Shawano County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shawano 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 averageLess healthy than 79% of counties in Wisconsin
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 87% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Shawano County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,039 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 45.1 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.10% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,245 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shawano County declined by 0.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 41,039 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shawano County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.1% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,209 17.6% -3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,289 17.8% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,484 23.1% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,938 21.8% +3.9 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 Shawano County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.4% Wisconsin 50.0%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Shawano County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Shawano County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Shawano County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,359 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.16% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shawano County is about 13% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Shawano County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $71,304 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $820 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shawano County is about 7.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $820 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shawano County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shawano County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.7 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,743 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,926 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 510 | 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 Shawano 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
Shawano County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Shawano County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Shawano County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Shawano County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.1% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 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).
Shawano County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Shawano County, WI is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 41,039 residents against a local median of 51,567. Shawano County, WI's median home price, at $71,304, runs 72% below the $252,419 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $125,777 on median home price, so Shawano County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Shawano County, WI has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano County, WI | 41,039 | $67,359 #4/4 | $71,304 #4/4 | 18.4 min #2/4 |
| Waupaca County, WI | 51,567 | $73,318 | $293,745 | 20.6 min |
| Outagamie County, WI | 192,703 | $86,693 | $167,968 | 18.0 min |
| Oconto County, WI | 39,589 | $75,060 | $252,419 | 26.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shawano County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Shawano County, Wisconsin?
About 41,039 people live in Shawano County, Wisconsin, in 17,245 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 45.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Shawano County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Shawano County, Wisconsin has 45 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 52% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Shawano County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($71,304 against $67,359), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $820 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 Shawano County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Shawano County, Wisconsin is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Shawano County, Wisconsin?
17.1% of adults in Shawano 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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