Cato is a town in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, home to about 1,512 people across 35 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 54230 and 54245.
Homes sold for a median of $176 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Reedsville; part is in Cato
Mostly Valders; part is in Cato
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Cato. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Cato’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)83 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB)24 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Milwaukee, WI75 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL160 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Cato; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Cato had 1,621 residents in the 2020 census, up 0% since 2000.
It’s the 596th largest of 1,889 towns in Wisconsin by population.
Manitowoc County grew from 42,261 residents in 1900 to 81,359 in 2020.
Manitowoc County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 32.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 43 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Brillion, WI weather station (6 miles away).
28,889 jobs at 1,726 businesses in Manitowoc County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cato’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Dentists | 4 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 4 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores
Libraries
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Reedsville School District, Valders Area School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reedsville ElementaryReedsville | Pre-K–6 | 320 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Valders ElementaryValders | Pre-K–4 | 411 | Public | 6.7 mi |
| Valders MiddleValders | 5–8 | 259 | Public | 6.8 mi |
| Reedsville Jr/Sr High SchoolReedsville | 7–12 | 256 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Valders HighValders | 9–12 | 291 | Public | 6.8 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St John-St James Lutheran SchoolReedsville | Pre-K–8 | 56 | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 0.6 mi |
| St Mary/St Michael SchoolCato | Pre-K–8 | 47 | Roman Catholic | 6.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Reedsville, Liberty Town (Manitowoc County), Valders, Rockland Town (Manitowoc County), Franklin Town (Manitowoc County), Maple Grove Town (Manitowoc County), Manitowoc Rapids and Eaton Town (Manitowoc County).
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.