Hey cool. Fox Cities are great!! Crystal Falls is a couple thousand people, like maybe 2-4000. Going north on 141, it is about 14 miles north of the WI-MI border, just north of Florence, WI. Crystal Falls is about 2 hours north of Green Bay.
Escanaba (50mi NW of Marinette-Menominee) and Iron Mountain are just over the border too. Escanaba is a little liberal. Menominee is OK, just north of Marinette, WI.
The Marquette-Negaunee-Ishpeming area is nice too, that's where Gander Mtn is

. Marquette is about the size of De Pere, about 17-18,000. Probably more than you are looking for. There are some small towns along the way to either me or Marquette area. Marquette is about an hour and a half from Iron Mountain. Take 95 north out of Iron Mtn and then take 41/28 east to Marquette. Munising is on the eastern side of Marquette, about another 45 minutes away. Don't know about them, little bigger but much smaller than Marquette.
Most of the western and western-central UP is rural. The "bigger" industrial or metro areas are Marquette, Houghton-Hancock, and Escanaba areas. Houghton-Hancock area might have 8000 with MI Tech students included.
Most of the west central UP between 45 North and 95 North is all state forest land used for logging. Not much there. Ironwood is out by Hurley, WI.
My mailing address is Calumet, but actually about 6 miles from town. My closest neighbor is 300 yards away through 200 yards of hardwoods. I am right on Lake Superior. Most of the UP is like that. Don't like lots of people? Move 10 miles from town and you will be all set.
Let me know if I can be of any more help.