If you’re considering homesteading in Wisconsin, then there are some things you’ll definitely want to know about before you begin.
When you’re considering which state might be best to homestead in, many people overlook Wisconsin. However, Wisconsin can be a beautiful state to homestead in for a variety of different reasons. In this article, we’ll cover what you need to know about modern day homesteading in Wisconsin and take a look at how homesteading has evolved over the years.
Table of Contents
- History of Homesteading in Wisconsin
- Population in Wisconsin: How many neighbors should I expect?
- Cost of Land
- Wisconsin Climate
- Geography of Wisconsin
- Growing Seasons in Wisconsin
- Final Overview
- Are you ready to start homesteading in Wisconsin?
- Find this useful? Make sure to save it so you can look back on it again!
- Do you homestead in Wisconsin?
- Looking for more articles like this one?
History of Homesteading in Wisconsin
The first people to live in Wisconsin were of course the Native American tribes. Native Americans have been dated back in Wisconsin as long as 10,000 years ago, and their survival and success in this state is truly amazing. With a focus on hunting, farming, and gathering, these tribes were able to provide what they needed for their families and save and preserve enough for winter, too. Though they weren’t technically called homesteaders, they’re efforts and lifestyles were definitely reflective of the principals of today’s modern-day homesteading movement: self-sustaining and living with what the land had to offer.
Starting in the mid 1600s, settlers began to trickle their way into Wisconsin. In the beginning, many of these early settlers were fur traders and those looking for work in the mining industry. After President Lincoln passed the Homestead Act in 1862, the state opened up even more for the potential for homesteaders.
According to the National Park Service, a total of 9% of the state of Wisconsin, or 3,110,990 acres were proven up as homesteads (source). Homesteaders would pay a small fee to file their claim with the government, then would be given 160 acres to improve. They would need to stay on this land for five years, or, they could purchase the land from the government after 6 months at $1.25 per acre. Living on and improving the land was no easy feat. Homesteading involved the labor of removing trees and stumps, plowing up land to create fields and pastures, all while continuing to survive without today’s modern conveniences and luxuries. Today, about 93 million Americans are direct descendants of those hard working homesteaders who decided to take a risk on some land (source: Grit).
Population in Wisconsin: How many neighbors should I expect?
All data in this section is directly from census.gov.
If you’re considering homesteading in Wisconsin, you’ll want to evaluate if you would like to live in a rural setting or an urban one. Wisconsin is the 20th most populated state, with a population of 5,893,718 people in total (source).
Urban Homesteading
In general, the further north you go, the fewer people there will be. The most populated county is Milwaukee County, with 500 or more people per square mile. The highest density of people will be found in the southeastern part of Wisconsin, as that is where the largest major cities are in the state.
Rural Homesteading
Further north, along the border of Michigan’s upper peninsula, you’ll find less people. Counties like Iron, Forest, and Florence counties all have a population of less than 10 people per square mile. The northwestern part of the state also has a relatively less dense population, with an average of 10-24.9 people per square mile.
For perspective, my county has an average of 20 people per square mile. In our county, there are 3 school districts in total. The largest school district held 2,991 students. This school is located in the largest (and only) city in our county is 4,326 people. The other two schools are very small. One of the schools has a total student population of 460 students, and the other has 320 total students. My graduating high school class, from one of these small schools, had 36 students.
Cost of Land
If you’re looking to purchase agricultural land to begin homesteading in Wisconsin, you can expect to pay around $4,757 per acre (source). If you’re looking for a more wooded area to call home, you can expect to purchase land for around $2,335 per acre (source). That’s a sharp increase from the $1.25 that the original homesteaders of Wisconsin paid!
Of course, the land prices are going to vary from county to county. The layout of the land, accessibility to water and electricity, location in relation to the nearest city, and number of trees vs. pastured land all will play a role in the overall cost.
Wisconsin Climate
Wisconsin is a four season state, with warm summers and cold winters. These four seasons do play a role in the growing season, and should be considered when thinking about homesteading in Wisconsin.
Mildly Warm Summers
Summers are generally mild, with very few summer days reaching above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Most days are generally between 75-90 degrees Fahrenheit, making it comfortably warm.
