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Located less than an hour
away from Milwaukee
and just over an hour’s drive from
Chicago
, Elkhorn
, Wisconsin
(population 9,000) feels like the very heart of
America
’s heartland. A wholesome, conservative,
family-oriented small town, rural Elkhorn
is nestled in gentle hills and surrounded by
fertile farmland and pretty lakes.
The cost of living in
Elkhorn
is roughly 6% less than the national average. The
median home price is $172,000, and this low cost
of living may also be a factor in the town's
growth - nearly 25% in the last 10 years.
The crime rate is well below the national average.
During the Christmas season,
Elkhorn
turns on the charm, decorating extensively and
hosting the “Annual Christmas Card Town
Parade.” During the 1950s, the town's
picturesque downtown park was featured in
paintings commissioned by the Ford Motor Company,
and later these paintings were turned into a
series of popular Christmas cards.
Even today Elkhorn is known as the "Christmas
Card Town," and thousands of people visit
each year to participate in the Yuletide
festivities.
There is no shortage of
activities in and around
Elkhorn
. The highly regarded Elkhorn Antique Flea Market,
with more than 500 vendors, is held four times a
year. The Walworth County Fair is one of the
country's biggest and best, drawing 100,000
people. Outdoor summer concerts are held in the
unique historic bandshell. The city’s Parks and
Recreation Department offers adult and senior
programs for residents and four public golf
courses are within a short drive of town. A
farmers' market runs throughout the summer, and
Oktoberfest is celebrated in the fall.
Within the county, there are 37 lakes, including
the popular Lauderdale Lakes
and pretty
Lake Geneva
. Residents enjoy boating, biking, swimming and
fishing in the summer and downhill and
cross-country skiing, sledding, skating, ice
fishing and snowmobiling in the winter. The nearby
Kettle
Moraine
State
forest offers fishing, wetlands, camping and
hiking trails.
And while winters are long, there are plenty of
indoor activities, too. More than seventy clubs
and organizations for hobbies, community service
and special interests are found in Elkhorn, and
the historic Matheson Memorial Library has a
reading area with a fireplace to encourage
visitors to come in on cold, winter days. Library
users bo
rrow nearly 100,000 items each year – not bad
for a town of 9,000 people.
Elkhorn does not have a
senior center per se, but the Aging Division of
the Walworth County Department of Health and Human
Services provides a good selection of services,
including nutrition and transportation programs,
AARP meetings and social and recreation
get-togethers, at various venues around town.
If there is a negative about
Elkhorn
, it is the weather. The average January low
temperature is 14F and that comes with plenty of
snow. Winter temperatures commonly fall below
zero. Summers are comfortably warm but humid, with
an average high temperature in July of 82F. Rapid
population growth may also pose challenges for the
community, and there is no public transportation.
The unemployment rate is higher than the national
average. But for those who can overlook these
drawbacks,
Elkhorn
offers traditional small-town living and a wide
range of activities, along with a close proximity
to major urban centers for a full range of
services.
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