Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wisconsin Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 70% of states in the US
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wisconsin | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wisconsin grew by 5.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,910,864 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wisconsin is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.4% of residents. That is about the same share as the US.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,262,551 21.4% on par
- Millennials 29–44 1,228,390 20.8% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,226,143 20.7% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,054,905 17.8% +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 the US, 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 50.0% of the people living in Wisconsin and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% the US 50.5%
- Men 50.0% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wisconsin
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wisconsin has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Wisconsin | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wisconsin is about 3% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Wisconsin | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wisconsin is about 13.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,087 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wisconsin spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wisconsin | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 Wisconsin is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
Wisconsin has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Wisconsin | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
Wisconsin has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Wisconsin | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
Wisconsin Compared With Nearby States
Wisconsin is typical in size for this group, 5,910,864 residents against a local median of 6,845,048, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Wisconsin sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these states turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 14% above the local median at $170,479 against $149,936. Wisconsin has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 5,910,864 | $77,698 #3/6 | $170,479 #2/6 | 18.8 min #2/6 |
| Michigan | 10,068,405 | $72,977 | $138,713 | 21.3 min |
| Illinois | 12,692,444 | $84,042 | $149,936 | 23.6 min |
| Iowa | 3,204,793 | $75,133 | $153,425 | 17.0 min |
| Minnesota | 5,724,000 | $89,852 | $236,718 | 20.3 min |
| Indiana | 6,845,048 | $71,967 | $142,738 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wisconsin.
How big is Wisconsin by population?
About 5,910,864 people live in Wisconsin, in 2,477,189 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Wisconsin has 90 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wisconsin?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($170,479 against $77,698), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,087 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Wisconsin is only 3.2%, 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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