This is a list of unincorporated communities, also called unincorporated places, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. [1] These communities often do not appear on maps, but are real named places that only have not officially incorporated. [2]
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Unlike incorporated communities (cities, villages, and towns), unincorporated communities are not automatically added to the official State Highway Map of Wisconsin. [3] However, many unincorporated communities are listed in the map's index. [4] The public can ask for a community to be added if it meets certain criteria such as if there is room for a label on the map and the location has sufficient population. [3]
Unincorporated communities may share some similiarities with ghost towns, but those are typically depopulated. [5] Census-designated places can also overlap with these locations, but not all unincorporated places are CDPs. [6]
Unincorporated communities in Wisconsin are legally closer to cities and villages than to towns, at least as far as electric utility billing and payment procedures. Residents can be billed at urban rates, unlike residents of towns only. [7]
The Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office has been inventorying "hidden communities" in the state. [2] In addition to unincorporated communities, these include three other types of locations. One are "cartographic phantoms", which appear on maps and do not exist on the ground. These could be phantom settlements, but typically are more like ghost towns that used to exist as settlements. The third type of location mentioned are "unverified locales" which require more research before placing them in one of the other designations. [2] In November 2025, a fourth type called "other places" was added to cover places that have been investigated, but are not unincorporated communities nor phantoms. [8] This designation includes places like resorts, mobile home parks, industrial sites, and neighborhoods. [8]