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COUNTY

Barron County

Wisconsin · 46,484 residents (2025 est.) · 863 sq mi
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The short version

Barron County is home to 46,797 people in Wisconsin. The median age is 44.9, about 6 years above the US median. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults. Owners hold 77% of the housing stock. 2% of locals were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $216,600, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
46,797
+4%since 2000
from 44,963 in 2000
46,484 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
54 / sq mi
+3%since 2009
from 53 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
44.9
+16%since 2000
from 38.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
863 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
40K42K44K46K47K19902000201020202024Barron County
202447K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(2,357)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(2,970)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.9%(2,771)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(2,713)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(2,464)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.1%(4,738)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.6%(5,427)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.4%(5,320)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6415%(7,009)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.5%(6,338)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.4%(3,449)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.7%(1,241)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$65,933
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,275 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,913
+110%since 2000
from $18,091 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.8%
+23.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.0%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.441
+4%since 2010
from 0.425 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade20.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Information12.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction4.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$216,600
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $80,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$879
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $417 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
77.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 75.8% in 2000
22.6% rent
Vacancy rate
17.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.31 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.4%
−10.1 ptssince 2009
from 29.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
39.9%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 42.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.3
+9%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
48
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic97.1%(43,667)
Black0.1%(55)
Hispanic / Latino1%(430)
Asian0.3%(141)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic90.8%(42,500)
Black1.3%(618)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(1,509)
Asian0.6%(272)
Other4.1%(1,898)
Diversity Score
22
+116%since 2009
from 10 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
21
−36%since 2020
from 33 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.5%(1,156)
Puerto Rican0.3%(131)
Peruvian0.1%(63)
Spaniard0.1%(45)
Guatemalan0.1%(24)
Asian origin
Thai0.2%(98)
Filipino0.1%(68)
Korean0%(23)
Hmong0%(19)
Chinese0%(17)
Japanese0%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German36.3%(17,005)
Norwegian15.6%(7,306)
Irish9.3%(4,374)
English7%(3,258)
Swedish4.6%(2,153)
Polish3.7%(1,732)
French3.7%(1,718)
American3.4%(1,578)
Italian3.2%(1,511)
Czech3%(1,399)
Swiss1.3%(614)
Dutch1.3%(604)
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1%(482)
Danish0.6%(297)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(263)
Finnish0.5%(250)
Russian0.4%(186)
Somali0.4%(177)
Welsh0.4%(165)
Hungarian0.3%(141)
Slovak0.2%(104)
Belgian0.2%(96)
Arab0.2%(78)
Austrian0.2%(72)
British0.1%(68)
Lithuanian0.1%(62)
Slovene0.1%(55)
Lebanese0.1%(45)
Canadian0.1%(34)
Ukrainian0.1%(25)
West Indian0.1%(25)
Greek0.1%(24)
Haitian0%(14)
Croatian0%(12)
Moroccan0%(11)
Romanian0%(11)
Serbian0%(9)
Syrian0%(4)
Latvian0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.2%
+8.3 ptssince 2000
from 14.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.7%
+9.3 ptssince 2000
from 82.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2000
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.9 min
+51%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.8%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 78.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
12.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.5%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.8%
−4.3 ptssince 2011
from 7.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.1%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 65.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.3%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 76.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.1%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
33.4%
+7.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
49.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
2.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.2%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2012
from 12.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
85.0%
+11.0 ptssince 2017
from 74.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
92.7%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 88.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
96.0%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 95.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 1.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.8%(5,397)
Married57.6%(11,179)
Widowed2.9%(554)
Divorced11.8%(2,286)
Women 15+
Never married21.9%(4,225)
Married54.9%(10,590)
Widowed9.7%(1,861)
Divorced13.5%(2,607)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
49.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 48.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
20.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 21.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 24.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 21.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 68.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 41.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.3%(355)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)12.4%(332)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era42%(1,121)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(133)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(10)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,669 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Head to head

Compare Barron County to nearby counties

BARRON COUNTY VS
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Home value$271,900+26%
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BARRON COUNTY VS
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Home value$226,100+4%
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BARRON COUNTY VS
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Income$74,824+13%
Home value$243,200+12%
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BARRON COUNTY VS
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Income$59,944−9%
Home value$163,400−25%
Population14,146−70%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Barron County, Wisconsin?

Barron County, Wisconsin has about 46,797 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Barron County, Wisconsin?

The typical household in Barron County, Wisconsin earns about $65,933 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Barron County, Wisconsin expensive?

In Barron County, Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $216,600, and the typical rent is about $879 a month.

How educated are people in Barron County, Wisconsin?

About 23.2% of adults age 25 and over in Barron County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Barron County, Wisconsin?

About 11.0% of people in Barron County, Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.

Has Barron County, Wisconsin grown since 1990?

Yes, Barron County, Wisconsin has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,047 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →