Rock County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rock 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
-
C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rock County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 164,349 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 226.3 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.26% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 67,201 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rock County grew by 3.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 164,349 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rock County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.9% of residents. That is 0.1 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,846 20.6% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,042 20.7% on par
- Gen X 45–60 34,283 20.9% +0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,142 17.7% -0.1 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 50.3% of the people living in Rock County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 49.7% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rock County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rock County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Rock County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,645 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.07% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rock County is about 3% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Rock County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $172,262 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,036 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rock County is about 13.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,036 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rock County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 158 hours, about 6.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rock County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 19.0 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 38.0 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 158 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,905 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,685 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,002 | 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 Rock County is about the same as 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
Rock County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rock County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Rock County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rock County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 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).
Rock County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Rock County, WI is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 164,349 residents against a local median of 105,657. Rock County, WI's median home price, at $172,262, runs 56% above the $110,356 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $359,828 on median home price, so Rock County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rock County, WI has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock County, WI | 164,349 | $75,645 #5/6 | $172,262 #3/6 | 19.0 min #2/6 |
| Winnebago County, IL | 283,258 | $66,225 | $106,298 | 18.7 min |
| Boone County, IL | 53,226 | $85,291 | $66,484 | 23.3 min |
| Jefferson County, WI | 86,001 | $84,347 | $110,356 | 21.7 min |
| Dane County, WI | 572,416 | $90,408 | $426,312 | 20.1 min |
| Walworth County, WI | 105,657 | $82,758 | $318,869 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rock County, Wisconsin.
How big is Rock County, Wisconsin by population?
About 164,349 people live in Rock County, Wisconsin, in 67,201 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Rock County, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Rock County, Wisconsin has 226 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Rock County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($172,262 against $75,645), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,036 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Rock County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Rock County, Wisconsin is only 3.8%, 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 Rock County, Wisconsin have a college degree?
22.4% of adults in Rock County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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