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Welcome to our "best places" web page which provides a summary of the best features of the Rice Lake community. Retirees and families will find the information helpful as they decide whether to retire to Rice Lake, look for employment or establish a business. Company executives will use the information to evaluate whether to relocate their company to this area.
The City of Rice Lake is a four season community located in the Red Cedar Valley in Northwest Wisconsin. Our community serves as a commercial hub drawing from a base of 100,000 visitors and shoppers in Northwest Wisconsin. Our own 8300 residents enjoy a wonderful quality of life due to the excellent services provided by public agencies and the volunteerism inherent in the community. We believe that Rice Lake is clearly a "best place" for families and retirees.
Hundreds of communities in America have been listed as a “best place”, including a number in Wisconsin. Key public and proprietary measures are used to judge the quality of life and economic vitality of a community. We also used measures as a way to compare the performance of Rice Lake against other communities, the state or the nation. Attributes were substituted when measures were not available or appropriate for the catagory. Only the latest information is provided and updates are made regularly.
We hope you enjoy your Internet exploration of the City of Rice Lake. Please feel free to comment or ask a question by using the "contact us" feature of the web site. Our thanks go to the Rice Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Rice Lake Tourism and Retail Development Commission who sponsored this project.
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Access to Outdoor Activities
- Rice Lake, Lower Rice Lake and Lake Montanis border nearly the entire east side of the city with several boat landings
- "Dozens of other lakes are nearby including world famous Long Lake, Red Cedar Lake and Lake Chetac with excellent fishing and boating"
- National, State and County forests and wilderness areas are nearby that offer fishing, camping and hiking opportunities
- Biking and walking trails are available within the city limits
- An extensive snowmobile and ATV trail system is available throughout the area that links Rice Lake and Barron County to all of Northwest Wisconsin.
- Several top quality cross county ski facilities along with downhill skiing are available just a short drive from the city
- The Red Cedar River flows into Rice Lake and through much of the city offering fishing, canoeing and kyaking opportunities
- Days per year with sun: 190. Days of year with some precipitation: 126.
Availability of Affordable Homes
- As of 2006, 4,163 single family and multi family housing units existed for Rice Lake Residents representing an increase of 15 units since the previous year.
- As of January, 2008, 43 residences under $150,000 were available through MLS in the 54868 Rice Lake zip code.
- As of January, 2008, a total of 76 residences of all prices were available through the MLS in 54868 Rice Lake zip code.
Culture, Entertainment, Continuing Education
- Rice Lake is fortunate to have two community theatres (one seasonal and one year round)who are always seeking actors, actresses and volunteers for their many theatrical productions
- Rice Lake is home to the University of Wisconsin-Barron County (a freshman/sophomore liberal arts university) and WITC (technical college and conference center)
- Community assets include indoor public swimming pool, Rice Lake Public Library, country club with 18 holes of golf and full banquet/meeting facilities, Senior Center, Boys and Girls Club
- Rice Lake sponsors several special events including:
Aquafest-a 10 day summer festival;
Chamber of Commerce' Salute to Industry; weekly Music in the Park concerts during the summer;
Main Street Associations' Holiday Parade; Barron County Fair.
- UW-Barron County is home to many cultural events including concerts performed by the Red Cedar Symphony Orchestra, Red Cedar Choir, Northwinds British Brass Band, and the Communiversity Band. The UW-Barron drama department presents up to three productions during the academic year and the UW-BC Foundation sponsors the annual Fine Arts Gala and Hoop Dee Doo two-day polka fest with art exhibits
Downtown Rice Lake
- Rice Lake is one of 30 Main Street Communities in Wisconsin. The local Main Street Association has won many awards for downtown revitalization from the Wisconsin Main Street Program and the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council.
- The widest Main Street in the state is located in downtown Rice Lake. The lake is just one block away. Main Street is lined with trees and uses period lighting. Seasonal petunia baskets and award winning "Artscape on Main" features the artwork of local talent.
- Ample street parking and nine parking lots located one block or less from Main Street provide convenience to those who visit the Downtown business district. Main Street is composed of a variety of speciality shops, restaurants, a volunteer theatre company, Post Office, City Hall, three major banks and the Public Library.
Economy and Employment
- In 2007, the equalized valuation for City of Rice Lake was $619,544,300.
- Amount of land available within city limits for industrial and commercial expansion and growth exceeds 263 acres
- Forty-four employment advertisements were placed in the January 30, 2008 issue of the Chronotype representing hundreds of open jobs throughout the greater Rice Lake metropolitan area. This is down just one advertisement from 2007.
- In 2005, the median household income in Rice Lake was $36,606 compared with the state of Wisconsin of $49,603 and the U.S. of $44,684.
- In November of 2006, the employed labor force for Barron County was 24,571.
- In 2005, retail sales in the City of Rice Lake approximated $358,190,000.
- The unemployment rate in Barron County in November of 2006 was 4.9% up .6% from 2005.
- In 2006, total manufacturing employment in Rice Lake was 2,900 jobs.
- In 2005, the cost of living as a percent of the national average was 86% in Rice Lake as compared with 97% for the state of Wisconsin.
