The Town FilesGays Mills, Wisconsin
Village in Crawford County · population 523 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $164,500
- Household income
- $40,208
- Jan low / Jul high
- 7° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 38 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 37.2
Gays Mills is a village of 523 people in Crawford County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $164,500, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks hipper than 92% of Wisconsin towns, better for cycling than 84% of Wisconsin towns, better for a vacation home than 77% of Wisconsin towns.
How Gays Mills 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 Gays Mills is worth $164,500, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $40,208, which is more affordable than 11% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $777 a month. 67.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Gays Mills | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $164,500 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $777 | $951 |
| Median household income | $40,208 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.1× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 67.6% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.6% | — |
Who lives in Gays Mills
| People | Gays Mills | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.2 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.9% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 24.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.0% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 18.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.8% | — |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 71.8% | 89.1% |
Weather in Gays Mills
July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 7.0°F. About 37.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 37.8 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 167 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gays Mills since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 5, 1980 about 9.1 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 18 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on September 24, 1984.
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 Gays Mills itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.
Towns near Gays Mills
- Utica, WI4.0 mi · 623 people · home $282,700
- Clayton, WI5.4 mi · 1,052 people · home $228,100
- Soldiers Grove, WI5.6 mi · 552 people · home $158,300
- Scott, WI8.3 mi · 519 people · home $206,900
- Seneca, WI8.6 mi · 932 people · home $201,600
- Franklin, WI10.7 mi · 1,106 people · home $233,300
- Kickapoo, WI10.8 mi · 722 people · home $270,000
- Eastman, WI11.4 mi · 731 people · home $279,700
Gays Mills questions
Is Gays Mills, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gays Mills scores better for retirees than 15% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 51%. 24.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).
How much does a house cost in Gays Mills?
The median owner-occupied home in Gays Mills is valued at $164,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $40,208, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $777 a month.
What is the weather like in Gays Mills?
July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 7.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.7 inches of precipitation a year and 37.8 inches of snow.
Does Gays Mills get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gays Mills since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 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)