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 (19,400 degrees awarded in 2024), Madison Area Technical College (3,782 degrees), and Herzing University-Madison (1,655 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.

    Photo by Michael Leland
    United StatesWisconsinMadison, 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dane County, WI
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      434k ± 1.1k
    2. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
      35.1k ± 844
    3. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      29.4k ± 1.1k
    7.81%
    Hispanic Population
    44.7k 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.

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Wisconsin.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      90,085 ± 7,313 people
    2. India
      22,216 ± 3,653 people
    3. China
      14,090 ± 2,911 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 90,085 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 22,216 and China with 14,090.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      6,760 ± 622
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      4,552 ± 497
    3. 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.13 in Dane County, WI.

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

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 4.56% in Dane County, WI.

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

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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).

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 1,278
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    2. 871
      Other Services (except Public Administration)
    3. 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $4.13M
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $3.53M
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    3. $2.54M
      Information

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

    View Data
    Save Image

    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

    Voting results are not available for Dane County, WI. Showing the available data for Wisconsin.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (49.6%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (48.7%)
      Democratic Party
    3. 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Wisconsin

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.
    Ron Johnson
    Senator from Wisconsin3
    Assumed office on January 3, 2011
    Tammy Baldwin
    Senator from Wisconsin1
    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Education

    In 2024, universities in Dane County, WI awarded 25,541 degrees. The student population of Dane County, WI in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 31,647 male students and 41,054 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Dane County, WI are White (15,859 and 69.8%), Hispanic or Latino (2,047 and 9%), Asian (1,845 and 8.12%), and Black or African American (1,190 and 5.23%).

    The largest universities in Dane County, WI by number of degrees awarded are University of Wisconsin-Madison (19,400 and 76%), Madison Area Technical College (3,782 and 14.8%), and Herzing University-Madison (1,655 and 6.48%).

    The most popular majors in Dane County, WI are General Computer & Information Sciences (1,257 and 4.92%), Registered Nursing (737 and 2.89%), and Data Science, General (634 and 2.48%).

    The median tuition costs are $24,110 for private four year colleges, and $7,246 and $23,578 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    University
    Measure

    In 2024 in Dane County, WI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 46.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 28.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 72,701 (43.5% men and 56.5% 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 72,701 students enrolled in Dane County, WI, 43.5% men and 56.5% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 40,555 records, of which 58.4% were women and 41.6% men.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. General Computer & Information Sciences
      880 degrees awarded
    2. General Economics
      590 degrees awarded
    3. General Psychology
      569 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Dane County, WI was General Computer & Information Sciences with 880 degrees awarded.

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

    View Data
    Save Image

    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. University of Wisconsin-Madison
      19,400 degrees awarded
    2. Madison Area Technical College
      3,782 degrees awarded
    3. Herzing University-Madison
      1,655 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Wisconsin-Madison with 19,400 degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 10,682 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Dane County, WI, which is 0.719 times less than the 14,859 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 15,859 degrees mean that there were 7.75 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,047 degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($24,110) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,090) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($1,582) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Dane County, WI is from Wisconsin.
    0.439
    2024 Wage GINI in Wisconsin
    0.441
    2023 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

    In 2024, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.364% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (63.8%)
    2. Worked At Home (20%)
    3. 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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image

    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.

    View Data
    Save Image