Ripon Community Profile
Ripon's revitalized central business district is alive with events, restaurants, shops and service providers – drawing visitors and residents alike. Downtown Ripon is part of a nationally certified revitalization program. Ripon Main Street Inc. and the City of Ripon work in concert to enhance the downtown and put on special events, festivals and concerts.
Ripon Demographics
Demographics | City of Ripon | Fond du Lac County | Green Lake County |
Population | 7,723 | 97,296 | 19,105 |
Households | 2,986 | 36,894 | 7,703 |
Median Household Income | $52,521 | $45,578 | $39,462 |
Median Family Income | $51,100 | $53,325 | $46,969 |
Median Value of Owner-Occupied Unit | $116,600 | $101,000 | $90,100 |
Median Age | 39.7 | 37.0 | 40.9 |
Population Within 10 Mile Radius | 18,915 |
K-12 Schools
Ripon boasts high-quality public education from four schools – Barlow Park Elementary, Murray Park Elementary, Ripon Middle School and Ripon High School. Many of the schools offer alternative learning experiences in the form of Charter Schools – providing families with an education choice to best meet their student needs. Moreover, Ripon turns out among the highest test scores in the state. Discover more at www.ripon.k12.wi.us.
Ripon College
Ripon College is a private undergraduate liberal arts and sciences college which is just west of the downtown historic district. In 1851, former New York State Legislator David Mapes and a group of townspeople founded the college on top of the hill, chartered on January 29, 1851 as Brockway College. Mapes, who was president of the first board of trustees, donated an acre of land on the highest point in the village of Ripon. To raise money for the college, the trustees issued stock and offered to name the institution after the person who bought the largest amount. William Brockway took the honor with just over $300 in stock and the school was incorporated as Brockway College. In 1864 the name was changed to Ripon College. Today, the campus stands prominently on top of the hill, with 22 noble buildings, beautifully landscaped courtyards, seldom surpassed by any other college campus in the country. The intentionally small residential campus enrolls some 1,000 bright, high-achieving young men and women from nearly every state and from countries around the world. Visit www.ripon.edu for additional information.
Traffic & Transportation
Ripon's central location offers quick access to three state highways (23, 44 and 49), and is within minutes of the U.S. Highway 41 corridor located east of the community. Wisconsin's largest business and consumer-populated markets (Fox Cities, Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee) are as near as one hour away.
Assets & Special Features
Cultural Resources:
Rodman Center for the Arts
Birthplace of the Republican Party Museum
Major Industry:
Accurate Controls
Advanced Paper Enterprises
Alliance Laundry Systems (Speed Queen)
Seneca Foods
Walsworth-Ripon
Educational Resources
Ripon College
Moraine Park Tech College
Outdoor Resources
Riggs County Park Wildlife Refuge
Green Lake
Ripon College Prairie Restoration
South Woods Conservancy Area
9 City Parks