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Ottawa, WI
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
3,644
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
43.2
years ∙ half population younger than 43.2, half older
Diversity Index
10.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
3%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Ottawa is a town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC42.980010° N, 88.473804° W
DMS42° 58′ 48.04″ N, 88° 28′ 25.69″ W
Population Density & area
111.1/sq mi
(42.97/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
52.6%
male
Male
52.6%
Female
47.4%
males per 100 females
Ottawa
110.9
Waukesha County
98.4
Wisconsin
100.3
Nativity
3%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Ottawa
3%
Waukesha County
5.5%
Wisconsin
5.2%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
43.2
years ∙ half population younger than 43.2, half older
Dependency ratio
49
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Ottawa
49
Waukesha County
70.8
Wisconsin
66.4
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 17.2% | 21% | 21.4% |
| Working age (18-64) | 67.1% | 58.5% | 60.1% |
| Senior (65+) | 15.7% | 20.5% | 18.5% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 49 | 70.8 | 66.4 |
| Child dependency ratio | 25.7 | 35.8 | 35.6 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 23.4 | 35 | 30.8 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
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
10.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Ottawa
10.6%
Waukesha County
27.1%
Wisconsin
37%
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 Ottawa population
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.7% | 5.7% | 8% |
| Mexican | 0% | 3.6% | 5.4% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 97.3% | 94.3% | 92% |
| One race | 96.3% | 91.1% | 88.3% |
| White | 94.5% | 85% | 78.6% |
| Black or African American | 0.2% | 1.5% | 5.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 3.9% | 2.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 1% | 3.2% | 3.7% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
71.2%
family
Family
71.2%
Non family
28.8%
% family households
Ottawa
71.2%
Waukesha County
67.2%
Wisconsin
60.5%
Average household size
2.52
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Ottawa population
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 1,435 | 168,658 | 2,479,480 |
| Average houshold size | 2.52 | 2.42 | 2.33 |
| Family households | 1,022 | 113,269 | 1,500,296 |
| Average family size | 2.93 | 2.96 | 2.95 |
| Married couple family | 985 | 96,147 | 1,161,326 |
| Other families | 37 | 17,122 | 338,970 |
| Male householder | 7 | 5,906 | 112,650 |
| Female householder | 30 | 11,216 | 226,320 |
| Non-family households | 413 | 55,389 | 979,184 |
| One-person households | 250 | 45,526 | 781,452 |
| Male householder | 161 | 19,335 | 373,428 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 65 | 6,465 | 109,743 |
| Female householder | 89 | 26,191 | 408,024 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 63 | 15,780 | 210,915 |
| Other living arrangements | 163 | 9,863 | 197,732 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
1,629
housing units
Ottawa
1,629
Waukesha County
175,591
Wisconsin
2,778,572
Occupancy status
88.1%
occupied
Occupied
88.1%
Vacant
11.9%
vacancy rate
Ottawa
11.9%
Waukesha County
3.9%
Wisconsin
10.8%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
97.4%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1978
Half of houses were built before 1978, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 6.9 | 6.3 | 5.6 |
| 1–3 rooms | 6.3% | 9.3% | 13.2% |
| 4–6 rooms | 36.9% | 43.4% | 52% |
| 7+ rooms | 56.7% | 47.4% | 34.9% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 0% | 1.6% | 2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | 6.3% | 7.8% | 10% |
| 2 bedrooms | 11% | 21.7% | 27.8% |
| 3 bedrooms | 61.3% | 41.7% | 40% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 21.4% | 27.3% | 20.1% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1978 | 1982 | 1975 |
| Total housing units | 1,629 | 175,591 | 2,778,572 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
98.1%
owners
Renter-occupied
1.9%
Owner-occupied
98.1%
homeownership rate
Ottawa
98.1%
Waukesha County
76%
Wisconsin
67.8%
Average household size
2.54
Owner-occupied
1.74
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Ottawa
2.54
Waukesha County
2.6
Wisconsin
2.49
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 1,435 | 168,658 | 2,479,480 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 11.6% | 20.9% | 23.1% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 37.2% | 37.3% | 38% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 19% | 17.9% | 17.1% |
| 1999 or earlier | 32.2% | 24% | 21.8% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.5% | 99.1% | 98.3% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 0.7% | 3.5% | 6.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 15.1% | 28.5% | 33% |
| 2 vehicles | 42.4% | 45.9% | 39.5% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 41.9% | 22.1% | 21.1% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 78.1% | 79.1% | 76.6% |
| Electricity | 12.8% | 18.4% | 17.8% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 8.3% | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| All other fuels | 0% | 0.9% | 3.5% |
| No fuel used | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0% | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.8% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$425,900
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
22%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
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
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $425,900 | $398,200 | $266,500 |
| Under $100,000 | 1.5% | 2.6% | 9.1% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 4.5% | 4.8% | 23% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 14.8% | 17.1% | 25.5% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 43.7% | 47.4% | 29.4% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 30.5% | 24.6% | 11.4% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 5% | 3.7% | 1.7% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 73.9% | 65% | 61.1% |
| Without a mortgage | 26.1% | 35% | 38.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $2,267 | $2,144 | $1,689 |
| Without a mortgage | $685 | $781 | $659 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $875 | $1,356 | $1,087 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
43.9%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Ottawa
43.9%
Waukesha County
48.9%
Wisconsin
33.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
1.1%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Ottawa
1.1%
Waukesha County
2.8%
Wisconsin
6.4%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
659
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
34.3%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 659 | 91,110 | 1,356,381 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| K–12 | 66.6% | 72% | 69.3% |
| Kindergarten | 4.6% | 6.1% | 5.5% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 19% | 20.5% | 20.2% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 19.1% | 21.3% | 21.3% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 24% | 24.1% | 22.3% |
| College or graduate school | 28.2% | 22.2% | 25.3% |
| College, undergraduate | 22.3% | 17% | 20.7% |
| Graduate, professional school | 5.9% | 5.2% | 4.7% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 34.3% | 40% | 39.8% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 78% | 78.1% | 82.4% |
| Private school | 22% | 21.9% | 17.6% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
2,713
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Ottawa due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 2,713 | 295,060 | 4,099,973 |
| Less than 9th grade | 0% | 0.8% | 2.3% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 1.1% | 2% | 4.1% |
| High school diploma or GED | 20% | 20.4% | 29.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 18.4% | 18.2% | 19.5% |
| Associate's degree | 16.7% | 9.7% | 11.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.9% | 48.9% | 33.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 25.9% | 32.1% | 22% |
| Graduate or professional | 17.9% | 16.8% | 11.4% |
| High School or higher | 98.9% | 97.2% | 93.6% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$79,643
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
0.6%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Ottawa | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $79,643 | $67,176 | $53,060 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $34,726 | $36,585 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $61,308 | $47,892 | $42,367 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $78,833 | $57,268 | $49,438 |
| Bachelor's degree | $88,359 | $79,157 | $66,239 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $145,401 | $97,787 | $79,916 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 26.7% | 16.2% | 22.6% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 0% | 7.6% | 12.2% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 1.2% | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0.6% | 2.9% | 3.7% |
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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