Wisconsin Population and Demographics

Are you tired of spending 10+ hours searching for demographic and population data for Wisconsin? We have all of the data you need by state, county, city, and zip code that will save you many hours of research!

In this article, we'll explore most of the 190+ data points we have for Wisconsin, covering popular demographics statistics like household income, race, age and gender, educational attainment, poverty, housing, and transportation.

The data on this page is from the 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey from the US Census Bureau.

Richest Zip Codes in Wisconsin

In the table below, we've ranked the richest zip codes in Wisconsin based on the average (or mean) household income. To do this, we only look at zip codes that have a population of at least 500 people and a reasonable margin of error for the data.

If the margin of error for the mean income is greater than 50% of the estimate, we don't use it. This is to try and make the data less likely to be skewed by outliers with very small population areas or estimates that are not very accurate.

Rank ZIP Code County Mean Income
1 53097 Ozaukee County $222,712.00
2 53044 Sheboygan County $191,353.00
3 53217 Milwaukee County, Ozaukee County $183,179.00
4 53092 Ozaukee County $182,787.00
5 53122 Waukesha County $173,043.00
6 53125 Walworth County $172,119.00
7 53058 Waukesha County $168,802.00
8 53017 Washington County, Waukesha County $168,257.00
9 53045 Waukesha County $166,912.00
10 53005 Waukesha County $161,138.00

To view details demographics data for a specific zip code, click on the link in the table above. You can also read our article here on the richest zip codes in Wisconsin.

Richest Cities in Wisconsin

We can also find the same information for the richest cities in Wisconsin. The table below ranks the top 10 cities in Wisconsin by average household income by using the same criteria as we did with the zip codes.

Rank City County Mean Income
1 Middleton Dane County $235,592.00
2 Troy St. Croix County $214,619.00
3 Delafield Waukesha County $210,428.00
4 Berry Dane County $175,732.00
5 Verona Dane County $175,063.00
6 Pleasant Springs Dane County $171,609.00
7 Springfield Dane County $171,259.00
8 Sylvester Green County $170,529.00
9 Oak Grove Pierce County $170,337.00
10 Bristol Dane County $169,038.00

To view details demographics data for a specific city, click on the link in the table above. You can also read our article here on the richest cities in Wisconsin.

Median Household Income

According to the latest ACS 5-year survey in 2022, the median household income in Wisconsin is $72,458.00.

The chart below shows the average household income by age in Wisconsin.

  • Under 25
    $41,408.00
  • 25 to 44
    $82,872.00
  • 45 to 64
    $88,582.00
  • 65 and over
    $52,831.00

Average Household Income

A very commonly asked question is "what is the average household income in Wisconsin?". The official term for the average household income is the mean household income. The mean household income is the total income of all households divided by the number of households.

The average (or mean) household income in Wisconsin is $94,995.00.

7.63% of households in Wisconsin are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

The difference between a median and an average income

The difference between a median and mean household income is that the median income is the middle point of the set of numbers whereas the mean income is an average of all numbers.

Both metrics are important when looking at the income statistics for Wisconsin but because the median value doesn't depend on other numbers in the dataset, it doesn't change as much when some of the values are extremely low or extremely high.

Household Income Tiers for Wisconsin

We can also look at the household income tiers. This lets you see how many households fall into each of the earnings brackets and what percentage that bracket is of the total number of households.

The chart below shows the household income brackets to see which age groups have the highest median income. The actual data is more granular than these brackets, but we've simplified them into bigger categories to make reviewing the data for Wisconsin easier to view.

You can purchase the raw data above, which will have the full income tiers with smaller jumps in household income.

  • Less than $24,999
    14.12%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    19.30%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.21%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.15%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.36%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    8.24%
  • $200,000 or more
    7.63%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income is the average income of all people in Wisconsin. This is calculated by dividing the total income of all people in Wisconsin by the total number of people in Wisconsin.

It differs from the average or mean household income because it includes all people in Wisconsin and not just the people who earn an income (i.e. children, retirees, unemployed, etc.).

The per capita income in Wisconsin is $40,130.00.

Population in Wisconsin by Race and Ethnicity

The total population in Wisconsin is currently 5,882,128 people.

The race and ethnicity of the population in Wisconsin can be very important for social research, economics, and marketing to a multi-culturial society.

Whether you want to target products or services to a particular race or ethnicity, or provide housing and new businesses to improve areas with a larger ethnic minority population, this data is very valuable for discovering suitable areas.

The chart below breaks down the population and percentage for each race and ethnicity in Wisconsin.

  • 1.00% White
    60,755
  • 92.70% Black/African American
    5,451,152
  • 79.90% Native
    4,698,967
  • 5.00% Hispanic
    291,942
  • 6.10% Asian
    356,150
  • 0.60% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
    36,369
  • 0.00% Two or more races
    1,902
  • 2.80% Other
    167,512

Population of Wisconsin by Age and Gender

Another very important demographics statistic for Wisconsin is the age and gender of the population. The age and gender of the population can be used to track trends in population growth or decline, and for businesses, the data can be used to identify people important to you and your business need.

In the table below, we show age groups at a 10 year granularity for ease of use. The raw data, which can be purchased above, includes age and gender at a 5 year granularity.

Age Group Male Female
0 to 9 Years 341,686 325,677
10 to 19 Years 391,510 371,135
20 to 29 Years 397,032 377,430
30 to 39 Years 382,116 363,293
40 to 49 Years 352,345 338,237
50 to 59 Years 399,310 392,571
60 to 69 Years 375,774 380,344
70 Years and over 308,989 384,679

Education Levels

Educational attainment is a very useful statistic that can give insights into other data such as the average household income, unemployment levels, and literacy.

