The Town FilesCottage Grove, Wisconsin
Town in Dane County · population 3,791 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $398,500
- Household income
- $87,218
- Jan low / Jul high
- 12° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 43 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 27
- Median age
- 45.6
Cottage Grove is a town of 3,791 people in Dane County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $398,500, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks more upscale than 96% of Wisconsin towns, better for retirees than 80% of Wisconsin towns, better for young professionals than 80% of Wisconsin towns.
How Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove is worth $398,500, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $87,218, which is more affordable than 5% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $1,668 a month. 87.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cottage Grove | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $398,500 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $1,668 | $951 |
| Median household income | $87,218 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.6× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 87.6% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Cottage Grove
| People | Cottage Grove | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.6 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.4% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 19.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.2% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.0% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 7.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.0% | — |
| Work from home | 15.3% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.8% | 89.1% |
Weather in Cottage Grove
July highs average 82.1°F and January lows 11.8°F. About 37.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 42.8 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 147 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
27 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottage Grove since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 18, 2005 about 9.1 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 53 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 13, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 147 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on April 14, 2026.
Severe weather in Dane County since 1996
Dane County has been included in 19 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 |
| October 18, 2018 | Flood | DR-4402: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| April 5, 2011 | Snowstorm | DR-1966: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| June 14, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1768: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Dane County
Dane County had 359,249 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $74,481 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Cottage Grove itself the ACS puts it at 5.7%.
Towns near Cottage Grove
- Cottage Grove, WI2.7 mi · 7,303 people · home $449,700
- Deerfield, WI5.1 mi · 2,507 people · home $315,900
- McFarland, WI6.1 mi · 8,991 people · home $390,100
- Pleasant Springs, WI6.1 mi · 3,078 people · home $444,100
- Monona, WI8.0 mi · 8,624 people · home $427,900
- Sun Prairie, WI9.1 mi · 35,967 people · home $365,700
- Dunn, WI9.1 mi · 4,880 people · home $447,300
- Marshall, WI9.6 mi · 3,787 people · home $238,900
Cottage Grove questions
Is Cottage Grove, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cottage Grove scores better for retirees than 80% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 24%. 23.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.6).
How much does a house cost in Cottage Grove?
The median owner-occupied home in Cottage Grove is valued at $398,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $87,218, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,668 a month.
What is the weather like in Cottage Grove?
July highs average 82.1°F and January lows 11.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.1 inches of precipitation a year and 42.8 inches of snow.
Does Cottage Grove get tornadoes?
27 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottage Grove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 18, 2005. 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)