Health and Medical Care
- Within the greater Rice Lake area, residents and visitors can receive medical care from two nationally recognized health care systems (Marshfield Clinic, Luther-Midelfort (Mayo Clinic). As an example of how these two physician groups match up against each other and among 16 other groups on a statewide basis, four clinical measures are provided ranking these physician groups. Data comes from the Wisconsin Collaborative for HeathCare Quality. For more information, vistors are encouraged to visit their website at www.wchq.org.
- On a statewide basis, during the one year period ending June 2009, Marshfield Clinic ranked 2nd of 17 physician groups in the state in managing people with diabetes whose most recent blood sugar levels were in good control. Luther Midelfort (Mayo) ranked 4th of 17.
- On a statewide basis, during the one year period ending June 2009, Marshfield Clinic ranked 7th of 19 physician groups in the state in adequately controling the blood pressure of people with uncomplicated essential hypertension. Luther Midelfort (Mayo) ranked 13th of 19.
- On a statewide basis, during the one year period ending June 2009, Luther Midelfort (Mayo) ranked 3rd of 19 physician groups in the state in managing people with diabetes whose LDL (Cholesterol) was in control. Marshfield Clinic ranked 4th of 19.
- On a statewide basis, during the two year period ending December 2009, Marshfield Clinic ranked 6th of 19 physician groups in the state in the percentage of women who had at least one mammogram within the previous 24 month period. Luther Midelfort (Mayo) ranked 7th of 19.
Hospital Care
- Lakeview Medical Center is a fully accredited 75 bed hospital with a staff of over 60 physicians representing 18 medical specialities.
- The Wisconsin Price Point System collects facility specific information from Wisconsin hospitals about services and charges. It is evident that Lakeview medical Center provides good value to those in this community by consistently providing the cost of services below the state average. What follows is a comparison of charges for the one year period ending March 2007 between Lakeview and the state as a whole. For more information, you are encourged to contact Price Point at www.wipricepoint.org.
- In 2009 for patients coming to Lakeview for a Vaginal Delivery, the average charge for this service for the state is $7,124 vs. Lakeview's average charge of $4,306.
- In 2009 for patients coming to Lakeview for a Knee Replacement, the average charge for the state as a whole is $35,869 vs. Lakeview's average charge of $23,514.
- In 2009 for patients coming to Lakeview to be treated for Heart Failure, the average charge for the state as a whole is $17,227 vs. Lakeview's average charge of $9,204.
- In 2009 for patients coming to Lakeview to be treated for Pneumonia, the average charge for the state as a whole is $15,528 vs. Lakeview's average charge of $8,492.
- In 2009 for patients coming to Lakeview to be treated for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the average charge for the state as a whole is $15,049 vs. Lakeview's average charge of $10,508.
- In 2009 for patients coming to Lakeview for a Cesarean Section, the average charge for the state as a whole is $14,432 vs. Lakeview's average charge of $10,639.
Miscellaneous Quality of Life
- Rice Lake is home to a variety of types and sizes of retail establishments, including an inside mall and large "big box" retailers
- A full range of religious denominations provide multiple worship opportunities
- Meaningful community volunteer opportunities are always available to those who want to serve
- Rice Lake is a community of "givers" as evidenced that the United Way program always meets its annual goal
- Rice Lake is a tidy community with a very "picked-up" look about it
- Rice Lake has a pretty setting and interesting topography as it sits in the Red Cedar Valley--the Blue Hills are just a few miles east of the City
- Community pride is evident via decorative light poles adorned with hanging petunia baskets cared for by volunteers during the summer months
- Rice Lake is home to 111 service and fraternal organizations including Rotary, Elks, Golden K (Kiwanis), Habitat for Humanity, Fortnightly Club, Federated Women, Jaycees, Kinship, Knights of Columbus, Lions, Masonic Lodge, Moose, and Rice lake Men's Club
Parks and Recreation
- 186 acres of park land consisting of twenty city park facilities, nine school facilities and three private/specialized facilities are available for public use
- Rice Lake's park land represents 22.4 acres per 1000 residents nearly double the standard of 12 acres per 1000 residents considered the minimum park land acreage that should be available for metropolitan areas
- Eighteen recreational organizations for both youth and adults are offered with minimal fees and with considerable support from the Parks and Recreation Department
- The City's park land includes a one-half mile stretch of park land between Lake Shore Drive and the lake in the downtown area that offers full access to the lakefront by residents and vistors
- Nine parks are fully compliant with ADA standards
Public Education
- The DPI's Wisconsin School Performance Report is used in the next eight catagories. The performance report compares Rice Lake Area School District with the state as a whole. This is the latest information available. For more information, you can visit the DPI site at dpi.state.wi.us/spr/.
- Rice Lake High School's 2005-2006 Graduation Rate of 96.0% exceeds the state's average of 89.3%.
- Rice Lake High School's dropout rate for the period of 2005-2006 of .9% is substantially lower than the state's dropout rate of 2.0%.
- The rate of attendance at Rice Lake High School for the period of 2005-2006 is 94.9% (compared to a state average of 93.1%).
