI towns
8
violent crimes reported in 2025
22
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Lancaster beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Lancaster | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.6% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 63.5% | 67.1% |
Grant Regional Health Center
0.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
50th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Lancaster has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring36–57°
Summer59–80°
Fall39–59°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Landmarks
6 places in Lancaster on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Lancaster
City in Wisconsin, United States
Lancaster is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,907 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1837
- Population
- 3,907
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,099 ft
- ZIP code
- 53813
- Area code
- 608
Lancaster’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Lancaster.
North LancasterSouth LancasterLancaster