Scores by category

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

Safety89#1,761/15,637
Economy32#10,611/15,631
Housing78#3,233/14,977
Health65#5,400/15,609
Healthcare64#5,684/15,650
Environment99#149/15,453
Education87#2,005/15,649
Infrastructure49#8,038/15,650
Community97#469/15,651
Leisure & amenities62#5,924/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Osceola, Wisconsin ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Polk 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

Property crime rate · low268 /100k
98/100Wisconsin 1,017 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationPolk County value
Restaurants and bars · high16.8 /10k
97/100Wisconsin 12.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPolk County value
Rent as share of income · low23.1%
96/100Wisconsin 27.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low31.7%
95/100Wisconsin 43.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.5 µg/m³
94/100Wisconsin 7.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyPolk County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Wisconsin 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPolk County value

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low22.0%
2/100Wisconsin 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePolk County value
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
5/100Wisconsin 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPolk County value
Average weekly wage · low$962
12/100Wisconsin $1,272United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPolk County value
Traffic deaths · high23.7 /100k
14/100Wisconsin 10.2 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataPolk County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.4 /10k
14/100Wisconsin 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPolk County value
Hospital quality rating · low2.5
18/100Wisconsin 3.8United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesPolk County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
2,511 (2015-2019) → 2,849 (2020-2024)
+13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
51.3% (2015-2019) → 31.7% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedWorsening
10.6 /1k (2021) → 2.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−80%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.6% (2015-2019) → 88.7% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
30.7% (2015-2019) → 23.1% (2020-2024)
−7.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateWorsening
18.0% (2015-2019) → 24.6% (2020-2024)
+6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Osceola, Wisconsin improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 13 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.

Improved1

Rent / income−7.6 points30.7% → 23.1%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Osceola, Wisconsin between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.4 min2015-2019	34.9 min2020-2024	+8.5 min	Within the margin of error	3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.2%2015-2019	23.5%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Broadband subscriptions	76.6%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Child poverty rate	18.0%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Effective property tax rate	1.65%2015-2019	1.44%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	59%
High school diploma or higher	93.3%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	−4.9 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	4.3×2020-2024	+1.0×	Within the margin of error	23%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4042015-2019	0.3612020-2024	−0.043	Within the margin of error	81%
Median household income	$44,8552015-2019	$53,3612020-2024	+19%	Within the margin of error	31%
Poverty rate	12.3%2015-2019	14.1%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	30.7%2015-2019	23.1%2020-2024	−7.6 points	Improved	89%
Rent-burdened households	51.3%2015-2019	31.7%2020-2024	−20 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Unemployment rate	4.5%2015-2019	7.4%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	10%

“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 Osceola, Wisconsin five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Osceola, 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, Osceola, Wisconsin itself moved +4.6 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

2,849 residents (±23)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−5.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,849 residents (±23)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

White90%2,570
Black0.3%†9
Hispanic or Latino3.7%†105
Asian1.3%†36
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races4.5%†129

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

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,990 residents (±138)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

No high school diploma12%†230
High school or GED28%555
Some college24%†468
Associate degree14%†269
Bachelor's degree20%†406
Graduate degree3.1%†62

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

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

1,376 households (±134)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $25k12%†163
$25k–50k37%†504
$50k–75k18%†254
$75k–100k12%†166
$100k–150k14%†198
$150k–200k5.5%†75
$200k or more1.2%†16

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−14.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,376 households (±134)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Own57%779
Rent43%597

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

590 households (±147)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $75029%†170
$750–1,00024%†139
$1,000–1,50039%†229

Home values

779 homes (±125)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $150k21%†164
$150k–250k37%†286
$250k–400k35%†271

Age of homes

1,402 homes (±136)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

2010 or later15%†210
2000–200913%†181
1980–199926%†363

Size of homes

1,402 homes (±136)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Studio0.4%†6
1 bedroom13%†185
2 bedrooms44%617

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,267 workers (±161)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Drive alone82%1,043
Carpool6.6%†83
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.3%†4
Bike0.0%0
Work from home11%†137
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−8.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,130 workers (±181)

Osceola, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under 15 min35%392
15–29 min18%†207
30–44 min14%†153

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 Polk County, the county holding most of Osceola's residents.

Polk County has 1,163 employer establishments, 254 for every 10,000 residents (1.02× the US rate of 248; 1.04× Wisconsin's), with 14,018 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,649. The Census Bureau also counts 3,551 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,163; 3,551 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 254; US 248 · Wisconsin 244
Paid employees: 14,018
Average annual pay: $50,649; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	97	21.2	1.37×More than typical	377	$57,517	411
Restaurants and other eating places	75	16.4	0.89×About typical	890	$17,646	6
Ambulatory health care services	72	15.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	733	$79,153	121
Religious organizations	56	12.2	2.21×More than typical	242	$20,376	—
Construction of buildings	52	11.4	1.50×More than typical	133	$54,098	219
Services to buildings and dwellings	46	10	1.49×More than typical	198	$35,970	219
Full-service restaurants	44	9.6	1.25×More than typical	497	$19,082	—
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	42	9.2	7.57×More than typical	228	$15,439	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	34	7.4	1.48×More than typical	127	$51,370	64
Building equipment contractors	32	7	1.16×About typical	150	$57,327	57
Lessors of real estate	31	6.8	0.55×Fewer than typical	38	$36,658	324
Truck transportation	31	6.8	1.34×More than typical	99	$52,970	106

Rank places for an industry Open Polk County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 45,775 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 Osceola, 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

1.5KFY2017
4.7KFY2018
-5.1FY2019
974.2FY2020
8.1FY2021
2.5KFY2025

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 Osceola, Wisconsin, so they do not add up across cities.

Osceola, Wisconsin's figures are part of those of Polk County, WI ($4.6M 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: Osceola is mostly in Polk County.

See federal money in Polk 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.

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

House

Thomas P. TiffanyR-WI-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 10.4%

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.

Polk County94100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Polk 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/5560450