Cold Winters
Winters, on the other hand, can be brutally cold. Nearly every winter has days that report temperatures below -30 degrees Fahrenheit (source). The coldest months are January and February, with many days of temperatures below -10 degrees. On a very typical winter day in a Wisconsin winter (such as today, February 4th), the temperature is 10 degrees with a low tonight of -9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Short Fall and Spring
Generally, the in-between seasons of fall and spring are short (but sweet). They usually have beautiful weather between 45-60 degrees Fahrenheit, and are wonderful days to spend outdoors. People often joke, though, that if you blink you’ll miss these seasons, as they really are much shorter than the other two more dominant seasons.
From a Wisconsinite’s perspective…
From my own experience, humans are very adaptable. People can and do adjust and change with the seasons, finding things to be grateful and excited for in all four of them.
With proper clothing, you will adjust and adapt to the cold winter weather and be able to enjoy the season. There are many exciting things to do in the winter months, such as snowmobiling, ice skating, sledding, skiing, ice fishing, etc. to keep life exciting and interesting. Summer presents itself with other exciting opportunities like camping, fishing, swimming, tubing, and get-togethers.
The most wonderful part of having four distinct seasons during the year is that you learn to appreciate each one for what it has to offer. Spring offers a time of hope and excitement at the potential of a new growing season. When you see the green appear and hear the birds return to the land after so many months of winter snow, you appreciate them so much more. Summer is a time of hard work and fun, with long days for working and play. Fall is a time for storing and preparing for the calm and slow that is winter. To everything there is a season.
And with each season, you also learn to enjoy the moment, as each season does eventually come to an end. There are deep life lessons that come with four seasons.
Geography of Wisconsin
Wisconsin can be broken up into five general regions: Lake Superior Lowlands, Northern Highlands, Central Plains, Western Uplands, and Eastern Ridges and Lowlands.
Central Plains
Each of these regions offer their own unique opportunities. Many farmers have made their homes in the central plains area of Wisconsin, as it is known for having rich and fertile farmland. It is a region of low hills and divides the northern part of the state from the south.
Northern Highland
The hilly and wooden Northern Highland and is home to the huge Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Once covered in glaciers, the land bears the aftermath in the form of hills, swamps, lakes, and even waterfalls. This is where we live, and though it has been said it is not great farm land, many farmers have made a living here. The land is often swampy and rocky, which can make growing crops difficult.
Western Upland
To the west, you’ll find bluffs along the Mississippi River, as well as wooded and farmland combined. It is a beautiful part of the state, with its rolling green hills and almost “mountain-like” feel.
Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
Along the two Great Lakes in Wisconsin (Lake Michigan to the east and Lake Superior to the north), you’ll see gently sloping plains, sloping back towards the lakes. In the southeast, these areas are well settled, and continue to be the most populated areas of the state, because of the favorable climate (it is slightly warmer here), fertile soil, and level land. In the north, along Lake Superior, the population remains lower.
Growing Seasons in Wisconsin
All data from this section can be found from the Wisconsin Horticulture website from UW-Madison (click here for more).
There are about 100 days per year that are considered “freeze-free” (source), which makes for a relatively short growing season. Specific crops will need to be chosen based around this, and some crops will be unable to be grown altogether.
Wisconsin has three cold-hardiness zones, and each one is important to note before you begin homesteading in Wisconsin. Cold-hardiness refers to a plant’s ability to survive the winter. Plants and seeds are often labeled with specific zones that they can grow based on their ability to tolerate the cold.
The three plant hardiness zones in Wisconsin are Zone 3, Zone 4, and Zone 5 (source- See map here).
Zone 3b: Northwestern Wisconsin
Northwestern Wisconsin is lightly populated, and part of the reason may be because of its short growing season. The average minimum temperature in this zone is -35 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, with the first fall killing frost coming around September 13th and the last spring killing frost occurring around May 24 to May 30th. In the worst case scenario, this leaves only a 106 day growing season, which is a relatively short time to prepare and grow all of the food you’ll need for the entire year. In addition, with the extremely cold winter temperatures, you’ll also want to consider which types of perennial vegetables, trees, and berries you can grow without losing them over winter.
