Marshfield (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay: new home, buying, school)
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My family and I might be relocating to Marshfield and I would appreciate any information about the area. I was especially wondering if the smell from the paper mill in Wausau ever reaches Marshfield.
The smell from the paper mill is not an issue around here until you get up to Mosinee. (Where the paper mill actually is located unless there is another one Im not aware of)
Lets see well just a month ago Steve and Barrys opened here which is huge. They are expecting more business and restaurnats to come if its success continues.
Right now we are living in RI. We got a chance to have a quick look at Marshfield, but it was raining the whole time and we couldn't stay too long. I have relatives who live near a paper mill in Alabama and I remember visiting them and my eyes burning by the end of the stay....
It looked like a nice town. How long of a drive is it to the Twin Cities and Madison?
My relatives live near Childersburg. I don't know how close they are to the mill because you can't always smell it. When you can, though, it is pretty over-powering.
By the way, excuse my ignorance, but what is a "Steve and Barrys"? I did notice that the north end of Marshfield seemed very new. Is that where the new businesses are going?
Also, while we were there, it unfortunately rained the entire time (well we did see some sun as our plane left the last day). What is the weather generally like? Is there a lot of snow? How long is a typical winter? How about summer? Are the mosquitos as bad as Minnesota? Like I said, I am looking for as much info as possible (good and bad).
I have to say one thing.... The people that we met (and even just ran into) while we were there were extremely friendly. It was a nice change from the road rage and such that we have been experiencing here in RI recently.
Marshfield is a nice city to live in. I was born there and grew up about 30 minutes to the north.
Things to know about Marshfield:
1. The economy is entirely driven by the Hospital. St. Joe's is the biggest hospital in the area, probably the state. I would venture to say that the nearest hospital close in size to it is Mayo over in Minnesota.
2. There's LOTS of money rolling around in Marshfield. There's more Doctor's and Doctor's wives and kids than you'll be able to count, and the both the school system and the city shows the amount of money in the city.
3. Housing prices are average in the area, unless you are building a new home - which can be expensive.
As for your questions:
The papermill smell doesn't reach Marshfield. In fact the Papermill smell doesn't make it more than 1-2 miles outside of itself if that and it's mostly near Mosinee.
As for Distance to points around the state:
Twin Cities - 2 hrs 40 min
Wausau - 30-40 min
Madison - 3 hrs 10 min
Green Bay - 2 hrs 30 min
As for your question about where the businesses are going -- they're actually all being built outside the city limit. The city won't cut the businesses a good deal on taxes so many of the new businesses build just outside the City limits. Though one of these days the City will just annex the area.
As for the people - yes they are extremely nice. It's Wisconsin!! Everyone is nice outside of Milwaukee and Madison!
As for the weather - it can be rough. I don't know what Rhode Island is like, but I'm guessing you've never really been through a midwest winter - which can be brutal. Temperatures in the Winter average around zero, though sometimes it gets down into 10 or 20 below zero. As for snow - we usually get 40-50 inches. Ice storms can also be a frequent occurance. My only advice is if you haven't really learned how to drive in the winter - the first time it snows drive to an empty parking lot and practice braking. Driving in the Winter is really a learned skill, and everyone in town already knows how. So practice a little
Summers on the other hand are GORGEOUS. Average temp is 78 during the summer. There's always stuff to do, and many people just sit out on their decks, have a drink and yap with friends.
Bring winter clothes!! Oh, and by the way the Packers are a way of life out here So be prepared for it.
Other things to note:
Try to buy a house with a two car Garage - you'll thank me later.
Marshfield's population is rather stagnant - Highway 13 and the Railroad are what really put Marshfield on the Map. Highway 13 is rapidly losing it's influence especially since Interstate 39 was funded (Runs North-South through Wausau). The Railroad is all but dead. The Hospital and shopping is keeping the area alive. I know quite a few couples who bought homes in or around Abbotsford - because 1 spouse works in Marshfield and the other works in Wausau or Eau Claire. The nearest Freeways running through the State are Hwy 29 (intersects at Abbotsford, take hwy 13 north out of marshfield) and Interstate 39 (Formerly Hwy 51).
All-in-All Marshfield is a nice place to live, and a nice place to raise kids. It can just be a bit off the beaten path for driving. Really has a nice smalltown feel to it.
Last edited by politikally; 10-23-2006 at 05:01 PM..
As for your comments on the highway situation. 13 is well the boulevard which we all thought would bring businesses but hey it doesnt. In 2011 10 between Point and Marshfield is becoming 4 lanes.
Otherwise I agree with everything you said. The Major development actually is in the county to our north (Marathon). There you got your Walmart and Strip Mall, Menards, GoodWill, Aldis, etc. Also theres some new subdivisions also going north of town.
Don't worry, we do have snow in RI... including the occasional blizzard (the last big one was in the winter of 2004/2005). The first thing my father did when it snowed after I got my license was take me driving in a parking lot (his poor heart!) . I also lived in the midwest for a while (including Iowa for three years), though never so far north. We always worry about the people who come to live here in RI (lots of navy families) from the south who have no snow driving experience, so I understand your concern. It makes the first snowfall of the year a bit worrisome, to say the least!
After having grown up mostly in RI, the friendliness of the midwest was quite refreshing. My husband and I also see it as a fantastic environment for children. I know that nowhere is perfect, but right now we are ready for a change. It sounds like Marshfield is a nice small town that isn't too isolated.
As for the paper mill, you have put my mind at ease. I know it may seem like a small thing, but something about that smell.... I grew up near farms in a heavily skunk populated area, and have lived near factories that didn't exactly smell like roses, but those smells don't really bother me as much as the paper mill smell. Go figure.
Again, you have truly been helpful. Thank you!
I did have one more question. I have been browsing the forum and have seen quite a bit about the property taxes. While we were in Marshfield, we did look at a few places and it didn't seem so bad. Here in RI the main problem of housing is that the prices themselves are sooooo terribly inflated (it has gotten worse and worse as people from Boston have been moving here to commute). Is it really that bad? Are there hidden taxes that don't show up on the realty spec sheets?
Not that I want to restart the whole tax discussion.... I was just wondering if this is an issue for all of Wisconsin or only certain areas.
Don't worry, we do have snow in RI... including the occasional blizzard (the last big one was in the winter of 2004/2005). The first thing my father did when it snowed after I got my license was take me driving in a parking lot (his poor heart!) . I also lived in the midwest for a while (including Iowa for three years), though never so far north. We always worry about the people who come to live here in RI (lots of navy families) from the south who have no snow driving experience, so I understand your concern. It makes the first snowfall of the year a bit worrisome, to say the least!
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Thanks again!
Well as I've said before Wisconsin is one of the worst for property taxes.
There's a website that contains alot of information for specific areas here:
Aside from that, Property taxes on your AVERAGE home will range from about $2000 to $5000 depending on where you live, the size of your property, local millages, etc.
As for Marshfield, depending on if you live in the City or Outside the city limits I would guesstimate property taxes to be in the $2500 to $3500 per year range.
If I were you I would call the Wood County clerk (Marshfield is in Wood county), and tell them you are buying X property for X amount and you'd like to get a property tax estimate for 2007.
Last edited by Yac; 10-25-2006 at 12:51 AM..
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The city won't cut the businesses a good deal on taxes so many of the new businesses build just outside the City limits. Though one of these days the City will just annex the area. 
