City · Marquette County, Wisconsin

Montello, Wisconsin

Montello is a city in Marquette County, Wisconsin. It has 1,404 residents. Montello, Wisconsin has a quality-of-life score of 60 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #6,262 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Wisconsin it ranks #358 of 396 cities and towns. It ranks best on public libraries (high), property crime rate (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on access to exercise opportunities (low), gyms and fitness centers (low) and primary care physicians (low).

60Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #6,262 of 15,651 cities and towns
Wisconsin: #358 of 396 in WI
Population: 1,404 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 715.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 5553875

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety85#2,326/15,637
Economy30#10,950/15,631
Housing86#2,047/14,977
Health26#11,573/15,609
Healthcare13#13,650/15,650
Environment82#2,797/15,453
Education52#7,521/15,649
Infrastructure49#8,046/15,650
Community74#4,092/15,651
Leisure & amenities64#5,557/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Montello, Wisconsin ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marquette County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public libraries · high3.8 /10k
97/100Wisconsin 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMarquette County value
Property crime rate · low321 /100k
96/100Wisconsin 1,017 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureMarquette County value
Restaurants and bars · high15.7 /10k
96/100Wisconsin 12.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarquette County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Wisconsin 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMarquette County value
Students per teacher · low11.3×
92/100Wisconsin 13.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsMarquette County value
Rent-burdened households · low44.5%
89/100Wisconsin 43.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low29.2%
2/100Wisconsin 83.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarquette County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Wisconsin 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarquette County value
Primary care physicians · low19 /100k
4/100Wisconsin 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarquette County value
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
5/100Wisconsin 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarquette County value
Distance to an emergency room · high16.2 mi
6/100Wisconsin 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMarquette County value
Adult obesity · high43.7%
7/100Wisconsin 39.2%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.7 /1k (2021) → 2.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+307%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.4% (2015-2019) → 87.0% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$39,808 (2015-2019) → $55,758 (2020-2024)
+40%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateWorsening
13.9% (2015-2019) → 20.0% (2020-2024)
+6.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Average commute timeImproving
32.4 min (2015-2019) → 22.7 min (2020-2024)
−30%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.4% (2015-2019) → 90.0% (2020-2024)
+4.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Montello, Wisconsin improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Commute−9.7 min32.4 min → 22.7 min
Household income+40%$39,808 → $55,758

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Montello, Wisconsin between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	32.4 min2015-2019	22.7 min2020-2024	−9.7 min	Improved	98%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.2%2015-2019	13.1%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Broadband subscriptions	75.4%2015-2019	87.0%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Effective property tax rate	2.11%2015-2019	1.42%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	97%
High school diploma or higher	85.4%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	88%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3892015-2019	0.3702020-2024	−0.020	Within the margin of error	67%
Median household income	$39,8082015-2019	$55,7582020-2024	+40%	Improved	74%
Poverty rate	13.9%2015-2019	20.0%2020-2024	+6.1 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent as share of income	27.6%2015-2019	27.1%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Rent-burdened households	42.9%2015-2019	44.5%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	50%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Montello, Wisconsin five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Montello, Wisconsin in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Montello, Wisconsin itself moved +11.3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,404 residents (±183)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

660 households (±112)

Montello, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $25k21%139
$25k–50k22%†142
$50k–75k30%†199

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

660 households (±112)

Montello, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Own62%409
Rent38%251

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

503 workers (±79)

Montello, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Drive alone81%405
Carpool11%†54
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marquette County, the county holding most of Montello's residents.

Marquette County has 278 employer establishments, 175 for every 10,000 residents (0.70× the US rate of 248; 0.72× Wisconsin's), with 3,013 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,932. The Census Bureau also counts 1,113 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 278; 1,113 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 175; US 248 · Wisconsin 244
Paid employees: 3,013
Average annual pay: $46,932; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marquette County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	19	11.9	0.65×Fewer than typical	180	$16,817	3
Specialty trade contractors	17	10.7	0.69×Fewer than typical	41	$39,098	135
Religious organizations	14	8.8	1.59×More than typical	57	$17,211	—
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	12	7.5	6.22×More than typical	34	$14,912	8
Truck transportation	12	7.5	1.49×More than typical	129	$87,380	41
Full-service restaurants	11	6.9	0.90×About typical	84	$13,262	3
Gasoline stations	10	6.3	1.94×More than typical	183	$20,432	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	9	5.7	1.12×Too few to compare	33	$52,545	14
Services to buildings and dwellings	9	5.7	0.84×Too few to compare	20	$40,750	63
Insurance agencies and brokerages	8	5	1.15×Too few to compare	16	$90,375	10
RV parks and recreational camps	8	5	21.2×Too few to compare	49	$40,592	5
Ambulatory health care services	6	3.8	0.18×Too few to compare	40	$42,625	26

Rank places for an industry Open Marquette County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 15,908 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Montello, Wisconsin: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

-80.3FY2017
-212.9FY2018
8.6KFY2019
5.3KFY2020
825.6FY2022
0FY2023
1.6KFY2024
985.8FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Montello, Wisconsin, so they do not add up across cities.

Montello, Wisconsin's figures are part of those of Marquette County, WI ($78.9K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Montello is mostly in Marquette County.

See federal money in Marquette County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Montello, Wisconsin is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Glenn GrothmanR-WI-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 2.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marquette County64100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Marquette County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5553875

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends