Richland County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Richland 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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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Wisconsin
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 70% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Richland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,205 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 29.2 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,250 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Richland County declined by 4.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,205 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Richland County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.0% of residents. That is 5.1 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,147 18.3% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,965 17.2% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,695 21.5% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,949 23.0% +5.1 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 49.8% of the people living in Richland County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.2% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Richland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Richland County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Richland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,744 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.35% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Richland County is about 15% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Richland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $83,333 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $771 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Richland County is about 9.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $771 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Richland County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Richland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.4 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,695 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,167 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 275 | 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 Richland County is 18 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
Richland County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Richland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 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
Richland County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Richland County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Richland County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Richland County, WI is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 17,205 residents against a local median of 41,408. Richland County, WI's median home price, at $83,333, runs 38% below the $133,674 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $270,383 on median home price, so Richland County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Richland County, WI has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County, WI | 17,205 | $65,744 #5/5 | $83,333 #4/5 | 18.2 min #2/5 |
| Vernon County, WI | 31,046 | $71,656 | $61,875 | 22.0 min |
| Iowa County, WI | 23,867 | $81,737 | $156,793 | 21.9 min |
| Sauk County, WI | 66,009 | $80,789 | $332,258 | 18.4 min |
| Grant County, WI | 51,770 | $67,366 | $110,555 | 17.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Richland County, Wisconsin.
How many people live in Richland County, Wisconsin?
About 17,205 people live in Richland County, Wisconsin, in 7,250 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Richland County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Richland County, Wisconsin has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 34% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Richland County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($83,333 against $65,744), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $771 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Richland County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Richland County, Wisconsin is only 3.6%, 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 Richland County, Wisconsin have a college degree?
18.4% of adults in Richland 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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