Jackson County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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 averageLess healthy than 85% of counties in Wisconsin
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in Wisconsin
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 93% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,977 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.0 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,273 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County grew by 6.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,977 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,907 18.6% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,152 19.8% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,558 21.7% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,250 20.3% +2.4 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 46.3% of the people living in Jackson County and men 53.7%.
- Women 46.3% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 53.7% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,993 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.04% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 12% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $168,745 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $787 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.1% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 17.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $787 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.3 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.5 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,493 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,360 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 204 | 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 Jackson County is 21 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
Jackson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jackson County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.9% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.7% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 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).
Jackson County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, WI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 20,977 residents against a local median of 46,191. Where Jackson County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 53% above the local median of $110,057 at $168,745.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.3 min against a local median of 17.2 min, 24% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 24% above the local median it puts Jackson County, WI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $100,145 on median home price, so Jackson County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jackson County, WI has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, WI | 20,977 | $67,993 #6/6 | $168,745 #1/6 | 21.3 min #5/6 |
| Monroe County, WI | 46,191 | $68,992 | $110,057 | 17.2 min |
| Clark County, WI | 34,738 | $68,224 | $129,853 | 18.0 min |
| La Crosse County, WI | 120,486 | $73,102 | $167,812 | 16.4 min |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 28,321 | $75,990 | $67,667 | 21.9 min |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 107,100 | $74,505 | $108,335 | 15.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Jackson County, Wisconsin?
About 20,977 people live in Jackson County, Wisconsin, in 8,273 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Jackson County, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson County, Wisconsin has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Jackson County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($168,745 against $67,993), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $787 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Jackson County, Wisconsin?
14.9% of adults in Jackson County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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