Ripon, WI Real Estate

Ripon, Wisconsin

Known nationally as the birthplace of the Republican party, The City of Ripon is a cozy community of nearly 8,000 residents located in western Fond du Lac County. Ripon has made a name for itself amongst homebuyers looking for a tight-nit, family-focused community that offers both small town charm and access to big city amenities. Though its location is decidedly rural, Ripon is home to excellent schools, gorgeous Wisconsin parks and a stunning variety of recreational opportunities. With the region’s close proximity to Madison (via Hwy. 151) and Milwaukee (via Hwy. 41), world class food, culture and entertainment are only an hour away.

 

Real Estate in Ripon, Wisconsin

Matching the city’s rural surroundings, the variety of homes for sale in Ripon can be described as well-loved and rustic. On a quick drive through the city’s streets, one encounters numerous beautifully maintained Queen Anne and colonial style homes for sale, as well as a fair selection of demure farmhouses. Buyers looking for more recently built homes will will love exploring Ripon’s eclectic mix of modern ranches and two-story homes for sale.  Thanks to Ripon’s startlingly diverse real estate market, buyers will have no trouble at all finding the home of their dreams.

 

Living in Ripon, Wisconsin

Life in Ripon is as beautiful and diverse as the countryside that surrounds it. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast looking to take advantage of Wisconsin’s natural landscape, a shopaholic searching for an amazing deal, or a history buff eager to see one of the most historic sites in American politics, Ripon is able to satisfy your needs.

For shopping, dining and entertainment, nothing beats downtown Ripon. Located in the city’s heart, downtown Ripon’s expertly maintained Italianate buildings are home to everything from artisan coffee roasters and cafés, such as Downhill Coffee and Muggs Coffee House, to local dining hotspots such as Fat Bruce’s Bakery & Eating Kitchen and Roadhouse Pizza. Complimenting the variety of restaurants is an unparalleled retail community in which fashionable boutiques such as Only Her and Hamilton’s Ladies Apparel are right at home with eclectic specialty shops like Soiree Urban Gifts, a purveyor of unique salvaged goods and crafts, and Suki’s Teddy Bear Store, a vendor of handcrafted fur teddy bears.

For those who find joy in being outside, Ripon’s park system maintains six parks, three trail routes and the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy, which safeguards mesic prairie, oak savanna and glacial moraine landforms. Fun in Ripon’s parks isn’t limited to the warmer months. Winter heralds the opening of numerous area snowmobile trails, as well as three separate cross country skiing routes. Most beloved of all, is the seasonal ice rink, which provides skating opportunities to the public from 9am to 9pm near Village Green in downtown Ripon.

Ripon also offers numerous opportunities for entertainment, including fascinating museums, thrilling concerts, live theatre and a unique movie house. Historically, Ripon has much to offer. The Ripon Historical Society maintains detailed records and photo archives, and also helps maintain some of the city’s most historic sites, including the Pedrick-Lawson House, which contains artifacts relating to the city’s founders. Additionally, Ripon contains two museums, the Ripon College Historical Museum and the Little White Schoolhouse, a former schoolhouse in which the Republican Party was founded. Ripon is also home to the C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, which hosts live concert and theatre performances, as well as Ripon’s Campus Cinema, the first theater in what grew to be the Marcus Cinema chain.

 

Schools in Ripon, Wisconsin

Education, like life in Ripon, is a community effort. Thankfully, the staff and students who contribute to the stellar learning environment at the Ripon Area School District are some of the most upbeat and attendant in the state. The school district, which is comprised of a preschool program, three elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school and a charter school, is focused on educating its students both classically and modernly, paying particular focus to new learning technologies and the arts, as is evident in the school’s numerous media centers. Students looking to attend a college close to home will delight in the time-honored teaching traditions on display at Ripon College, a liberal arts and sciences college offering student focused undergraduate degrees.

 

Business in Ripon, Wisconsin

Business in Ripon continues to thrive, thanks in part to the perfect equilibrium between large industrial employers such as Alliance Laundry Systems, a provider of high-quality laundry products and services, and the ever-prosperous ecosystem of local businesses which provide everything from delectable cookies (at Rippin’ Good Cookie Outlet Store), to one-of-a-kind country gifts (at Hounsell’s East Side Country Market). Helping connect the consumer to the city’s wonderful mix of businesses is the Ripon  Chamber of Commerce, which, in addition to compiling a comprehensive business directory, organizes numerous community events and provides resources for families looking to relocate to the area.

 

History of Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon proper was founded in 1858, when the villages of Ceresco and Ripon consolidated and incorporated. The new city was named for the Ripon Cathedral in the City of Ripon, North Yorkshire in England. Ripon founder David P. Mapes, a steamboat captain from New York, helped guide the city through its early years, and helped found Ripon College (originally named Brockway College) in 1851.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Ripon’s history is that it served as the birthplace of the Republican Party. On February 28th, 1854, nearly thirty anti-slavery activists met in what is now known as the Little White Schoolhouse to express their opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Refusing to compromise on slavery, the small group of Ripon citizens went on to found one of America’s most influential and enduring political parties.

