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Living in Manitowoc, WI

Small city in Wisconsin

Manitowoc is a small city in Wisconsin, home to about 35,000 people, with 216,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Manitowoc a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $238k and rents for $1,170 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 75°F
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.6× the US rate (FBI 2019)

👎 Cons

  • Fewer graduates: 24% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Smaller job market: about 216,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer family amenities than most places

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Manitowoc ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
35,000
216,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
29°F / 75°F
Average daily highs · 35″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$238k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,170/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
94
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,734
State income tax per resident · 1.68% property tax
Safety
0.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
2 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, cold waves
Top-rated hospitals
2
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Below average
Tests below US average · 15 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
24%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
MKE
80 mi away

Living in Manitowoc: common questions

What is the cost of living in Manitowoc?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $238k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,170 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Manitowoc?

Wisconsin collects about $1,734 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.68% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Manitowoc safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Manitowoc?

Public schools in Manitowoc test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 15 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Manitowoc?

Manitowoc has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 29°F and summer days around 75°F, with roughly 35″ of snow a year.

Does Manitowoc get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, cold waves and tornadoes: 2 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.04 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Manitowoc?

The nearest major airport is MKE, about 80 mi away.

How Manitowoc scores

Each bar compares Manitowoc with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundSome transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateLong, snowy winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareGood
🏫SchoolsBelow average
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Manitowoc

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Superior, WISmall city50 $248k$1,690/moSafe Wausau, WISmall city49 $230k$1,510/moSafe Fond du Lac, WISmall city53 $252k$1,520/moSafe Sheboygan, WISmall city49 $260k$1,350/moSafe Bay City, MISmall city48 $130k$1,400/moModerate crime Port Huron, MISmall city50 $185k$1,720/moModerate crime

Nearby

Sheboygan, WISmall city · 25 mi away49 $260k$1,350/moSafe Green Bay, WISmall city · 33 mi away49 $285k$1,550/moSafe Appleton, WISmall city · 37 mi away56 $292k$1,700/moVery safe Neenah, WISmall city · 40 mi away61 $297k$1,540/moVery safe Fond du Lac, WISmall city · 44 mi away53 $252k$1,520/moSafe Oshkosh, WISmall city · 44 mi away52 $261k$1,540/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Wisconsin.

Is Manitowoc right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.