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Birds eye view of the city of Ripon, Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin 1867
1867 · from Ripon’s archive

RiponWI

A town of 7,772, settled in 1849. Home to 14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1 bordering townMap →
Wikimedia Commons
Population
7,772
+1.7% since 2010
Median home value
$175K
Census ACS
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
41.9
years
Jobs based here
5,130
Balanced

What makes Ripon stand out

The 3 things Ripon does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Birds eye view of the city of Ripon, Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin 1867
1867 · Birds eye view of the city of Ripon, Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin 1867 · Wikimedia Commons
Ripon’s story

177 years in pictures

12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 14 places on the National Register.

B and A Lumber Yard fire at Ripon, WisBirthplace of the Republican Party08-Fourierites-postcard
Explore the history →
Birthplace of the Republican Party1900
From the archive · today’s picture

126 years ago in Ripon

Birthplace of the Republican Party

Photo · Library of Congress. A different picture from Ripon’s archive appears here every day.

See all 12 archive items →

Ripon’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Ripon

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Ripon is #23 of 348 in WI for “Cheapest rent”. Fair?
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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Ripon. Another town gets a different order.

Housing

Homes in Ripon sell for about $270K

The median sale price was $270,000 in May 2026.

$270Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors

2.1% of Ripon is conserved land

4.6 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.

#61for trails in WI
Map of Ripon: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
2.1%
conserved · 67 of 3,240 acres
4.6 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
#96
most walkable in WI
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Ceresco Prairie Conservancy2.7 mi151
2. Murray Park—30
3. Barlow Park—23
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute

About one in three working residents works right in Ripon

About one in 3 of Ripon’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Oshkosh (8%), Fond du Lac (7%) and Green Lake (3%). Half commute less than 17 miles.

34%work in town

Where working residents work

In Ripon34%
Oshkosh8%
Fond du Lac7%
Green Lake3%
Appleton2%
17 mi
median commute distance
5,130
jobs based in Ripon
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools

Ripon’s public schools outperform 70% of Wisconsin districts

The public schools Ripon’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 70% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

B+School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Barlow Park Elementary SchoolPK–2398Not graded
Quest Charter School3–5157A+
Murray Park Elementary3–5156A
Ripon Middle6–8302B−
Ripon High9–12426B+
Odyssey Academy of Virtual LearningPK–12266Not graded
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Natural hazards

Low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 21% of U.S. communities.

21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
21Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2003
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 73% of U.S. towns

Ripon reports less crime per resident than 73% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

B+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Ripon0.9
Wisconsin2.4
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Ripon4.8
Wisconsin10.3
U.S.15.5
73rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
63rd
percentile among WI towns
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
37
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Ripon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

38″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter13–29°
Spring34–55°
Summer58–79°
Fall39–58°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health

Healthier than 47% of U.S. towns

Ripon beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.

B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
What stands outRiponWI
Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked83.3%85.9%
Ripon Medical Center
1.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
33rd
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
College town

12% of Ripon is in college

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

14 places in Ripon on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Ripon

11 notable people were born in Ripon.

See all 11 →

About Ripon

City in Wisconsin, United States

Official town website ↗

Ripon ( RIH-pən) is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,863 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Ripon. Ripon is home to the Little White Schoolhouse, where the Republican Party was founded.

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

Established
1849
Population
7,863
Area
5.0 sq mi
Elevation
932 ft
ZIP code
54971
Area code
920

Ripon’s neighbors

One town shares a border with Ripon.

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RiponRiponRipon

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Photo of Ripon

1867 · Birds eye view of the city of Ripon, Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin 1867 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