Dane County, WI

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

572,674

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

35.7

0.281% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.6%

1.27% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$89,975

2.12% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$394,800

7.84% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

324,319

1.58% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Dane County, WI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.8% of the residents in Dane County, WI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Dane County, WI are University of Wisconsin-Madison (19,153 degrees awarded in 2023), Madison Area Technical College (3,154 degrees), and Herzing University-Madison (1,316 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Dane County, WI was $394,800, and the homeownership rate was 57.1%.

Most people in Dane County, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Dane County, WI was 2 cars per household.

Dane County, WI borders Columbia County, WI, Dodge County, WI, Green County, WI, Iowa County, WI, Jefferson County, WI, Rock County, WI, and Sauk County, WI.

Photo by Michael Leland

United States Wisconsin Madison, WI

Population & Diversity

Dane County, WI is home to a population of 573k people, from which 94.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.89% of Dane County, WI residents were born outside of the country (50.9k people).

In 2024, there were 12.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (434k people) in Dane County, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35.1k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 29.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.8%

2024 Citizenship

94.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.8% of Dane County, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Dane County, WI was 94.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Dane County, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dane County, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
434k ± 1.1k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
35.1k ± 844
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
29.4k ± 1.1k

7.81%

Hispanic Population

44.7k people

7.81% of the people in Dane County, WI are hispanic (44.7k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Dane County, WI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Wisconsin.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
89,915 ± 7,306 people
India
21,992 ± 3,634 people
China
14,287 ± 2,931 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 89,915 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 21,992 and China with 14,287.

Foreign-Born Population

8.89%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

50.9k people

8.69%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

49.1k people

As of 2024, 8.89% of Dane County, WI residents (50.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dane County, WI was 8.69%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Dane County, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6,760 ± 622
Gulf War (2001-)
4,552 ± 497
Gulf War (1990s)
2,331 ± 352

Dane County, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.49 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Dane County, WI.

Economy

The economy of Dane County, WI employs 324k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Dane County, WI were Health Care & Social Assistance (49,785 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (45,195 people), and Educational Services (43,832 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($99,980), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($87,501), and Finance & Insurance ($84,320).

Employment

Occupations

324k

2024 Value

± 4,792

1.58%

1 Year growth

± 2.02%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dane County, WI grew at a rate of 1.58%, from 319k employees to 324k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dane County, WI, are Management Occupations (38,919 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (30,707 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (26,754 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dane County, WI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

324k

2024 Value

± 4,792

1.58%

1 Year growth

± 2.02%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dane County, WI grew at a rate of 1.58%, from 319k employees to 324k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dane County, WI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (49,785 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (45,195 people), and Educational Services (43,832 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dane County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Dane County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$63,784

Median earning men ± $1,132

$49,081

Median earning women ± $909

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($90,612), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($89,994), and Information ($79,524).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,496), Public Administration ($67,548), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($65,698).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Y-Axis

1.6%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.95M people employed in Wisconsin. This represents a 1.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Wisconsin.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,278
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
871
Other Services (except Public Administration)
743
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$4.13M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.53M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$2.54M
Information

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing the state of Wisconsin. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Dane County, WI. Showing the available data for Wisconsin.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.6%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.518%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wisconsin for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Wisconsin

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Ron Johnson

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tammy Baldwin

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing Wisconsin.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Wisconsin over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Dane County, WI awarded 24,279 degrees. The student population of Dane County, WI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 30,702 male students and 38,669 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Dane County, WI are White (15,606 and 72.6%), Hispanic or Latino (1,657 and 7.71%), Asian (1,645 and 7.65%), and Black or African American (902 and 4.2%).

The largest universities in Dane County, WI by number of degrees awarded are University of Wisconsin-Madison (19,153 and 78.9%), Madison Area Technical College (3,154 and 13%), and Herzing University-Madison (1,316 and 5.42%).

The most popular majors in Dane County, WI are General Computer & Information Sciences (1,264 and 5.21%), Registered Nursing (645 and 2.66%), and General Economics (608 and 2.5%).

The median tuition costs are $23,605 for private four year colleges, and $7,015 and $22,838 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Dane County, WI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 44.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 29.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 69,371 (44.3% men and 55.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 69,371 students enrolled in Dane County, WI, 44.3% men and 55.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 39,833 records, of which 57.6% were women and 42.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Computer & Information Sciences
871 degrees awarded
General Psychology
607 degrees awarded
General Economics
588 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Dane County, WI was General Computer & Information Sciences with 871 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Dane County, WI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Wisconsin-Madison
19,153 degrees awarded
Madison Area Technical College
3,154 degrees awarded
Herzing University-Madison
1,316 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Wisconsin-Madison with 19,153 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 10,064 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Dane County, WI, which is 0.708 times less than the 14,215 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 15,606 degrees mean that there were 9.42 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,657 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($23,605) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,060) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,567) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dane County, WI was $394,800 in 2024, which is 1.19 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $366,100 to $394,800, a 7.84% increase. The homeownership rate in Dane County, WI is 57.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Dane County, WI have an average commute time of 20.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dane County, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.7%.

Housing

Property

$394,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,871

$143,682

Median Property Taxes

±$2,709

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Dane County, WI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Dane County, WI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

57.1%

Homeownership

2024

62.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 57.1% of the housing units in Dane County, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 57.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dane County, WI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$89,975

Median Household Income

± $1,284

252k

Number of Households

± 3,950

In 2024, the median household income of the 252k households in Dane County, WI grew to $89,975 from the previous year's value of $88,108.

The following chart displays the households in Dane County, WI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Dane County, WI is from Wisconsin.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.443

2022 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2023, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.492% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wisconsin in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Wisconsin across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (63.8%)
Worked At Home (20%)
Carpooled (5.59%)

In 2024, 63.8% of workers in Dane County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (20%) and those who carpooled to work (5.59%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

20.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dane County, WI have a shorter commute time (20.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.834% of the workforce in Dane County, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Dane County, WI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Dane County, WI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Dane County, WI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dane County, WI (59.3k out of 559k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dane County, WI is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 7.7% of the children was living in poverty in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 227 in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 15.9 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

96.4% of the population of Dane County, WI has health coverage, with 64.5% on employee plans, 8.85% on Medicaid, 11.2% on Medicare, 11.1% on non-group plans, and 0.805% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dane County, WI see 781 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (781 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1328 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 197 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

781 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dane County, WI

Primary care physicians in Dane County, WI see an average of 781 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (781 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Dane County, WI in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.5% under 18 years, 27.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.6%

Uninsured

64.5%

Employer Coverage

8.85%

Medicaid

11.2%

Medicare

11.1%

Non-Group

0.805%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dane County, WI declined by 0.673% from 3.63% to 3.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Dane County, WI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 38.4 in Dane County, WI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dane County, WI.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31.6% in Dane County, WI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dane County, WI.