Wisconsin Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Wisconsin, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Wisconsin. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Wisconsin. The estimated population of Wisconsin is 5,871,661 people, with a median age of 39.6.

We can look at the total population in Wisconsin over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
5,871,661
+1.11%
+1.88%
2020
5,806,975
+0.28%
-
2019
5,790,716
+0.21%
-
2018
5,778,394
+0.26%
-
2017
5,763,217
 - -

Population of Wisconsin by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
80.1%
81.8%
 -2.08%
Black/African American
6.2%
6.2%
 0.00%
Native
0.7%
0.8%
 -12.50%
Hispanic
7.2%
6.6%
 +9.09%
Asian
2.8%
2.6%
 +7.69%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.7%
1.8%
 +50.00%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Wisconsin by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 39.6 0% 38.8 +0.78% 40.5 -0.49%
2020 39.6 +0.25% 38.5 +0.26% 40.7 +0.25%
2019 39.5 +0.51% 38.4 +0.52% 40.6 +0.25%
2018 39.3 +0.26% 38.2 +0.26% 40.5 +0.25%
2017 39.2 - 38.1 - 40.4 -

The median age of Wisconsin gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 356,808 -2.3% 342,320 -2.37% 348,662 334,275
10 to 19 384,778 +2.39% 367,539 +1.73% 393,898 373,817
20 to 29 389,947 -0.04% 372,038 +0.39% 389,736 373,510
30 to 39 366,413 +4.15% 355,651 +2.8% 381,869 365,739
40 to 49 359,078 -1.93% 355,780 -3.63% 352,039 342,983
50 to 59 420,147 -3.19% 425,479 -4.95% 406,880 404,759
60 to 69 329,807 +11.51% 336,767 +10.62% 369,364 373,929
70+ 257,137 +14.05% 343,528 +6.16% 295,173 365,028

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Wisconsin is $67,080.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Wisconsin.

  • Under 25
    $37,323.00
  • 25 to 44
    $75,932.00
  • 45 to 64
    $81,802.00
  • 65 and over
    $48,793.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Wisconsin, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Wisconsin, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Wisconsin is currently $87,733.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

6.12% of households in Wisconsin are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Wisconsin against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    15.66%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.96%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.78%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.34%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.22%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.91%
  • $200,000 or more
    6.12%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Wisconsin is $36,754.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Wisconsin by the total population of Wisconsin.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Wisconsin, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Wisconsin to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.25%
  • Bachelor's degree
    32.73%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.57%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    42.01%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.44%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Wisconsin that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Wisconsin over the age of 16 is 4,731,836.

Of those people, a total of 66.10% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Wisconsin is 63.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 310,827 52.10% 9.10%
20 to 24 years 393,324 80.30% 6.10%
25 to 29 years 369,922 86.90% 4.00%
30 to 34 years 365,233 86.30% 3.40%
35 to 44 years 728,714 86.80% 2.70%
45 to 54 years 732,579 85.90% 2.60%
55 to 59 years 427,743 78.00% 2.50%
60 to 64 years 406,416 60.60% 2.40%
65 to 74 years 599,187 24.20% 2.40%
75 years and over 397,891 6.30% 2.50%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Wisconsin. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 4,050,627 66.10% 3.00%
Black or African American 270,032 59.20% 8.30%
American Indian and Alaska Native 35,393 62.40% 8.00%
Asian 126,679 70.00% 3.50%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2,053 70.90% 3.40%
Other 92,269 71.20% 4.60%
Two or more races 154,783 71.80% 6.90%
Hispanic or Latino 278,651 72.90% 4.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 3,927,661 65.90% 2.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Wisconsin as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Wisconsin is 3,014,612, with median earnings of $41,972.00.