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Schools
  District Type Enrollment # Student Teacher Ratio Test Score Rank
Barlow Park Elementary School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 277 17 BARLOW PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Catalyst Charter Middle School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 400 10 CATALYST CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Journey Charter School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 417 21 JOURNEY CHARTER SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Lumen Charter High School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 60 Not Reported LUMEN CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Murray Park Elementary School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 375 13 MURRAY PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Quest Charter School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 180 19 QUEST CHARTER SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Ripon High School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 512 14 RIPON HIGH SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Ripon Middle School  (Ripon) Ripon Area School District Public 400 14 RIPON MIDDLE SCHOOL GreatSchools Rating
Demographics

Population Demographics

  City County State
Total Population 11,064 103,151 5,852,878
Total Households 4,344 41,310 2,349,819
Total Families 2,722 27,846 1,516,725
Percent Male 49% 49% 50%
Percent Female 51% 51% 50%
White Collar Jobs 55% 55% 58%
Blue Collar Jobs 45% 45% 42%

Top Occupations

Professions Population Employed
Professional Services 1,404
Healthcare 828
Manufacturing 807
Sales 663
Food 525
Transportation 424
Maintenance 371
Management 361
Education 268
Social Services 232

Male Female Breakdown

Population Age

White vs Blue Collar Jobs

Top Professions

Work Transportation Method

Household Income

Education Attainment

  City County State
Some High School 483 3,954 224,571
High School Graduate 2,824 27,265 1,256,597
Some College 1,472 14,721 833,955
Associates Degree 733 8,119 410,260
Bachelors Degree 1,147 11,009 747,113
Graduate Degree 580 4,821 384,121

Education Attainment


Market Conditions
Market Conditions for Ripon - February 2024 | Shorewest Realtors®
February 2024

Market Conditions for Ripon

Median Sale Price Graph

Median Sale Price

The median sale price for homes in February was $137,500. The median sales price for homes in February fell by ($172,500) compared to last month. This represents a 55.64% decrease from January. Compared to the same month last year, the median price of homes rose by $22,500 representing a 19.56% year-over-year change.

The median sales price is the middle value of all sales occurring in the market during the past thirty days when you arrange these sales prices from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average as the median does not change as much as a result of a few unusually low or high sales prices.

Homes for Sale Graph

Homes for Sale

The inventory of homes for sale fell by 1 in February to 8. This represents 11.11% decrease from January when 9 homes were on the market. Compared to the same month last year when there were 4 homes for sale, the inventory of homes for sale has risen by 4 representing a 100% year-over-year change.

Homes for sale represents the number of active listings on the market during the specified month as reported in the MLS system operating within the market area.

Homes Sold Graph

Homes Sold

The 3 homes sold in February was the same as in January. Compared to the same month last year, the number of homes sold did not change 0, a 0% year-over-year .

Homes sold is the total count of properties in the market area that have had a closed sale during the specified month as reported in the MLS systems operating within the market area.

Average Days on Market Graph

Avg Days on Market

The average days on market for a home sold in February (70) increased by 60 days compared to January. This represents a 600% increase in days on market for homes in the market from the previous month. Compared to the same month last year, the days on market for homes sold decreased by 8, a -10.25% year-over-year change.

Average Days on Market is the time period between the date when a home is listed for sale in an MLS system and the date it is sold.

Sale/List Price Ratio

Sale/List Price Ratio

The Sale/List Price Ratio of 91.84% in February fell by 7.04% compared to January and decreased 2.24% compared to the same period last year.

Sale/List Price Ratio is the sale price of a listing divided by the original list price expressed as a percentage. The Sale/List Price Ratio for the market is determined by adding the Sale/List Price Ratio for each listing sold in the market during the month and dividing by the number of listings sold during the month.

New Homes Graph

New Homes

The number of homes listed in February (2) fell by 2 compared to January, a 50% change. Compared to February 2023, the number of new listings increased by 1, a 100% year-over-year change.

Newly Listed Homes are the total count of homes that have been listed within the market area during the most recent month, as reported in the MLS system(s) operating in the market area.

Median List Price Graph

Median List Price

The median list price in February was $212,450. The median list price for homes in February rose by $48,000 compared to last month. This represents a 29.18% increase from January. Compared to the same month last year, the median list price of homes increased $52,550 representing a 32.86% year-over-year increase.

The median list price is the middle value of all currently active listings as reported in the MLS systems in the market area when you arrange these list prices from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average as the median does not change as much as a result of the existence of a few unusually low or high list prices.