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COUNTY

Dane County

Wisconsin · 590,375 residents (2025 est.) · 1,196 sq mi
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Part of the Madison metro area
The short version

With 572,674 people, Dane County is a county in Wisconsin. This is an unusually credentialed place: 55% of adults have a four-year degree. Few US counties rank higher on income. 146,148 more people live here than in 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 35.7. Owners hold 57% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
55% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 48%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
572,674
+34%since 2000
from 426,526 in 2000
590,375 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
479 / sq mi
+20%since 2009
from 398 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
35.7
+8%since 2000
from 33.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,196 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
347K408K470K532K593K19902000201020202024Dane County
2024573K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(28,864)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(30,734)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(33,297)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.9%(39,651)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.2%(58,335)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.5%(88,745)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.9%(79,558)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(64,236)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411%(62,985)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.2%(52,579)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.2%(24,139)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(9,551)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$89,975
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,223 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$53,181
+113%since 2000
from $24,985 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
57.6%
+19.0 ptssince 2009
from 38.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 9.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.453
+3%since 2010
from 0.439 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services7.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade4.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance3%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$394,800
+48%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $146,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,398
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $641 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
57.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2000
from 57.6% in 2000
42.9% rent
Vacancy rate
3.7%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.21 people
−8%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.2%
−10.4 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 47.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
+15%since 2009
from 3.8 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
59
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.4%(372,597)
Black3.9%(16,829)
Hispanic / Latino3.4%(14,387)
Asian3.4%(14,651)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic75.8%(433,966)
Black5.1%(29,416)
Hispanic / Latino7.8%(44,744)
Asian6.1%(35,051)
Other5.2%(29,497)
Diversity Score
51
+46%since 2009
from 35 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
30
−5%since 2020
from 32 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
Mexican4.6%(26,520)
Puerto Rican0.7%(3,902)
Central American0.6%(3,247)
Colombian0.4%(2,325)
Spaniard0.3%(1,544)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,325)
Cuban0.2%(1,220)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,192)
Ecuadorian0.1%(743)
Honduran0.1%(551)
Uruguayan0.1%(539)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(500)
Guatemalan0.1%(485)
Salvadoran0.1%(367)
Chilean0.1%(318)
Dominican0.1%(310)
Peruvian0%(276)
Panamanian0%(268)
Bolivian0%(40)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.7%(10,012)
Chinese1.7%(9,841)
Hmong0.8%(4,371)
Korean0.3%(1,964)
Filipino0.3%(1,498)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,112)
Laotian0.2%(1,016)
Japanese0.1%(627)
Taiwanese0.1%(602)
Pakistani0.1%(579)
Cambodian0.1%(494)
Thai0.1%(453)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Bangladeshi0.1%(359)
Indonesian0%(184)
Nepalese0%(184)
Malaysian0%(124)
Kazakh0%(95)
Burmese0%(64)
Bhutanese0%(42)
Mongolian0%(21)
Okinawan0%(20)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(240)
Chamorro0%(85)
Ancestry
German32.3%(185,249)
Irish13%(74,465)
English10%(57,259)
Norwegian8.2%(47,028)
Polish5.1%(28,961)
Italian3.9%(22,111)
American2.4%(13,490)
French2.2%(12,878)
Swedish2%(11,642)
Scottish1.8%(10,283)
Dutch1.7%(9,463)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss1.6%(9,110)
Czech1.1%(6,079)
Russian0.7%(4,084)
Danish0.7%(4,082)
Welsh0.7%(3,906)
British0.5%(2,919)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(2,837)
French Canadian0.4%(2,575)
Arab0.4%(2,352)
Finnish0.4%(2,210)
Hungarian0.4%(2,116)
Greek0.3%(1,762)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,761)
Austrian0.3%(1,662)
Belgian0.3%(1,594)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,577)
Brazilian0.2%(1,098)
Somali0.2%(1,038)
Croatian0.2%(1,033)
West Indian0.2%(971)
Slovak0.2%(923)
Portuguese0.2%(881)
Romanian0.1%(835)
Canadian0.1%(786)
Iranian0.1%(699)
Lebanese0.1%(587)
Egyptian0.1%(552)
Turkish0.1%(546)
Jamaican0.1%(489)
Slovene0.1%(437)
Serbian0.1%(415)
Nigerian0.1%(390)
Kenyan0.1%(310)
Armenian0%(285)
Latvian0%(283)
Haitian0%(215)
Ethiopian0%(208)
Bulgarian0%(207)
Israeli0%(170)
Australian0%(145)
Jordanian0%(83)
Ghanaian0%(80)
Guyanese0%(73)
Syrian0%(69)
Iraqi0%(59)
Moroccan0%(37)
Barbadian0%(26)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
55.3%
+14.7 ptssince 2000
from 40.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.4%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 92.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
22.2%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 15.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.6 min
+70%since 2000
from 12.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
63.8%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 73.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
20.0%
+16.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.9%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.4%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 5.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 74.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 83.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 17.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
56.1%
+10.6 ptssince 2009
from 45.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Female
50.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Foreign born
9.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2012
from 8.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.6%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 7.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.9%
+7.4 ptssince 2017
from 85.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 95.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
81.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 81.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 88.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 5.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.9%(102,408)
Married48.2%(114,941)
Widowed1.7%(4,070)
Divorced7.2%(17,183)
Women 15+
Never married37.5%(90,440)
Married46.6%(112,450)
Widowed5.5%(13,330)
Divorced10.3%(24,957)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.6%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 7.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
71.6%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
11.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 10.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
83.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 84.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
25.4%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 23.9% 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)23%(4,552)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.1%(3,395)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.2%(6,976)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6%(1,181)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.8%(361)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 19,825 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 Dane County to nearby counties

DANE COUNTY VS
Columbia County
Income$85,351−5%
Home value$283,200−28%
Population58,132−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DANE COUNTY VS
Green County
Income$82,852−8%
Home value$250,200−37%
Population37,227−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DANE COUNTY VS
Rock County
Income$75,673−16%
Home value$231,600−41%
Population166,472−72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DANE COUNTY VS
Jefferson County
Income$83,750−7%
Home value$274,100−31%
Population86,505−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Dane County, Wisconsin has about 572,674 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Dane County, Wisconsin earns about $89,975 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Dane County, Wisconsin expensive?

In Dane County, Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $394,800, and the typical rent is about $1,398 a month.

How educated are people in Dane County, Wisconsin?

About 55.3% of adults age 25 and over in Dane County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Dane County, Wisconsin?

About 10.6% of people in Dane County, Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.

Has Dane County, Wisconsin grown since 1990?

Yes, Dane County, Wisconsin has grown since 1990. The population has added about 205,589 residents, a change of about 56 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 →