What this means is that it is likely for areas that have higher levels of education to have higher average household incomes, lower unemployment rates, and higher literacy rates.

The chart below shows the educational attainment of the population in Wisconsin.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.40%
  • Bachelor's degree
    33.10%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.45%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    41.59%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.45%

Unemployment Rates

The unemployment rate is the percentage of the population that is actively looking for work but is unable to find a job. The unemployment rate is a very important statistic for Wisconsin because it can show how many people are actively looking for work and how many people are unable to find a job.

Lower levels of unemployment is generally seen as a positive sign for the economy. It also makes the government in Wisconsin look good because it shows that they are doing a good job of creating jobs, working to capacity, being efficient, and keeping the economy strong.

The unemployment rate is calculated using the total population in Wisconsin that are over the age of 16.

The current population in Wisconsin that are over the age of 16 is 4,764,779 people.

The unemployment rate in Wisconsin is 3.40%, which means 105,086 people are unemployed.

Median Age in Wisconsin

The median age is an interesting metric because it gives us an idea of the age distribution of people in Wisconsin. You know when you see a median age that it is the age where half of the population is older and half is younger than it.

For demographic studies, this can be used to infer and compare date to things such as birth rates, the age of parents, and so on.

An increasing median age can be a sign of an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population. This is because older people tend to have fewer children and die more often than younger people.

The median age in Wisconsin is 39.9 years old.

We can also look at the median age by gender to compare the see how each group compares to the total median age:

Median age by gender in Wisconsin

39.9

Total

39

Male

40.8

Female

Households and Families

There are a total of 2,425,488 households in Wisconsin, and the average household size is 2.37 people.

For families, the total number is 1,488,300, and the average family size is 2.97 people.

6.60% of those families in Wisconsin are living below the poverty line.

The table below shows the poverty thresholds for Wisconsin in .

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Please note that the poverty thresholds shown above are from , while the latest demographics data we have is from 2022.

Households and Families by Marital Status

There are four types of household and family, as defined by the Census Bureau:

  • Married-couple
  • Male householder, no spouse present
  • Female householder, no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

In the table below, you can see the total households and families in Wisconsin for each type, as well as the average sizes.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,152,787 110,094 225,419 937,188
Average Household Size 3.02 3.16 3.22 1.27
Total Families 1,152,787 110,094 225,419 0
Average Household Size 3 2.73 2.96 0

Housing Data in Wisconsin

There are total of 2,734,511 housing units in Wisconsin. Of those units, 2,425,488 (88.70%) are occupied, and 309,023 (11.30%) are vacant.

Rental Rates

Of the 2,734,511 housing units in Wisconsin, 752,039 (27.50%) are occupied by renters. The median rent paid by renters is $992.00.

Owner occupied housing units make up the remaining 60.03% of housing units, with 1,641,590 housing units in total.

The table below breaks down how much rent is paid by renters in Wisconsin.

  • No rent paid
    31,859
  • Less than $500
    55,359
  • $500 to $999
    327,566
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    258,461
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    79,264
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    18,391
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    6,093
  • $3,000 or more
    6,905

Property Values

The median value of a property in Wisconsin is $231,400.00.

The table below breaks down the range of valuations for all properties in Wisconsin.

  • Less than $50,000
    66,191
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    117,725
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    211,786
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    274,669
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    439,017
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    384,325
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    126,793
  • $1,000,000 or more
    21,084

Property Age

We can also look at the number of properties built in a given year to see the spread of property age in Wisconsin.

  • 1939 or earlier
    504,575
  • 1940 to 1949
    147,777
  • 1950 to 1959
    287,354
  • 1960 to 1969
    262,836
  • 1970 to 1979
    394,115
  • 1980 to 1989
    263,915
  • 1990 to 1999
    365,107
  • 2000 to 2009
    333,032
  • 2010 to 2013
    165,816
  • 2014 or later
    9,984

Vehicles Available per Household

Finally, we have data on how many vehicles each household in Wisconsin has. The table below breaks down the number of vehicles available per household.

  • No vehicles available
    152,009
  • 1 vehicle available
    787,643
  • 2 vehicles available
    965,170
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    520,666

Commuting to Work in Wisconsin

The time and means of commuting to work are useful metrics to look at because they can be correlated against other data such as income and education level.

Does a longer commuting time indicate a higher average income? If so, has the huge increase in home working during the pandemic changed this?

Using these metrics, we can get a better understanding of the demographics of Wisconsin, how they commute, and how that correlates to other data points.

The average travel time is 22.2 minutes, and the chart below covers the range of travel times across the population of Wisconsin.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    115,582
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    368,958
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    434,642
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    445,788
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    386,625
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    188,455
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    292,518
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    83,302
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    84,231
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    145,433
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    82,776
  • 90 or more minutes
    45,530

We can also look at the means of transport in Wisconsin to see which modes of transport people are using to commute to work.

  • Drove alone
    2,290,304
  • Carpooled
    218,653
  • Public transportation
    36,957
  • Walked
    83,149
  • Other means
    44,777
  • Worked from home
    300,409

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has given you the demographics data you were looking for in Wisconsin.

If you need more demographics data, or you need the data listed above in spreadsheet form with more granular grouping, head back to the top of this page where you can purchase the complete demographics data for Wisconsin.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Wisconsin Population and Demographics". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 20, 2024. https://namecensus.com/demographics/wisconsin/.

  • "Wisconsin Population and Demographics". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/demographics/wisconsin/. Accessed 20 April, 2024

  • Wisconsin Population and Demographics. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/demographics/wisconsin/.