Sparta, Wisconsin

Town in Monroe County · population 3,253 (2020 Census)

Median home: $275,000
Household income: $94,226
Jan low / Jul high: 6° / 82°
Snow a year: 50 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 13
Median age: 44.0

Sparta is a town of 3,253 people in Monroe County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $275,000, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks better for cycling than 81% of Wisconsin towns.

How Sparta 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Sparta is worth $275,000, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $94,226, which is more affordable than 68% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $955 a month. 91.4% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Wisconsin towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Sparta	Typical Wisconsin town
Median home value	$275,000	$256,000
Median rent	$955	$951
Median household income	$94,226	$82,217
Home value ÷ income	2.9×	3.1×
Homeownership	91.4%	86.8%
Median year built	1986	1978
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Sparta

People	Sparta	Typical Wisconsin town
Median age	44.0	45.1
Age 65 and over	22.7%	21.0%
Under 18	23.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.2%	23.8%
Below the poverty line	5.0%	7.2%
Veterans	13.5%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.3%	—
Work from home	10.8%	10.9%
Average commute	18.0 min	24.6 min
Homes with broadband	92.3%	89.1%

Weather in Sparta

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 5.6°F. About 35.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 50.3 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 165 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Sparta station (2.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sparta since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 5, 1965 about 8.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 19, 2022.

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 47 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on July 16, 1972.

Severe weather in Monroe County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Monroe County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 8 deaths recorded.

Monroe County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
April 4, 2020	Biological	DR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3454: Covid-19
August 27, 2019	Flood	DR-4459: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
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

Jobs and pay in Monroe County

Monroe County had 21,455 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,839 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Sparta itself the ACS puts it at 1.2%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Sparta

Sparta, WI
3.0 mi · 10,025 people · home $180,600
West Salem, WI
12.5 mi · 5,277 people · home $277,100
Tomah, WI
17.7 mi · 9,570 people · home $174,300
Onalaska, WI
18.2 mi · 18,803 people · home $288,900
Holmen, WI
20.4 mi · 10,661 people · home $285,900
Onalaska, WI
20.6 mi · 5,835 people · home $320,100
La Crosse, WI
20.9 mi · 52,680 people · home $210,100
Shelby, WI
21.3 mi · 4,804 people · home $301,200

Sparta questions

Is Sparta, Wisconsin a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sparta scores better for retirees than 13% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 25%. 22.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.0).

How much does a house cost in Sparta?

The median owner-occupied home in Sparta is valued at $275,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,226, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $955 a month.

What is the weather like in Sparta?

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 5.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.6 inches of precipitation a year and 50.3 inches of snow.

Does Sparta get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sparta since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 5, 1965. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sparta's Census boundary (GEOID 5508175350). 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.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.