Rusk County is a county of 14,179 people in Wisconsin. At a median age of 49.2, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 1% of residents were born outside the United States. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. Density works out to 16 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $59,944, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 49.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 36%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Rusk County
What changed most since 1990
Median age35.2 → 49.2(+14.0 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
White share97.8% → 93.1%(−4.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree10.9% → 16.9%(+6.0 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
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)16.7%(171)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)26.8%(275)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.4%(394)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(31)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(15)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,026 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
Over time
Rusk County, decade by decade
Rusk County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
15,079
$47,082
$88,563
10.9%
5.4
2000
15,347
$57,098
$120,047
11.2%
6.5
2010
14,755
$55,172
$158,531
14.8%
7.8
2020
14,188
$59,343
$135,627
16.9%
15.2
2024
14,179
$59,944
$163,400
16.9%
16.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
