The Town FilesLake, Wisconsin
Town in Price County · population 1,106 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $222,300
- Household income
- $69,875
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 78°
- Snow a year
- 57 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 60.1
Lake is a town of 1,106 people in Price County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $222,300, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks quieter than 88% of Wisconsin towns, better for retirees than 80% of Wisconsin towns, better for a vacation home than 75% of Wisconsin towns.
How Lake 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 Lake is worth $222,300, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 3.2 times the median household income of $69,875, which is more affordable than 48% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $761 a month. 89.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $222,300 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $761 | $951 |
| Median household income | $69,875 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.2× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 89.9% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 44.9% | — |
Who lives in Lake
| People | Lake | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.1 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 34.9% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 6.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 9.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 3.7% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 18.1 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.9% | 89.1% |
Weather in Lake
July highs average 77.7°F and January lows 1.1°F. About 36.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 57.3 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 195 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 8, 1985 about 4.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 22, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on June 5, 2005.
Severe weather in Price County since 1996
Price County has been included in 8 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 |
| September 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3249: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| September 10, 2002 | Tornado | DR-1432: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding |
| August 16, 1999 | Flood | DR-1284: Wi-Flood-07/20/99 |
Jobs and pay in Price County
Price County had 4,876 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,882 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Lake itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.
Towns near Lake
- Park Falls, WI5.8 mi · 2,410 people · home $84,800
- Eisenstein, WI12.5 mi · 625 people · home $194,500
- Fifield, WI16.9 mi · 905 people · home $204,500
- Elk, WI17.1 mi · 960 people · home $246,200
- Jacobs, WI17.2 mi · 648 people · home $99,100
- Phillips, WI17.5 mi · 1,533 people · home $103,300
- Worcester, WI17.5 mi · 1,543 people · home $240,900
- Winter, WI19.2 mi · 1,000 people · home $221,800
Lake questions
Is Lake, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake scores better for retirees than 80% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 88%. 34.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 60.1).
How much does a house cost in Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake is valued at $222,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,875, so homes cost about 3.2 times income. Median rent is $761 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake?
July highs average 77.7°F and January lows 1.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.0 inches of precipitation a year and 57.3 inches of snow.
Does Lake get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 8, 1985. 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)