The Town FilesPlum Lake, Wisconsin
Town in Vilas County · population 553 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $285,000
- Household income
- $67,679
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 75°
- Snow a year
- 74 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 9
- Median age
- 58.0
Plum Lake is a town of 553 people in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $285,000, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks better for a vacation home than 98% of Wisconsin towns, better for retirees than 96% of Wisconsin towns, better for cycling than 95% of Wisconsin towns.
How Plum 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 Plum Lake is worth $285,000, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $67,679, which is more affordable than 9% of Wisconsin towns. 95.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Plum Lake | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $285,000 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | — | $951 |
| Median household income | $67,679 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.2× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 95.5% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 68.1% | — |
Who lives in Plum Lake
| People | Plum Lake | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.0 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 35.6% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 11.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.2% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 7.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.5% | — |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 30.4 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 81.6% | 89.1% |
Weather in Plum Lake
July highs average 75.4°F and January lows 0.5°F. About 33.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 73.7 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 191 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plum Lake since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 27, 1984 about 0.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 9, 2020.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 15 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 25, 2008.
Severe weather in Vilas County since 1996
Vilas County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2026 | Tornado | DR-4949: Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| August 16, 1999 | Flood | DR-1284: Wi-Flood-07/20/99 |
Jobs and pay in Vilas County
Vilas County had 8,275 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,114 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Plum Lake itself the ACS puts it at 2.9%.
Towns near Plum Lake
- St. Germain, WI8.4 mi · 2,083 people · home $255,600
- Land O'Lakes, WI8.5 mi · 944 people · home $283,300
- Boulder Junction, WI9.8 mi · 1,057 people · home $313,500
- Cloverland, WI9.9 mi · 1,068 people · home $272,000
- Conover, WI10.2 mi · 1,318 people · home $273,600
- Arbor Vitae, WI10.5 mi · 3,403 people · home $280,600
- Presque Isle, WI13.9 mi · 805 people · home $394,300
- Woodruff, WI14.1 mi · 891 people · home $278,400
Plum Lake questions
Is Plum Lake, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plum Lake scores better for retirees than 96% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 93%. 35.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 58.0).
How much does a house cost in Plum Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Plum Lake is valued at $285,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,679, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Plum Lake?
July highs average 75.4°F and January lows 0.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.6 inches of precipitation a year and 73.7 inches of snow.
Does Plum Lake get tornadoes?
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plum Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 27, 1984. 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)