Women in Wisconsin earning approximately 70.50% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 3,014,612 $41,972.00
Male 1,572,544 $49,524.00
Female 1,442,068 $34,897.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 307,972 $69,584.00
Business and Financial 159,771 $62,111.00
Computer and Mathematical 89,487 $76,107.00
Architecture and Engineering 64,711 $75,006.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 32,952 $55,308.00
Community and Social Service 51,642 $45,929.00
Legal 22,014 $71,035.00
Educational and Library 175,052 $44,423.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 50,885 $39,614.00
Healthcare Practitioners 190,638 $60,187.00
Healthcare Support 113,471 $25,075.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 23,437 $32,617.00
Law Enforcement 24,623 $65,399.00
Food Preparation and Serving 154,345 $13,021.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 94,390 $23,159.00
Personal Care and Service 68,796 $17,358.00
Sales 266,022 $36,002.00
Office and Administrative Support 330,715 $35,670.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 25,574 $27,600.00
Construction and Extraction 134,075 $48,914.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 99,075 $51,004.00
Production 289,602 $41,320.00
Transportation and Material Moving 108,381 $41,967.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 183,176 $79,924.00 124,796 $58,173.00
Business and Financial 69,468 $72,101.00 90,303 $55,772.00
Computer and Mathematical 65,318 $78,936.00 24,169 $66,806.00
Architecture and Engineering 55,153 $76,644.00 9,558 $63,889.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 16,128 $57,657.00 16,824 $53,531.00
Community and Social Service 14,976 $47,548.00 36,666 $45,407.00
Legal 10,074 $107,785.00 11,940 $54,528.00
Educational and Library 46,912 $53,905.00 128,140 $40,999.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 24,008 $45,632.00 26,877 $33,060.00
Healthcare Practitioners 38,555 $81,742.00 152,083 $56,343.00
Healthcare Support 13,906 $26,480.00 99,565 $24,792.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 17,432 $37,432.00 6,005 $20,432.00
Law Enforcement 20,167 $67,835.00 4,456 $57,125.00
Food Preparation and Serving 64,547 $14,966.00 89,798 $11,978.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 59,097 $29,640.00 35,293 $16,928.00
Personal Care and Service 13,187 $20,141.00 55,609 $17,126.00
Sales 135,505 $50,791.00 130,517 $24,846.00
Office and Administrative Support 75,772 $39,778.00 254,943 $34,890.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 19,191 $32,706.00 6,383 $17,761.00
Construction and Extraction 130,250 $49,461.00 3,825 $35,173.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 95,271 $51,404.00 3,804 $41,115.00
Production 209,769 $45,059.00 79,833 $31,563.00
Transportation and Material Moving 95,839 $44,543.00 12,542 $21,376.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 2,401,818 households in Wisconsin, with an average household size of 2.39 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 1,489,728 families in Wisconsin with an average family size of 2.98 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

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

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,151,201 109,272 229,255 912,090
Average Household Size 3.02 3.2 3.22 1.28
Total Families 1,151,201 109,272 229,255 0
Average Household Size 3.01 2.76 2.97 0

Poverty

Of the 1,489,728 families in Wisconsin, 6.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Wisconsin:

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

Housing

There are 2,718,369 housing units in Wisconsin.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 2,401,818 88.36%
Vacant 316,551 11.64%

27.60% of the total 2,718,369 housing units in Wisconsin are rental units. This is approximately 750,141 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,619,704 are occupied by the owner - or 59.58% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Wisconsin is $916.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Wisconsin that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    31,973
  • Less than $500
    65,018
  • $500 to $999
    385,044
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    222,367
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    56,063
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    13,039
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    3,903
  • $3,000 or more
    4,707

Property Value

The median value of a property in Wisconsin is $200,400.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Wisconsin that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    70,058
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    165,060
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    269,789
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    303,015
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    408,724
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    302,079
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    86,116
  • $1,000,000 or more
    14,863

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Wisconsin. The chart below shows the number of properties in Wisconsin that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    508,867
  • 1940 to 1949
    149,150
  • 1950 to 1959
    288,415
  • 1960 to 1969
    263,031
  • 1970 to 1979
    394,778
  • 1980 to 1989
    262,162
  • 1990 to 1999
    372,427
  • 2000 to 2009
    331,651
  • 2010 to 2013
    145,182
  • 2014 or later
    2,706

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Wisconsin that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    151,280
  • 1 vehicle available
    770,117
  • 2 vehicles available
    958,424
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    521,997

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Wisconsin get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Wisconsin that commute to work in a particular way.

22.2 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Wisconsin.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    115,057
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    371,149
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    439,800
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    456,115
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    396,829
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    190,415
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    297,844
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    84,221
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    86,480
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    149,651
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    84,329
  • 90 or more minutes
    45,366

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Wisconsin in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Wisconsin

We have data for 72 counties in Wisconsin. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Wisconsin

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Wisconsin, click on the links below.