Wisconsin

Wisconsin by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Wisconsin is the 25th largest state in the U.S, with an estimated population of 5,892,529 and a median age of 39.6 years.
• As of 2023, 2,401,818 households had an average of 2.39 people per home and 67.4% of homes were owner-occupied.
• In 2019, Tony Evers made history by becoming the first Democratic governor to win in Wisconsin in a midterm election with a Democratic president since 1962
• Up to 92.9% of residents had a high school diploma or higher; 31.5 % had a Bachelor's degree or more as their highest level of education.
• In February 2023, Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to a low of 2.7%.

Wisconsin Population Demographics

Located in the Midwest United States, Wisconsin is the 25th largest state by area. It had an estimated population of 5,892,539 in July 2022 and a population density of 108.8 persons per square mile. The Badger State also had a median age of 39.6 years, higher than the national median of 38.8 years.

Individuals under the age of 5 account for 5.4% of the state population, those under 18 account for 21.6%, and seniors over 65 account for 17.9%. In total, females made up 49.9% of residents.

Wisconsin Housing

2,401,818 households

According to census estimates, between 2017 and 2021, Wisconsin had 2,401,818 households, with an average of 2.39 people per home.

2,770,583 housing

The state also had 2,770,583 housing units

67.4%

of which were owner-occupied.

$200,400

During the same period, the estimated median price of a homeowner-occupied residence was $200,400.

$1,491 to $578

Monthly costs ranged from $1,491 (with a mortgage) to $578 (without a mortgage).

$916

Renters paid a monthly total rent of $916.

86.8%

of individuals remained in the same residence as the previous year.

Wisconsin Racial Demographics

Elections in Wisconsin

As of 2023, Wisconsin's governor's office is held by a Democrat, while the Republican Party controls both state legislative chambers. Gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Wisconsin. Tony Evers, Wisconsin's incumbent Democratic governor, was re-elected to a second term with up to 51.15% of the votes (1,358,774).

Evers defeated Republican Party nominee Tim Michels and independent candidate Seth Haskin. Tony Evers made history with this victory, becoming the first Democratic governor to win in Wisconsin in a midterm election with a Democratic president since 1962.

2020 Presidential Election

During the 2020 general election, Former Vice President and Democrat Joe Biden won Wisconsin with 49.45% (1,630,673) of the total 3,297,352 votes cast, defeating President Donald Trump, who garnered 48.83% (1,610,065) of the votes.

Wisconsin Voting Statistics

According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, there were 3,468,390 persons registered to vote in the state in August 2022. This figure represents almost three-quarters of the state's adult population, of which the vast majority, but not all, are eligible to vote. As of May 1, 2023, the state of Wisconsin has a total of 3,609,590 active registered voters.

General Election

For the 2020 general elections, the state of Wisconsin registered 4,892,871 voters, according to data released by the Wisconsin Secretary of State. A total of 4,116,894 ballots were counted. The state saw a voter turnout of 84.14%. Wisconsin has seen a relatively high voter turnout since 2008. The state has only recorded a voter turnout lower than 70% just twice since 2008, those years being 2022 (63.82%) and 2014 (54.16%).

How Educated is Wisconsin

Wisconsin has an above-average rate of high school graduation. Between 2017 and 2021, up to 92.9% of residents in the state held a high school diploma or higher. Additionally, 31.5 % of Wisconsin's population aged 25 and up had a Bachelor's degree or more as their highest level of education.

As of 2023, Wisconsin has over 80 universities and colleges, the oldest of which is Carroll University (established in 1846). The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the largest college in the state, with over 47,000 enrolled students, followed by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with 23,000+ and 14,000+ enrolments.

Wisconsin Employment Rate

Employment figures announced by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) for February 2023 reveal that Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to a low of 2.7%, 0.2 % lower than January's rate of 2.9%. This figure was also lower than the previous record low of 2.8% set in January through April 2022.

Unemployment in Wisconsin fell to a record low of 82,900 in February. The state added 7,500 nonfarm jobs, including 7,000 in the service sector and 1,400 in the leisure and hospitality industry. Manufacturing generated 500 new jobs. The labor force also regained some 2,100 workers.

Wisconsin’s labor-force participation rate, 64.5% in February, remained unchanged from January 2023. This represents a higher rate than the national average labor force participation rate of 62.5%.

