The Town FilesFreeman, Wisconsin
Town in Crawford County · population 727 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $207,400
- Household income
- $57,083
- Jan low / Jul high
- 10° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 38 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 60.8
Freeman is a town of 727 people in Crawford County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $207,400, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks quieter than 98% of Wisconsin towns, better for a vacation home than 89% of Wisconsin towns, better for cycling than 77% of Wisconsin towns.
How Freeman 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Freeman is worth $207,400, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $57,083, which is more affordable than 27% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $843 a month. 89.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Freeman | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $207,400 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $843 | $951 |
| Median household income | $57,083 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 89.6% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 37.5% | — |
Who lives in Freeman
| People | Freeman | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.8 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 38.6% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 10.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.8% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 8.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.5% | — |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 33.0 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.1% | 89.1% |
Weather in Freeman
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 9.6°F. About 36.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 37.9 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 134 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Freeman since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 5, 1980 about 2.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 22, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 32 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 21, 2024.
Severe weather in Crawford County since 1996
Crawford County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| 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 7, 2017 | Severe Storm | DR-4343: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud |
| October 20, 2016 | Flood | DR-4288: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Crawford County
Crawford County had 6,672 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,881 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Freeman itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.
Towns near Freeman
- Lansing, IA7.1 mi · 968 people · home $167,500
- Wheatland, WI7.9 mi · 588 people · home $228,300
- Sterling, WI8.0 mi · 550 people · home $222,600
- Seneca, WI8.1 mi · 932 people · home $201,600
- Utica, WI8.8 mi · 623 people · home $282,700
- Gays Mills, WI12.2 mi · 523 people · home $164,500
- Franklin, WI12.3 mi · 1,106 people · home $233,300
- Genoa, WI13.0 mi · 753 people · home $235,200
Freeman questions
Is Freeman, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Freeman scores better for retirees than 51% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 98%. 38.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 60.8).
How much does a house cost in Freeman?
The median owner-occupied home in Freeman is valued at $207,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $57,083, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $843 a month.
What is the weather like in Freeman?
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 9.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.5 inches of precipitation a year and 37.9 inches of snow.
Does Freeman get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Freeman since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 5, 1980. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.
- 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)