Marathon County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marathon 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 82% of counties in Wisconsin
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marathon County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 138,251 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 87.7 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.3 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 57,805 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marathon County grew by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 138,251 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marathon County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 0.5 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 27,054 19.6% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 28,250 20.4% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 29,410 21.3% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 25,143 18.2% +0.3 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 49.6% of the people living in Marathon County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.4% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Marathon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Marathon County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Marathon County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,153 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.61% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marathon County is about 1% higher than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Marathon County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $136,999 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $998 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.3% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marathon County is about 11.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $998 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marathon 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 142 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marathon County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.0 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.0 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 142 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,388 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.9% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,540 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 741 | 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 Marathon 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
Marathon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Marathon County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.6% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Marathon County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Marathon County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.3% | 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).
Marathon County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Marathon County, WI is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 138,251 residents against a local median of 49,629. Where Marathon County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 17% below the local median of $165,790 at $136,999.
The counties themselves spread $193,186 on median home price, so Marathon County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marathon County, WI has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon County, WI | 138,251 | $78,153 #1/5 | $136,999 #4/5 | 17.0 min #4/5 |
| Lincoln County, WI | 28,426 | $70,061 | $245,833 | 18.8 min |
| Portage County, WI | 70,832 | $76,397 | $52,647 | 16.1 min |
| Wood County, WI | 74,006 | $66,853 | $161,581 | 15.8 min |
| Taylor County, WI | 20,024 | $70,188 | $169,999 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marathon County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Marathon County, Wisconsin?
About 138,251 people live in Marathon County, Wisconsin, in 57,805 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Marathon County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marathon County, Wisconsin has 88 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Marathon County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($136,999 against $78,153), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $998 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Marathon County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Marathon 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.
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