Oconto County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Oconto 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 79% of counties in Wisconsin
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 85% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Oconto County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,589 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 34.5 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.69% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.7 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,811 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Oconto County grew by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,589 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Oconto County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.8% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,599 16.7% -4.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,396 18.7% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,426 23.8% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,914 22.5% +4.7 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 48.8% of the people living in Oconto County and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 51.2% Wisconsin 50.0%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Oconto County
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Economy
Oconto County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Oconto County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,060 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.18% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Oconto County is about 3% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Oconto County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $252,419 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $790 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.0% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Oconto County is about 26.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $790 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Oconto County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 220 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Oconto County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.4 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.8 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 220 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,818 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,277 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 391 | 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 Oconto County is 26 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
Oconto County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Oconto County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Oconto County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Oconto County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.8% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.5% | 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).
Oconto County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Oconto County, WI is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 39,589 residents against a local median of 117,375. Where Oconto County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 69% above the local median of $149,325 at $252,419.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 26.4 min against a local median of 17.6 min, 50% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 50% above the local median it puts Oconto County, WI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $146,006 on median home price, so Oconto County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Oconto County, WI has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconto County, WI | 39,589 | $75,060 #3/5 | $252,419 #1/5 | 26.4 min #5/5 |
| Marinette County, WI | 42,046 | $64,295 | $130,681 | 15.9 min |
| Brown County, WI | 270,600 | $80,359 | $217,310 | 17.2 min |
| Shawano County, WI | 41,039 | $67,359 | $71,304 | 18.4 min |
| Outagamie County, WI | 192,703 | $86,693 | $167,968 | 18.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Oconto County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Oconto County, Wisconsin?
About 39,589 people live in Oconto County, Wisconsin, in 16,811 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 48.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Oconto County, Wisconsin urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Oconto County, Wisconsin has 34 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 40% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Oconto County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($252,419 against $75,060), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $790 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 Oconto County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Oconto County, Wisconsin is only 2.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Oconto County, Wisconsin?
16.6% of adults in Oconto County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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