Guide to Living in Ellsworth, WI | James & Karen Olsen

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Your Complete Guide to Living in Ellsworth, Wisconsin

The Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin. A village of about 3,350 that is the county seat of Pierce County, home to a cooperative creamery turning out 160,000 pounds of curds a day, and a June festival that lands on national lists. Here is what it is actually like to live here.

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3,348Residents (2020 Census)

160,000 lbsCheese Curds Daily

Since 1984Cheese Curd Capital

$262,200Median Home Value

Welcome to Ellsworth

Ellsworth sits at the junction of US Highway 10 and State Highways 65 and 72, near the geographic centre of Pierce County — and it is the county seat. The 2020 census counted 3,348 residents.

One business defines the place. The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery was founded in 1910 by local dairy farmers, originally producing eggs and butter. Today around 200 farms supply it, and it turns out more than 160,000 pounds of fresh cheese curds every day. In 1984 Governor Anthony Earl proclaimed Ellsworth the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin, and the name stuck.

What people do not see from the highway is the ordinary life underneath the slogan: a walkable downtown that has not hollowed out, county offices providing steady employment, and household incomes that run above the Wisconsin average. It is a genuinely small town, and it is honest about that — for a shopping centre or an airport you are driving.

Downtown Ellsworth. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

160,000 Pounds a Day

The Creamery That Made a Town Famous

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Walk into a specialty cheese shop almost anywhere in the country and you will find squeaky white curds from the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. It produces over 160,000 pounds of them daily and ships nationwide — but locals will tell you the real thing is buying them at the plant while they are still warm and still squeak.

The cooperative model matters here. It is farmer-owned, and roughly 200 dairy farms across the region depend on it. In a part of Wisconsin where small dairies have been closing for decades, that is not a small thing.

The cultural weight is bigger than the economics. Ellsworth knows exactly what it is good at, and has built an identity on doing it better than anywhere else.

Ellsworth Village Hall. CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

County Seat and Local Character

As the county seat of Pierce County, Ellsworth hosts the courthouse and county offices. That means steady public-sector employment and a downtown that serves the whole county rather than just the village — part of why the centre has stayed occupied while comparable towns have thinned out.

On the numbers, Ellsworth holds up well. Median household income is $87,857, about ten percent above the Wisconsin figure, and the median age is 39. The median value of an owner-occupied home is $262,200 — roughly two-thirds of the Twin Cities metro figure and about level with Wisconsin as a whole.

That last number is the one worth sitting with. Ellsworth is meaningfully cheaper than Hudson or Somerset, and you are trading proximity for it.

Every June

The Cheese Curd Festival

Each June, Ellsworth throws a party in East End Park and the downtown commercial district that has grown well past local. The Cheese Curd Festival brings food vendors, craft beer and wine, live music, an artisan market, a curd-eating contest, and curds served every way anyone has thought of — poutine, tacos, loaded fries.

It is not a small claim to fame: the festival was ranked No. 4 Best Specialty Food Festival in the nation in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. The 2026 edition ran 26–27 June. Admission and parking are free, with shuttles running.

Dates move slightly each year, so check the festival's event info page for the next one.

Ellsworth school campus. CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Schools and Family Life

Ellsworth is served by the Ellsworth Community School District, which runs the elementary, middle and high schools serving the village and the surrounding rural townships. The campus sits together on the edge of town with shared athletics facilities.

If school performance is a deciding factor for you, we will pull the current Wisconsin DPI report card and go through it with you rather than summarising it here. Those figures shift year to year and you should be looking at the live ones.

On housing stock, Ellsworth runs from older homes on the original downtown grid to newer subdivisions on the edges, with acreage available beyond the village limits. At a median of $262,200, it is one of the better-value entries into Pierce County.

Getting Around Pierce County

Ellsworth is the road hub of Pierce County, which is genuinely useful day to day — but be clear-eyed about the Twin Cities commute. Downtown St. Paul is around fifty minutes and roughly forty miles. That is a real drive, and longer than you will find quoted casually.

What you get in exchange is the county on your doorstep. River Falls is twenty minutes north, Prescott about twenty-five minutes west, and Hudson roughly thirty-five minutes northwest. If you are weighing those against each other, we keep full guides to River Falls and Hudson as well.

~50 minDowntown St. Paul

~35 minNorthwest to Hudson

~20 minNorth to River Falls

~45 miTo MSP Airport

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ellsworth, Wisconsin a good place to live?

Ellsworth suits people who want a small town with a real identity and better value than the towns closer to the river. You get the county seat, a walkable downtown, household incomes above the Wisconsin average, and a median home value of $262,200. The honest trade-offs are size and distance: it is a village of about 3,350, and downtown St. Paul is roughly fifty minutes away rather than the thirty you will sometimes see quoted.

What is Ellsworth famous for?

Ellsworth is the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin, a title proclaimed by Governor Anthony Earl in 1984. The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery produces over 160,000 pounds of fresh cheese curds daily, and the annual Cheese Curd Festival each June was ranked the No. 4 Best Specialty Food Festival in the nation in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.

When is the Cheese Curd Festival?

The Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival is held every June in East End Park and the downtown commercial district. The 2026 edition ran 26 to 27 June. It features fresh curds and curd-based dishes from food vendors, craft beer and wine, live music, an artisan market and a cheese curd eating contest. Admission and parking are free. Dates shift slightly year to year, so check cheesecurdfestival.com for the next one.

How far is Ellsworth from the Twin Cities?

Downtown St. Paul is roughly a 50-minute drive and about 40 miles. MSP International Airport is about 45 miles. Within Pierce County, River Falls is about 20 minutes north, Prescott about 25 minutes west, and Hudson about 35 minutes northwest.

What is the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery?

The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery was founded in 1910 by local dairy farmers and originally produced eggs and butter. It remains farmer-owned, is supplied by around 200 regional dairy farms, and produces more than 160,000 pounds of fresh white cheese curds every day. It is the economic anchor of the village.

Where can I buy fresh Ellsworth cheese curds?

Direct from the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Ellsworth is the best option, where the curds are freshest and still squeak. The creamery also ships nationwide and supplies specialty food shops and grocers across the region.

What do homes cost in Ellsworth?

The median value of an owner-occupied home in Ellsworth is $262,200 according to recent American Community Survey data. That is about two-thirds of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro figure and roughly level with Wisconsin as a whole, which makes Ellsworth noticeably better value than Hudson or Somerset. Median household income in the village is $87,857.

What schools serve Ellsworth?

Ellsworth is served by the Ellsworth Community School District, covering elementary, middle and high school for the village and surrounding rural townships, with the campus and athletics facilities grouped together on the edge of town.

Is Ellsworth the county seat?

Yes. Ellsworth is the county seat of Pierce County, Wisconsin, and hosts the county courthouse and administrative offices. It sits near the geographic centre of the county at the junction of US Highway 10 and State Highways 65 and 72.

How do I see homes for sale in Ellsworth?

You can browse current Ellsworth listings on our site, or get in touch with James and Karen Olsen at Property Executives Realty. Our office is at 125 2nd Street S in Hudson, about 35 minutes from Ellsworth, and we will send you listings before they reach the portals.

Thinking About a Move to Ellsworth?

We are James & Karen Olsen, and we cover all of Pierce County. If you want a straight answer on what a house here really costs, how the schools are performing this year, or how Ellsworth compares with River Falls on the commute, start a conversation with us.

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