Dane County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dane 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.
-
A
Health Above averageHealthiest county in Wisconsin
-
B
Income Around averageWealthier than 93% of counties in Wisconsin
-
A+
Education Top gradeBest educated county in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dane County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 572,416 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 462.5 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.29% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 251,413 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dane County grew by 18.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 572,416 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dane County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.1% of residents. That is 5.7 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 155,039 27.1% +5.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 132,113 23.1% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 105,997 18.5% -2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 79,410 13.9% -4.0 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 49.9% of the people living in Dane County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.1% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dane County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dane County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Dane County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,408 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.16% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dane County is about 16% higher than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Dane County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $426,312 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,397 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.1% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dane County is about 25.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,397 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dane County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 167 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dane County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.2 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 167 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,190 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.0% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,216 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,378 | 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 Dane County is 20 minutes, longer 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
Dane County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Dane County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.1% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 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
Dane County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Dane County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.6 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.1% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.8% | 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).
Dane County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Dane County, WI is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 572,416 residents against a local median of 66,009. Where Dane County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 156% above the local median of $166,656 at $426,312.
The counties themselves spread $221,902 on median home price, so Dane County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dane County, WI has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County, WI | 572,416 | $90,408 #1/6 | $426,312 #1/6 | 20.1 min #3/6 |
| Columbia County, WI | 58,269 | $85,141 | $166,656 | 23.5 min |
| Green County, WI | 37,017 | $81,855 | $139,166 | 20.3 min |
| Rock County, WI | 164,349 | $75,645 | $172,262 | 19.0 min |
| Sauk County, WI | 66,009 | $80,789 | $332,258 | 18.4 min |
| Jefferson County, WI | 86,001 | $84,347 | $110,356 | 21.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dane County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Dane County, Wisconsin?
About 572,416 people live in Dane County, Wisconsin, in 251,413 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Dane County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dane County, Wisconsin has 462 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Dane County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($426,312 against $90,408), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,397 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Dane County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Dane County, Wisconsin is only 2.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Dane County, Wisconsin have a college degree?
49.1% of adults in Dane County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →