The Town Files

Luck, Wisconsin

Town in Polk County · population 979 (2020 Census)

Map: where Luck is in WisconsinLuck
Median home
$265,900
Household income
$79,375
Jan low / Jul high
5° / 81°
Snow a year
61 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
47.1

Luck is a town of 979 people in Polk County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $265,900, close to the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks quieter than 89% of Wisconsin towns, better for a vacation home than 85% of Wisconsin towns, better for cycling than 83% of Wisconsin towns.

How Luck 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.

Luck lifestyle rankings vs other Wisconsin townsRetirement59th pctFamilies39th pctQuiet89th pctWalkability22nd pctFirst-time buyers82nd pctYoung professionals13th pctVibrancy50th pctHip & trendy61st pctCollege town19th pctUpscale20th pctVacation homes85th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling83rd pctTransit66th pctDriving39th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Luck is worth $265,900, close to the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $79,375, which is more affordable than 43% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $830 a month. 88.9% of households own their home.

Luck vs Polk County vs typical Wisconsin townLuckPolk CountyTypical Wisconsin townHome value$265,900$271,900$256,000Household income$79,375$77,219$82,217Monthly rent$830$957$951
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Wisconsin towns with 500+ people.
HousingLuckTypical Wisconsin town
Median home value$265,900$256,000
Median rent$830$951
Median household income$79,375$82,217
Home value ÷ income3.3×3.1×
Homeownership88.9%86.8%
Median year built19791978
Seasonal / vacation homes13.3%—

Who lives in Luck

PeopleLuckTypical Wisconsin town
Median age47.145.1
Age 65 and over26.9%21.0%
Under 1820.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.3%23.8%
Below the poverty line7.4%7.2%
Veterans12.8%—
Born outside the U.S.2.0%—
Work from home12.3%10.9%
Average commute27.6 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband87.3%89.1%

Weather in Luck

July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 4.6°F. About 32.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 61.2 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 162 nights at or below freezing.

Luck monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing22°5°Jan28°8°Feb40°21°Mar55°34°Apr68°46°May77°56°Jun81°60°Jul79°58°Aug71°50°Sep57°38°Oct40°25°Nov27°12°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.89.80.812.61.59.02.74.64.20.24.24.34.33.63.41.31.98.41.215.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Luck station (2.6 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Luck since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 23, 1952 about 5.2 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 7 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 28, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Luck by decade11950s01960s01970s11980s11990s32000s32010s02020s
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 21 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 8, 2000.

Severe weather in Polk County since 1996

Storm events in Polk County since 1996 by typeHail97Heat6Tornado21Heavy Snow13Flash Flood7Funnel Cloud7Winter Storm79Excessive Heat4
NOAA Storm Events Database, Polk County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Polk County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3454: Covid-19
August 27, 2019FloodDR-4459: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
September 13, 2005HurricaneEM-3249: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
September 10, 2002TornadoDR-1432: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Polk County

Polk County had 16,162 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,798 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Luck itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.

Largest industries in Polk CountyManufacturing3,850 jobs · $58,419Health care & social assistan…2,675 jobs · $56,497Retail2,132 jobs · $32,076Hotels & restaurants1,259 jobs · $17,213Construction632 jobs · $60,914Administrative & support578 jobs · $31,963
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Polk County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Polk 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Luck

Luck questions

Is Luck, Wisconsin a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Luck scores better for retirees than 59% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 89%. 26.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.1).

How much does a house cost in Luck?

The median owner-occupied home in Luck is valued at $265,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,375, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $830 a month.

What is the weather like in Luck?

July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 4.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.9 inches of precipitation a year and 61.2 inches of snow.

Does Luck get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Luck since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 23, 1952. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Luck's Census boundary (GEOID 5509546225). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.