Counties that are (predominantly) included in Zone 3 include:
- Douglas
- Burnett
- Washburn
- Sawyer
- Price
- Northern Rusk
Zone 4: North, Central, and Western Wisconsin
There are actually two diversions of Zone 4: 4a and 4b. They vary slightly in extreme minimum temperatures, with Zone 4a experiencing minimum temperatures of -30 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit and Zone 4b experiencing minimum temperatures of -25 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Counties that are (predominantly) included in 4a include:
- Ashland
- Iron
- Vilas
- Oneida
- Forest
- Florence
- Langlade
- Lincoln
- Taylor
- Southern Rusk
- Barron
- Polk
- Chippewa
- Northern Clark
- Northern Dunn
- Eastern Saint Croix
Counties included in zone 4b include:
- Western Saint Croix
- Pierce
- Southern Dunn
- Buffalo
- Eau Claire
- Southern Clark
- Marathon
- Wood
- Portage
- Jackson
- La Crosse
- Monroe
- Vernon
- Crawford
- Juneau
- Adams
- Much of Richland
- Shawano
- Menominee
- Oconto
- Marinette
- Trempealeau
- Pepin
Zone 4 generally experiences the first fall killing frost between September 20-26, and the last spring killing frost between May 17-23. This provides for about a 126 day growing period to provide crops for your homestead.
Zone 5
The most populated parts of the state can be found in Zone 5, which is no surprise as it has a slightly warmer climate than the rest of the state. In the furthest southeastern corner of the state, the last spring frost can be as early as April 26th and the first fall frost can be as late as October 24th. That is a 181 day growing season! That can mean a lot of extra produce provided for a family with the extra growing days.
Most Zone 5 areas experience the last spring frost between May 3-9 and the first fall frost between October 4-10, however. This, still, is a really nice growing season of 160 days in the best case growing season.
The minimum cold temperatures in Zone 5 shrink down to only -10 to -15 degrees in some of the warmest parts of the state (southeastern corner), and -25 to -20 in the rest of the zone.
Counties included in Zone 5a (the colder of the two Zone 5s) include:
- Waupaca
- Outagamie
- Brown
- Winnebego
- Waushara
- Marquette
- Sauk
- Columbia
- Dodge
- Richland
- Grant
- Iowa
- Lafayette
- Green
- Dane
- Rock
- Jefferson
- Fon du Lac
- Calumet
- Green Lake
- Western Oconto
- Washington
Counties included in the warmer zone 5a:
- Kenosha
- Racine
- Walworth
- Eastern Waukesha
- Milwaukee
- Ozaukee
- Sheboygan
- Manitowoc
- Kewaunee
- Door
Final Overview
When considering homesteading in Wisconsin, you’ll need to really dig into what are your goals. If you’re looking for the longest possible growing season, a southeastern county should be your choice. Is your goal to be on a rural homestead isolated and away from most people? Then, the northwestern corner and along the border of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula might be a good fit.
You’ll need to weigh out if you want to be urban or rural, if your growing season length matters, and evaluate the geography’s layout before deciding to make the jump and begin homesteading in that Wisconsin area.
Are you ready to start homesteading in Wisconsin?
There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding to homestead in Wisconsin. The climate, geography, and growing zones are all varying factors that can play a role in what you can grow, how long you can grow, and what types of animals you’ll want to add to your homestead. You’ll also need to decide if you want an urban or rural homestead, and then determine how much land you can afford. It will take some time and thinking before you can fully make a decision on where will be your best fit.
My best advice is to visit the places you’re considering and talk to the locals. What do they have to say about the soil? How about the growing season? What types of vegetables can they grow? Which ones can’t they grow? Hearing directly from someone who experiences that location everyday can be extremely helpful in aiding you with your decision on where you should start homesteading in Wisconsin.
Find this useful? Make sure to save it so you can look back on it again!
Do you homestead in Wisconsin?
What do you think people should know? Share it with us in the comments!
Looking for more articles like this one?
- Encompassing the Homesteading Lifestyle: 10 Quotes Every Homesteader Has Said at Least Once
- How to Become Homesteaders
- How Gratitude Can Change Your Life
- Best Homesteading Quotes to Capture the Reality of Homesteading Life
- Modern Day Homesteaders: Who are they?
- Six Steps to Living a Simple Life
- Ready to Start Homesteading? Learn how here.
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