Brown County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Brown County, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 80% of counties in Wisconsin
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 83% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Brown County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 270,600 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 439.8 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.66% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.1 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 110,796 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Brown County grew by 11.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 270,600 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Brown County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.4% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 60,539 22.4% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 58,951 21.8% +1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 56,054 20.7% on par
- Boomers 61–79 41,355 15.3% -2.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Wisconsin, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Brown County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Brown County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Brown County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Brown County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,359 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.88% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Brown County is about 3% higher than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Brown County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $217,310 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,031 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.0% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Brown County is about 17.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,031 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Brown County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Brown County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.5 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,453 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,842 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,311 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Brown County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Brown County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Brown County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.6% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Brown County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Brown County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.2% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Brown County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Brown County, WI is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 270,600 residents against a local median of 52,942. Brown County, WI's median home price, at $217,310, runs 29% above the $167,968 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $484,921 on median home price, so Brown County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brown County, WI has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County, WI | 270,600 | $80,359 #4/6 | $217,310 #3/6 | 17.2 min #2/6 |
| Calumet County, WI | 52,942 | $89,099 | $609,913 | 18.5 min |
| Outagamie County, WI | 192,703 | $86,693 | $167,968 | 18.0 min |
| Oconto County, WI | 39,589 | $75,060 | $252,419 | 26.4 min |
| Manitowoc County, WI | 81,406 | $70,189 | $166,249 | 16.4 min |
| Kewaunee County, WI | 20,663 | $82,380 | $124,993 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Brown County, Wisconsin.
How big is Brown County, Wisconsin by population?
About 270,600 people live in Brown County, Wisconsin, in 110,796 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Brown County, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Brown County, Wisconsin has 440 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Brown County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($217,310 against $80,359), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,031 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Brown County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Brown County, Wisconsin is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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