Dane County, WI

County

Add Comparison

2020 Population

542,459

1.19% 1-year growth

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2020 Median Age

35.2

0.285% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

11%

0.853% 1-year increase

2020 Median Household Income

$75,179

1.74% 1-year growth

2020 Median Property Value

$277,000

4.29% 1-year growth

2020 Employed Population

309,685

0.512% 1-year growth

About

In 2020, Dane County, WI had a population of 542k people with a median age of 35.2 and a median household income of $75,179. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Dane County, WI grew from 536,078 to 542,459, a 1.19% increase and its median household income grew from $73,893 to $75,179, a 1.74% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Dane County, WI are White (Non-Hispanic) (78.7%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.91%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.73%), White (Hispanic) (3.89%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.42%).

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.

95% of the residents in Dane County, WI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Dane County, WI are University of Wisconsin-Madison (16,416 degrees awarded in 2020), Madison Area Technical College (3,560 degrees), and Herzing University-Madison (821 degrees).

In 2020, the median property value in Dane County, WI was $277,000, and the homeownership rate was 59%.

Most people in Dane County, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.3 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

Population & Diversity

Dane County, WI is home to a population of 542k people, from which 95% are citizens. As of 2020, 8.55% of Dane County, WI residents were born outside of the country (46.4k people).

In 2020, there were 13.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (427k people) in Dane County, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 32k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 25.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95%

2020 Citizenship

94.8%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 95% of Dane County, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Dane County, WI was 94.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
427k ± 1.18k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
32k ± 951
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
25.7k ± 1.18k

6.49%

Hispanic Population

35.2k people

6.49% of the people in Dane County, WI are hispanic (35.2k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
83,497 ± 7,043 people
India
23,435 ± 3,751 people
China
16,997 ± 3,196 people

In 2020, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 83,497 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 23,435 and China with 16,997.

Foreign-Born Population

8.55%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

46.4k people

8.8%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

47.2k people

As of 2020, 8.55% of Dane County, WI residents (46.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dane County, WI was 8.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
7,839 ± 550
Gulf War (2001-)
4,569 ± 622
Gulf War (1990s)
2,601 ± 355

Dane County, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.72 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Dane County, WI employs 310k people. The largest industries in Dane County, WI are Health Care & Social Assistance (45,775 people), Educational Services (42,608 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (35,142 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($81,512), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($79,396), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,497).

Males in Wisconsin have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,335. The income inequality in Wisconsin (measured using the Gini index) is 0.445, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

310k

2020 Value

± 4,347

0.512%

1 Year growth

± 1.82%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Dane County, WI grew at a rate of 0.512%, from 308k employees to 310k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dane County, WI, are Management Occupations (36,854 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (31,207 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (25,805 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

310k

2020 Value

± 4,347

0.512%

1 Year growth

± 1.82%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Dane County, WI grew at a rate of 0.512%, from 308k employees to 310k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dane County, WI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (45,775 people), Educational Services (42,608 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (35,142 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

$50,865

Median earning men ± $562

$38,639

Median earning women ± $863

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($72,685), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,681), and Information ($71,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Public Administration ($56,993), Information ($51,027), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,820).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Wisconsin. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

4,714
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
3,776
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services
3,699
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing

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

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$6.76M
Manufacturing
$6.12M
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
$6.08M
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing

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

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Wisconsin to other states, or from other states to Wisconsin.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Wisconsin product (by dollars) was Other foodstuffs with $42.6B, followed by Mixed freight ($37.6B) and Machinery ($37.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Wisconsin products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Wisconsin.

$365B

2020 Value in Wisconsin

$615B

Projected 2050 Value in Wisconsin

68.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Wisconsin trade was $365B. This is expected to increase 68.3% to $615B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Wisconsin trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Wisconsin to other states, or from other states to Wisconsin.

Most Common Trade Partners

Illinois
$36.6B
Minnesota
$18.2B
Michigan
$17.7B

In 2020, the top outbound Wisconsin domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $36.6B, followed by Minnesota with $18.2B and Michigan and $17.7B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Wisconsin shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Dane County, WI went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 75.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (22.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.06%).

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

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (75.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (22.9%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.06%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Dane County, WI went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 75.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (22.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.06%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Dane County, WI for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senators 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.

