Big Flats, Wisconsin

Town in Adams County · population 948 (2020 Census)

Median home: $100,400
Household income: $48,036
Jan low / Jul high: 6° / 82°
Snow a year: 52 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 5
Median age: 52.3

Big Flats is a town of 948 people in Adams County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $100,400, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks quieter than 99% of Wisconsin towns, better for first-time buyers than 90% of Wisconsin towns, hipper than 77% of Wisconsin towns.

Big Flats in our rankings:

How Big Flats ranks

Percentile among Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Wisconsin towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Big Flats is worth $100,400, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $48,036, which is more affordable than 96% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $921 a month. 92.5% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Wisconsin towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Big Flats	Typical Wisconsin town
Median home value	$100,400	$256,000
Median rent	$921	$951
Median household income	$48,036	$82,217
Home value ÷ income	2.1×	3.1×
Homeownership	92.5%	86.8%
Median year built	1980	1978
Seasonal / vacation homes	35.3%	—

Who lives in Big Flats

People	Big Flats	Typical Wisconsin town
Median age	52.3	45.1
Age 65 and over	30.4%	21.0%
Under 18	12.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.9%	23.8%
Below the poverty line	13.5%	7.2%
Veterans	7.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	6.3%	—
Work from home	3.6%	10.9%
Average commute	35.1 min	24.6 min
Homes with broadband	90.9%	89.1%

Weather in Big Flats

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 6.0°F. About 35.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.0 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 169 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Friendship station (9.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Big Flats since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on April 10, 2011 about 4.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 10, 2011.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 15, 2016.

Severe weather in Adams County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Adams County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Adams County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
April 4, 2020	Biological	DR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3454: Covid-19
October 18, 2018	Flood	DR-4402: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides
October 20, 2016	Flood	DR-4288: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
June 14, 2008	Severe Storm	DR-1768: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Adams County

Adams County had 4,412 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,533 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Big Flats itself the ACS puts it at 7.8%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Big Flats

Preston, WI
6.0 mi · 1,377 people · home $160,400
Rome, WI
6.9 mi · 3,025 people · home $293,500
Lake Arrowhead, WI
7.1 mi · 946 people · home $310,300
Lake Camelot, WI
7.7 mi · 895 people · home $310,900
Strongs Prairie, WI
8.5 mi · 1,145 people · home $215,900
Friendship, WI
9.2 mi · 648 people · home $115,100
Adams, WI
10.3 mi · 1,761 people · home $102,500
Adams, WI
11.4 mi · 1,378 people · home $165,100

Big Flats questions

Is Big Flats, Wisconsin a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Big Flats scores better for retirees than 46% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 99%. 30.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.3).

How much does a house cost in Big Flats?

The median owner-occupied home in Big Flats is valued at $100,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,036, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $921 a month.

What is the weather like in Big Flats?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 6.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.1 inches of precipitation a year and 52.0 inches of snow.

Does Big Flats get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Big Flats since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on April 10, 2011. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Big Flats's Census boundary (GEOID 5500107300). Comparisons use the median of Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.