Lafayette County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lafayette 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.
-
B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 76% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lafayette County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,942 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.7 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.11% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,763 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lafayette County grew by 6.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,942 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lafayette County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.3 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,281 19.4% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,978 17.6% -3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,568 21.1% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,201 18.9% +1.0 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 49.5% of the people living in Lafayette County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.5% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lafayette County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lafayette County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lafayette County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,702 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.72% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lafayette County is about 1% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Lafayette County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $106,027 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $829 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lafayette County is about 10.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $829 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lafayette County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lafayette County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.8 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.5 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,619 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,100 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 374 | 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 Lafayette County is 22 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
Lafayette County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lafayette County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 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
Lafayette County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lafayette County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.5% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.3% | 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).
Lafayette County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Lafayette County, WI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,942 residents against a local median of 37,017. The measure that sets Lafayette County, WI apart most is median home price: $106,027, 24% below the local median of $139,166.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.8 min against a local median of 18.0 min, 21% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 21% above the local median it puts Lafayette County, WI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $207,115 on median home price, so Lafayette County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lafayette County, WI has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, WI | 16,942 | $76,702 #3/6 | $106,027 #5/6 | 21.8 min #5/6 |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 21,851 | $73,995 | $263,988 | 18.0 min |
| Iowa County, WI | 23,867 | $81,737 | $156,793 | 21.9 min |
| Green County, WI | 37,017 | $81,855 | $139,166 | 20.3 min |
| Stephenson County, IL | 43,760 | $64,970 | $56,873 | 15.9 min |
| Grant County, WI | 51,770 | $67,366 | $110,555 | 17.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
How many people live in Lafayette County, Wisconsin?
About 16,942 people live in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, in 6,763 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Lafayette County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lafayette County, Wisconsin has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 31% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lafayette County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($106,027 against $76,702), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $829 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lafayette County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Lafayette County, Wisconsin is only 2.9%, 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 Lafayette County, Wisconsin have a college degree?
18.2% of adults in Lafayette County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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