US Representatives Elections

US Representatives from Wisconsin

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Wisconsin have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2020, universities in Dane County, WI awarded 21,465 degrees. The student population of Dane County, WI in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 27,811 male students and 34,502 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Dane County, WI are White (14,606 and 77%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (1,190 and 6.27%), Asian (1,152 and 6.07%), and Black or African American (761 and 4.01%).

The largest universities in Dane County, WI by number of degrees awarded are University of Wisconsin-Madison (16,416 and 76.5%), Madison Area Technical College (3,560 and 16.6%), and Herzing University-Madison (821 and 3.82%).

The most popular majors in Dane County, WI are General Computer & Information Sciences (928 and 4.32%), Registered Nursing (648 and 3.02%), and Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (579 and 2.7%).

The median tuition costs in Dane County, WI are $22,510 for private four year colleges, and $6,720 and $21,733 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2020 in Dane County, WI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 58.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 27.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2020 was 62,313 (44.6% men and 55.4% 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 2020 there were 62,313 students enrolled in Dane County, WI, 44.6% men and 55.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 40,413 records, of which 56.3% were women and 43.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Computer & Information Sciences
633 degree-majors awarded
General Economics
569 degree-majors awarded
General Psychology
488 degree-majors awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Dane County, WI was General Computer & Information Sciences with 633 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
16,416 degrees awarded
Madison Area Technical College
3,560 degrees awarded
Herzing University-Madison
821 degrees awarded

In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Wisconsin-Madison with 16,416 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2020, 9,179 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Dane County, WI, which is 0.747 times less than the 12,286 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 14,606 degrees mean that there were 12.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,190 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 ($22,510) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2020.

Public, 4-year or above ($916) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2020.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,583) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2020, 0.628% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.581% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2020 were High School or Equivalent (1.39M), Some college (1.04M), and Bachelors Degree (875k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dane County, WI was $277,000 in 2020, which is 1.21 times larger than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $265,600 to $277,000, a 4.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Dane County, WI is 59%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in Dane County, WI have an average commute time of 21.3 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.

Median household income in Dane County, WI is $75,179. In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Dane County, WI was Census Tract 102 with a value of $164,375, followed by Census Tract 9.01 and Census Tract 101, with respective values of $157,647 and $131,389.

In 2021, 15.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2021, the indicator declined 0.807%.

Housing

Property

$277,000

Median Property Value 2020

±$2,805

$133,695

Median Property Taxes

±$2,253

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

59%

Homeownership

2020

62.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 59% of the housing units in Dane County, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 102
Census Tract 9.01
Census Tract 101

In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Dane County, WI was Census Tract 102 with a value of $164,375, followed by Census Tract 9.01 and Census Tract 101, with respective values of $157,647 and $131,389.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Dane County, WI colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$75,179

Median Household Income

± $1,191

227k

Number of Households

± 3,727

In 2020, the median household income of the 227k households in Dane County, WI grew to $75,179 from the previous year's value of $73,893.

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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.445

2020 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.447

2019 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2020, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.445 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.51% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2020

Drove Alone (71.4%)
Worked At Home (8.31%)
Carpooled (6.97%)

In 2020, 71.4% of workers in Dane County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.31%) and those who carpooled to work (6.97%).

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

21.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dane County, WI have a shorter commute time (21.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 0.979% 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 2021, 15.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2021, the indicator declined 0.807%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dane County, WI (58.2k out of 529k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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 2021, 7.2% of the children was living in poverty in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2021, the indicator declined 6.8%.

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 2021, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 227 in Dane County, WI. From 2014 to 2021, 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.

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Health

96.4% of the population of Dane County, WI has health coverage, with 65.4% on employee plans, 8.44% on Medicaid, 9.93% on Medicare, 11.6% on non-group plans, and 1.03% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Wisconsin was $8,702 in 2014. This is a 6.26% increase from the previous year ($8,189).

Primary care physicians in Dane County, WI see 775 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.02% decrease from the previous year (783 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1353 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 237 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Wisconsin. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Wisconsin, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

775 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dane County, WI

Primary care physicians in Dane County, WI see an average of 775 patients per year. This represents a 1.02% decrease from the previous year (783 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.

Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Wisconsin across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.1% under 18 years, 27.7% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.63%

Uninsured

65.4%

Employer Coverage

8.44%

Medicaid

9.93%

Medicare

11.6%

Non-Group

1.03%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dane County, WI declined by 5.96% from 3.86% to 3.63%.

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 2021, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 41.3 in Dane County, WI.

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2021, 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 23.2% in Dane County, WI.

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

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