The Town FilesPrairie du Chien, Wisconsin
City in Crawford County · population 5,506 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $161,300
- Household income
- $54,268
- Jan low / Jul high
- 10° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 34 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 46.7
Prairie du Chien is a city of 5,506 people in Crawford County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $161,300, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks more walkable than 94% of Wisconsin towns, better transit than 94% of Wisconsin towns, more vibrant than 93% of Wisconsin towns.
How Prairie du Chien 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 Prairie du Chien is worth $161,300, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $54,268, which is more affordable than 62% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $795 a month. 66.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Prairie du Chien | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $161,300 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $795 | $951 |
| Median household income | $54,268 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.0× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 66.8% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1961 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.7% | — |
Who lives in Prairie du Chien
| People | Prairie du Chien | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.0% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 17.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.4% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 5.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.2% | — |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 16.0 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.3% | 89.1% |
Weather in Prairie du Chien
July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 9.7°F. About 37.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.8 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prairie du Chien since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 30, 1954 about 5.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 6 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 19, 2017.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on August 18, 1978.
Severe weather in Crawford County since 1996
Crawford County has been included in 22 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 |
| October 7, 2017 | Severe Storm | DR-4343: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud |
| October 20, 2016 | Flood | DR-4288: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Crawford County
Crawford County had 6,672 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,881 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Prairie du Chien itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Prairie du Chien
5 public schools with 932 students, about 11.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie du Chien High | 9-12 | 296 | 11.8 |
| BA Kennedy School | PK-2 | 243 | 13.5 |
| Bluff View Middle | 6-8 | 206 | 13.7 |
| Bluff View Elementary | 3-5 | 184 | 9.7 |
| Prairie du Chien Correctional Inst | 12-12 | 3 | 1.5 |
Towns near Prairie du Chien
- Postville, IA22.0 mi · 2,503 people · home $104,700
- Boscobel, WI22.9 mi · 3,286 people · home $147,400
- Waukon, IA23.3 mi · 3,827 people · home $147,200
- Fennimore, WI24.7 mi · 2,764 people · home $161,400
- Lancaster, WI25.5 mi · 3,907 people · home $204,000
Prairie du Chien questions
Is Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Prairie du Chien scores better for retirees than 18% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 11%. 25.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.7).
How much does a house cost in Prairie du Chien?
The median owner-occupied home in Prairie du Chien is valued at $161,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,268, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $795 a month.
What is the weather like in Prairie du Chien?
July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 9.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.7 inches of precipitation a year and 33.8 inches of snow.
Does Prairie du Chien get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prairie du Chien since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 30, 1954. 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)