COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Vilas County

Wisconsin · 17,707 residents · 858 sq mi

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The short version

Vilas County is home to 17,707 people in Wisconsin. At a median age of 43.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Owners hold 79% of the housing stock. That trails the Wisconsin median by roughly 31%. Median home value sits at $58,900. 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 43.3

US median: 33.0

Less educated

14% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 34%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

17,707

−16%vs 2000

vs 21,033 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

43.3

−5%vs 2000

vs 45.8 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

858 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202424K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 55.9%(1,041)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.6%(1,168)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.1%(1,078)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 195.4%(961)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 243.6%(644)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3411.9%(2,110)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4412.5%(2,217)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411.8%(2,087)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6413.3%(2,359)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 7413.5%(2,390)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 847.3%(1,295)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2%(357)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$20,352

−21%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $33,759 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,866

−41%vs 2000

vs $18,361 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

14.7%

+6.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 8.0% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$58,900

−34%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $118,200 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$302

−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $434 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

79.2%

−2.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 81.8% in 2000

20.8% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic89.2%(18,765)

Black0.2%(42)

Hispanic / Latino0.9%(181)

Asian0.2%(37)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic91%(16,120)

Black0.1%(12)

Hispanic / Latino0.4%(66)

Asian0.2%(28)

Other8.7%(1,547)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican1.1%(259)

Puerto Rican0.4%(90)

Cuban0.3%(64)

South American0.1%(17)

Colombian0%(11)

Spaniard0%(7)

Central American0%(6)

Salvadoran0%(6)

Peruvian0%(4)

Chilean0%(2)

Asian origin

Asian Indian0.1%(22)

Pakistani0.1%(20)

Filipino0.1%(14)

Mongolian0.1%(12)

Korean0%(9)

Uzbek0%(6)

Ancestry

German38.7%(9,162)

Irish11.4%(2,686)

Polish10.2%(2,401)

English6.9%(1,636)

Norwegian6%(1,409)

Swedish4.4%(1,032)

American3.1%(731)

Italian2.9%(678)

French2%(478)

Dutch2%(463)

Finnish1.8%(424)

Czech1.6%(375)

+ 28 more ancestry groups with data

French Canadian1.5%(353)

Scottish1%(244)

Danish1%(241)

Austrian0.9%(220)

Russian0.8%(187)

Welsh0.5%(117)

Swiss0.5%(113)

Croatian0.4%(98)

Portuguese0.4%(97)

Scotch-Irish0.4%(93)

Hungarian0.4%(83)

Greek0.3%(80)

Belgian0.3%(79)

British0.3%(75)

Slovak0.3%(70)

Guyanese0.3%(67)

Lithuanian0.3%(60)

Slovene0.2%(51)

Romanian0.2%(37)

Subsaharan African0.1%(27)

Ukrainian0.1%(25)

Arab0.1%(19)

Serbian0.1%(17)

Canadian0.1%(14)

Nigerian0.1%(12)

Lebanese0%(9)

Syrian0%(7)

Palestinian0%(3)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Polish population · Largest English population · Largest Norwegian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

13.7%

−3.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 17.6% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

76.1%

−9.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 85.4% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.3%

−0.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.9% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

21.4 min

+68%vs 2000

vs 12.7 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married25.1%(2,667)

Married55.8%(5,929)

Widowed5.4%(569)

Divorced13.7%(1,455)

Women 15+

Never married16.8%(1,673)

Married60.1%(5,981)

Widowed10%(998)

Divorced13%(1,296)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

5.6%

−5.0 ptssince 2013

from 10.6% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

39.3%

+1.0 ptssince 2020

from 38.3% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

29.6%

−1.7 ptssince 2020

from 31.3% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

33.8%

+0.5 ptssince 2020

from 33.3% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

19.5%

−0.5 ptssince 2020

from 20.0% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

4.6%

−1.5 ptssince 2020

from 6.1% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

66.8%

−1.4 ptssince 2020

from 68.2% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

49.9%

+0.2 ptssince 2020

from 49.7% 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)11.6%(198)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)14.3%(245)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era42.6%(730)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War9.8%(168)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.5%(8)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,712 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.

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