The Town FilesPrentice, Wisconsin
Village in Price County · population 563 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $108,800
- Household income
- $50,833
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 59 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 41.9
Prentice is a village of 563 people in Price County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $108,800, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks quieter than 94% of Wisconsin towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of Wisconsin towns, better transit than 73% of Wisconsin towns.
How Prentice 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 Prentice is worth $108,800, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $50,833, which is more affordable than 96% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $741 a month. 63.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Prentice | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $108,800 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $741 | $951 |
| Median household income | $50,833 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.1× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 63.6% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.7% | — |
Who lives in Prentice
| People | Prentice | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.3% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 28.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.9% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.5% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 15.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.5% | — |
| Work from home | 11.0% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 27.2 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.8% | 89.1% |
Weather in Prentice
July highs average 78.7°F and January lows 0.5°F. About 32.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.4 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 190 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prentice since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 10, 1953 about 6.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 14, 2019.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 20 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 16, 2017.
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 Prentice itself the ACS puts it at 1.9%.
Public schools in Prentice
3 public schools with 315 students, about 10.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prentice Elementary | PK-4 | 124 | 10.3 |
| Prentice High | 9-12 | 107 | 10.7 |
| Prentice Middle | 5-8 | 84 | 9.3 |
Towns near Prentice
- Ogema, WI9.1 mi · 727 people · home $129,600
- Phillips, WI11.8 mi · 1,533 people · home $103,300
- Worcester, WI13.7 mi · 1,543 people · home $240,900
- Elk, WI14.2 mi · 960 people · home $246,200
- Rib Lake, WI15.9 mi · 935 people · home $99,400
- Westboro, WI16.5 mi · 693 people · home $186,100
- Rib Lake, WI16.6 mi · 763 people · home $225,500
- Chelsea, WI19.7 mi · 710 people · home $198,200
Prentice questions
Is Prentice, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Prentice scores better for retirees than 23% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 94%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).
How much does a house cost in Prentice?
The median owner-occupied home in Prentice is valued at $108,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $50,833, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $741 a month.
What is the weather like in Prentice?
July highs average 78.7°F and January lows 0.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.4 inches of precipitation a year and 59.4 inches of snow.
Does Prentice get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prentice since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 10, 1953. 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)