- 55.7% of the seniors who graduated from Rice Lake High School at the end of the 2005-2006 school year planned to attend a four year college or university. This figure is nicely higher than the state average of 49.5).
- Rice Lake High Schools's 2006-2007 ACT results revealed a composite score of 22.7 (State Average 22.3, U.S. Average 21.1). The school system offers 3 API course to its seniors. As a benchmark, the Nicolet High School in the Milwaukee area offers 13 AP courses to its seniors, as do many high schools across the state.
- During the school year of 2005-2006, Rice Lake High School exhibited a pupil staff ratio of 13.16:1. The state's ratio was 12.86:1 during that same period.
- Rice Lake High School's truancy rate for the school year of 2005-2006 was 7.6%, substantially lower than the state average of 9.7%. Rice Lake's expulsion/supension rate of 6.9% is also substantially lower than the state's average of 10.3%.
- Rice Lake School District students exceeded state averages in 19 of 20 areas tested on the 2006 Wisconsin Knowlege and Concept Exams. The only area that did not exceed the state average was science for grade 8. The WKCE tests grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 for reading, language arts, math, science and social studies. This is part of the federal "no student left behind" program.
Public Library
- Rice Lake Public Library has become a part of a regional library sytem called MORE which provides the public with over 1.5 million items from 34 area libraries
- The Library provides Internet access free of charge on 10 public computers
- The Library offers a variety of programs including preschool story time, family story time, a summer library program, the American Classics book discussion group, occasional author visits and special performances
Public Safety - Fire Department
- Combination Fire Department with 24/7 on-duty staffing
- Three to four minute response time within city limits
- ISO rating of 4 on scale of 1 - 10 with the lower number being superior
- HazMat services with level "A" and "B" capabilities
Public Safety - Police Department
- 2006 Violent Crime Statistics showed Rice Lake with a rate of 2.38 violent crimes per 1000 representing a 286% increase from the prior year. Comparable WI cities showed a violent crime rate of 2.37 per 1000, the State of Wisconsin of 2.84 per 1000 and the nation of 4.7 per 1000
- Rice Lake's Police Department is a 24/7 full-service public safety entity that includes a K-9 unit, Emergency response team and a member of the Barron/Rusk Counties Drug unit
- 2006 Property Crime Statistics showed Rice Lake with a rate of 24.8 property crimes per 1000 representing a 1% reduction from the prior year. Comparable WI cities showed a property crime rate of 47.8 per 1000, the State of Wisconsin of 28.2 per 1000 and the nation of 33.3 per 1000
Public Utilities
- Rice Lake Utilities (RLU) is a highly reliable electric utility with a 99.998% reliability factor.
- "Residential electric rates are provided at the lowest possible cost and in 2008 ranked 10th in the state out of 94 public power utilities."
- The electric system was recently upgraded to accomodate 80 megawatts of peak demand
- "In 2003, RLU was awarded best tasting water in the state of Wisconsin, and in 2008 won third place in the "best in the world" competition."
- The water system can pump 3,000 gallons a minute with a storage capacity of 650,000 gallons.
- The wastewater utility is modern, has the lowest rates in the area and is designed to handle 2.2 million gallons of wastewater per day
- "In 2008, RLU ranked 24th of 303 water utilities for the lowest average annual cost per household."
- "In 2008, RLU ranked 7th of 312 sewer utilities for the lowest average annual cost per household"
Snow Removal
- Snow accumulation of two inches or more is removed on arterial streets within 24 hours
- "Snow accumulation of three inches or more is removed on secondary streets and parking lots within 48 hours"
Streets
- An active street sweeping program is in place as downtown and Main Street are swept weekly, arterial streets are swept every two weeks, and secondary streets are swept monthly
- Rice Lake receives a rating of 6.09 for the year of 2007 of Rice Lake's streets via the Pavement Surface Evaluation Rating (PASER) system. This rating is up from the 5.55 score received the previous year [scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)].
Taxes
- For comparison purposes, the 2007 total property tax rate that includes schools, county, city and other taxes is 23.89 mills for Rice Lake property owners vs. the State of Wisconsin's 2005 average (latest available) of 19.45 mills.
- The actual tax rate has been reduced in the City of Rice Lake. From the period of 2002 to 2008, the rate is down by 3.7 mills (2002 tax rate was 11.7 mills vs. 2008 tax rate of 8.0 mills). This is a 32% reduction in the mill rate since 2002.
- The 2008 property millage rate of 8.0 mills is now equal to the comparable cities rate of 8.0 mills.
Transportation
- Rice Lake Regional Airport serves business and industry throughout Northwestern Wisconsin.
- The airport has a runway of 6700 feet, an ILS approach, avfuel PBO, charter service and a new terminal.
- Air passenger service is available in Eau Claire (1 hour) or the Twin Cities (2 hours)
- "City Cab", a shared ride bus service (i.e. cab service), is available within the city limits and operates 6 days a week. "Rice Lake Shuttle Service" makes two round trips a day, 6 days a week to the Minneapolis airport.
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