Douglas County, Wisconsin

County in WI, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

44,229

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

42.7

years ∙ half population younger than 42.7, half older

Diversity Index

19.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.8%

foreign-born population

98.2%Native

1.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Douglas County is a county in Wisconsin, United States.

Location

County in WI, US

Co-ordinates

DEC46.463218° N, 91.892477° W

DMS46° 27′ 47.58″ N, 91° 53′ 32.92″ W

Population Density & area

33.92/sq mi (13.09/km²)

Total Area

1,479 sq mi (3,832 km²)

Land Area

1,304 sq mi (3,378 km²) · 88.1%

Water Area

175 sq mi (454 km²) · 11.9%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.5% male

Male 50.5%

Female 49.5%

males per 100 females

Douglas County 101.9

Wisconsin 100.3

United States 98

Nativity

1.8%

foreign-born population

98.2%Native

1.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Douglas County 1.8%

Wisconsin 5.2%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

42.7

years ∙ half population younger than 42.7, half older

Douglas County

42.7

Wisconsin

40.2

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

66.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Douglas County 66.2

Wisconsin 66.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.2%	21.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	60.1%	60.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.7%	18.5%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	66.2	66.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	31.8	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	34.4	30.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

89.7%

Black

0.8%

Asian

0.7%

Hispanic

1.9%

Other

6.9%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

19.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Douglas County 19.2%

Wisconsin 37%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Douglas County population

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Hispanic or Latino	1.9%	8%	19.3%
Mexican	1.2%	5.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	1.1%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.6%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.1%	92%	80.7%
One race	92.8%	88.3%	76.4%
White	89.7%	78.6%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.8%	5.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1.1%	0.5%	0.5%
Asian	0.7%	2.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.3%	3.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

56.5% family

Family 56.5%

Non family 43.5%

% family households

Douglas County 56.5%

Wisconsin 60.5%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.24

persons per household

Douglas County

2.24

Wisconsin

2.33

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Douglas County population

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Total households	19,160	2,479,480	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.24	2.33	2.53
Family households	10,823	1,500,296	82,990,528
Average family size	2.9	2.95	3.14
Married couple family	8,597	1,161,326	60,637,388
Other families	2,226	338,970	22,353,140
Male householder	826	112,650	6,572,819
Female householder	1,400	226,320	15,780,321
Non-family households	8,337	979,184	46,236,968
One-person households	6,752	781,452	37,140,836
Male householder	3,229	373,428	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	1,158	109,743	5,225,110
Female householder	3,523	408,024	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,722	210,915	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	1,585	197,732	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

23,154

housing units

Douglas County 23,154

Wisconsin 2,778,572

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

82.8% occupied

Occupied 82.8%

Vacant 17.2%

vacancy rate

Douglas County 17.2%

Wisconsin 10.8%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

76.6%

Single family houses

76.6%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

18.8%

Mobile homes

4.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1968

Half of houses were built before 1968, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

25.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

25.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

32.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

17.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	15.3%	13.2%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	51.9%	52%	51.6%
7+ rooms	32.8%	34.9%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.3%	2.1%	2.9%
1 bedroom	14.5%	10%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	30.5%	27.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	38%	40%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	14.8%	20.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1968	1975	1981
Total housing units	23,154	2,778,572	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

71.9% owners

Renter-occupied 28.1%

Owner-occupied 71.9%

homeownership rate

Douglas County 71.9%

Wisconsin 67.8%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.39

Owner-occupied

1.86

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Douglas County 2.39

Wisconsin 2.49

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Total occupied units	19,160	2,479,480	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	19.1%	23.1%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	40.7%	38%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.5%	17.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	21.6%	21.8%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.4%	98.3%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.4%	1.2%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.3%	0.5%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	8%	6.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	31.6%	33%	33.1%
2 vehicles	36.5%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	23.8%	21.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	75.3%	76.6%	51.4%
Electricity	18.2%	17.8%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.9%	1.4%	3.9%
All other fuels	4%	3.5%	2%
No fuel used	0.5%	0.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.1%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.5%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$205,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Douglas County

$205,800

Wisconsin

$266,500

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

19.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

19.1%

Owners without a mortgage

15.1%

Renters

43.2%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Property value
Median Value	$205,800	$266,500	$332,700
Under $100,000	14.3%	9.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	33.8%	23%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	26.2%	25.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	20.1%	29.4%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	5%	11.4%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.6%	1.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	58.9%	61.1%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	41.1%	38.9%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,472	$1,689	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$587	$659	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$909	$1,087	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

28.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Douglas County 28.4%

Wisconsin 33.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Douglas County 5.5%

Wisconsin 6.4%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

9,078

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.7%

K–12

71.4%

College / Undergraduate

19.8%

Graduate / Professional

4.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

36.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Douglas County

36.2%

Wisconsin

39.8%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	9,078	1,356,381	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	4.7%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	71.4%	69.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.6%	5.5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.8%	20.2%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	23.5%	21.3%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.5%	22.3%	21.7%
College or graduate school	23.9%	25.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	19.8%	20.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.2%	4.7%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	36.2%	39.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	89.6%	82.4%	82%
Private school	10.4%	17.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

32,095

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

4.5%

HS graduate

29.8%

Some college no degree

21.6%

Associates degree

14.7%

Bachelors degree

20%

Graduate or professional degree

8.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

70.4% · 29.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

48.9% · 51.1%

HS graduate

58.9% · 41.1%

Some college no degree

49.1% · 50.9%

Associates degree

45.8% · 54.2%

Bachelors degree

45.7% · 54.3%

Graduate or professional degree

40.5% · 59.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Population (25+)	32,095	4,099,973	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	1%	2.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.5%	4.1%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	29.8%	29.4%	26%
Some college, no degree	21.6%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	14.7%	11.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.4%	33.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	20%	22%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	8.4%	11.4%	14.1%
High School or higher	94.4%	93.6%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$50,467

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,581

HS graduate

$44,519

Some college or associates

$50,000

Bachelors degree

$56,714

Graduate or professional degree

$68,043

Poverty Rate

4.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

24.6%

HS graduate

13.8%

Some college or associates

8.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Douglas County	Wisconsin	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$50,467	$53,060	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$31,581	$36,585	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$44,519	$42,367	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$50,000	$49,438	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$56,714	$66,239	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$68,043	$79,916	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	24.6%	22.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.8%	12.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	8.2%	7.9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.8%	3.7%	4.5%

Insights for Douglas County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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