Average Income in Wisconsin

According to census estimates, the median household income in Wisconsin between 2017 and 2021 was $67,080, while the per capita income was $36,754. During this period, 10.8% of the state's citizens were deemed poor, whereas just 6.1% of Wisconsin households were considered high-income, having an annual income of more than $200,000.

Families in Wisconsin

As of 2023, 49.9% of residents age 15 and older were married, while 33.2% of residents in Wisconsin have never been married. The marriage frequency was highest for men 65 years+ (70.1%) and 55 to 64 years (66.4%). In comparison, women aged 55 to 64 were most likely to be married (65.2%). 23.3% of males between the ages of 20 to 34 were married, while 33.1% of women within the same age range were married. 53.2% of whites aged 15 and older (not Latino or Hispanic) were married, compared to 20.4% of blacks and 39.1% for Hispanics.

Wisconsin Divorce Rates

Fewer divorces were finalized in 2020 than in 2019. Wisconsin had a divorce rate of 2.2 per 1,000 people in 2019. By 2020, that figure had fallen to 2.1 per 1,000 people.

In 2015, there were 14,986 divorces in Wisconsin, resulting in 2.6 marriages per 1000 population divorce rate. This figure represented a decline from 2014's divorce rate of 2.7 marriages per 1000 inhabitants. Milwaukee County had the most divorces (2,186 divorces and three annulments), followed by Dane County (1,232 divorces and seven annulments) and Waukesha County (940 divorces).

In that same year, the marriage-to-divorce ratio in Wisconsin was 2.2 to 1, implying that there were 2.2 weddings for every divorce. This ratio had continuously declined from 1920, when it was 9.2 to 1, hitting a low of 6.7 to 1 in 1960 and 2.1 to 1 in 2000.

Life Expectancy in Wisconsin

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the average life expectancy for Wisconsin-born babies between 2015 and 2017 was 80 years old. This decreased from 80.1 years in 2014-2016 and 80.2 years in 2013-2015.

According to the National Vital Statistics Reports, Wisconsin's average life expectancy in 2018 was 79.3 years, ranking it 15th among the states in the U.S. Males had an average life expectancy of 76.9 years, while females had 81.6.1 years.

Wisconsin residents' life expectancy fell by 1.6 years in 2020, likely due to COVID-19 and increased unintended accidents such as drug overdoses. In that year, the average life expectancy was 77.7 years, a reduction from 2019's 79.3 years. Women had an average life expectancy of 80.3 years, while men had an average life expectancy of 71.9 years.

Wisconsin Crime Rates

As of 2011, the rate of violent crime offenses in Tennessee was 607.8 per 100,000 persons. This increased to 672.2 by 2020. Tennessee’s rate was higher than that of the U.S. during this period. There were 34,682 violent crime incidents in 2020, which reduced marginally (0.003%) to 34,585 in 2021.

Collated data on the property crime rates in Tennessee from 2010 to 2020 show a steady decline consistent with the national trend. However, Tennessee's figures continue to be above that of the U.S., with a rate of about 3,600 per 100,000 persons as of 2010 and just under 2,500 in 2020.

Wisconsin Incarceration Rate

31,330 inmates

As of December 2019, Tennessee housed 31,330 inmates in 112 jails located in 95 counties.

26,349 prisoners

Also, in this same period, there were 26,349 prisoners in 11 state or private prisons under the jurisdiction of Tennessee correctional authorities.

62,472

Tennessee also has a community correction system with a population of 62,472 under probation and 11,058 on parole.

As of 2021, the most prevalent primary offense for inmates was homicide at 19.6%, followed by drug-related crimes at 18.1%. Assault and sex-related offenses were both at 13.6%.

42%

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, black persons made up 42% of the inmate population in Wisconsin's state and federal correctional facilities in 2020 while only constituting only 6% of the entire state population.

Wisconsin Bankruptcy Rate

2022

2,593 bankruptcy filings

U.S. Bankruptcy Court data shows that the annual number of bankruptcies filed in Wisconsin declined significantly between 2011 (7,817 cases) and 2021 (2,593 cases). In 2022, the courts only received 2037 bankruptcy petitions, comprising 1,446 Chapter 7 cases, 8 Chapter 11 cases, 2 Chapter 12 cases, and 581 Chapter 13 cases. Between April 2022 and April 2023, there was a 7.5% decrease in bankruptcy filings, with filings declining from 226 cases in 2022 to 209 in 2023.

Weird Laws in Wisconsin