Marathon County, WI

County

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2024 Population

138,403

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

41.3

0.243% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.7%

2.4% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$77,884

2.23% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$219,600

6.86% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

72,144

0.0721% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Marathon 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.

98.1% of the residents in Marathon County, WI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Marathon County, WI are Northcentral Technical College (2,122 degrees awarded in 2023) and State College of Beauty Culture Inc (49 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Marathon County, WI was $219,600, and the homeownership rate was 73.3%.

Most people in Marathon County, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Marathon County, WI was 2 cars per household.

Marathon County, WI borders Clark County, WI, Langlade County, WI, Lincoln County, WI, Portage County, WI, Shawano County, WI, Taylor County, WI, Waupaca County, WI, and Wood County, WI.

About the photo: Cheese Factory Farm in Marathon

Photo by William Garrett

United States Wisconsin Wausau, WI

Population & Diversity

Marathon County, WI is home to a population of 138k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.34% of Marathon County, WI residents were born outside of the country (6.01k people).

In 2024, there were 15.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (119k people) in Marathon County, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.84k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 4.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.1%

2024 Citizenship

98.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.1% of Marathon County, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Marathon County, WI was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Marathon County, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
119k ± 410
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
7.84k ± 300
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4.2k ± 373

3.54%

Hispanic Population

4.89k people

3.54% of the people in Marathon County, WI are hispanic (4.89k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Marathon 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

4.34%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

6.01k people

4.16%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.74k people

As of 2024, 4.34% of Marathon County, WI residents (6.01k 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 Marathon County, WI was 4.16%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,472 ± 325
Gulf War (2001-)
1,868 ± 374
Gulf War (1990s)
798 ± 197

Marathon County, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.32 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Marathon County, WI employs 72.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Marathon County, WI were Manufacturing (14,930 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,557 people), and Retail Trade (7,105 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($87,708), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($66,563), and Wholesale Trade ($65,582).

Employment

Occupations

72.1k

2024 Value

± 1,818

0.0721%

1 Year growth

± 3.52%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Marathon County, WI grew at a rate of 0.0721%, from 72.1k employees to 72.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Marathon County, WI, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,257 people), Management Occupations (7,740 people), and Production Occupations (7,344 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Marathon 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

72.1k

2024 Value

± 1,818

0.0721%

1 Year growth

± 3.52%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Marathon County, WI grew at a rate of 0.0721%, from 72.1k employees to 72.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Marathon County, WI, are Manufacturing (14,930 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,557 people), and Retail Trade (7,105 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Marathon County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Marathon County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$56,398

Median earning men ± $1,311

$42,047

Median earning women ± $1,053

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,672), Public Administration ($68,533), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($67,123).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,133), Public Administration ($50,325), and Manufacturing ($48,651).

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

242
Construction
218
Other Services (except Public Administration)
163
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$1.19M
Manufacturing
$682k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$266k
Finance and Insurance

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 Marathon 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 Marathon County, WI awarded 2,171 degrees. The student population of Marathon County, WI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,382 male students and 3,500 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Marathon County, WI are White (1,818 and 83.7%), Asian (93 and 4.28%), Hispanic or Latino (91 and 4.19%), and Unknown (86 and 3.96%).

The largest universities in Marathon County, WI by number of degrees awarded are Northcentral Technical College (2,122 and 97.7%) and State College of Beauty Culture Inc (49 and 2.26%).

The most popular majors in Marathon County, WI are Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (296 and 13.6%), Welding Technology (140 and 6.45%), and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) (96 and 4.42%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 5,882 students enrolled in Marathon County, WI, 40.5% men and 59.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,662 records, of which 59.8% were women and 40.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Welding Technology
114 degrees awarded
Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor
83 degrees awarded
Psychiatric Services Technician
51 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Marathon County, WI was Welding Technology with 114 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Marathon County, WI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Northcentral Technical College
2,122 degrees awarded
State College of Beauty Culture Inc
49 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Northcentral Technical College with 2,122 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 922 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Marathon County, WI, which is 0.738 times less than the 1,249 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 1,818 degrees mean that there were 19.5 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 93 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

Public, 2-year ($3,509) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($352) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,987) 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 Marathon County, WI was $219,600 in 2024, which is 0.66 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $205,500 to $219,600, a 6.86% increase. The homeownership rate in Marathon County, WI is 73.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Marathon County, WI have an average commute time of 19.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Marathon County, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.35% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Marathon County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

Housing

Property

$219,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,992

$42,414

Median Property Taxes

±$1,171

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 Marathon County, WI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

73.3%

Homeownership

2024

62.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.3% of the housing units in Marathon County, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Marathon 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.

$77,884

Median Household Income

± $2,218

57.9k

Number of Households

± 1,549

In 2024, the median household income of the 57.9k households in Marathon County, WI grew to $77,884 from the previous year's value of $76,185.

The following chart displays the households in Marathon 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 Marathon 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 (76.2%)
Worked At Home (12.9%)
Carpooled (7.55%)

In 2024, 76.2% of workers in Marathon County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.9%) and those who carpooled to work (7.55%).

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

19.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Marathon County, WI have a shorter commute time (19.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.55% of the workforce in Marathon County, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Marathon 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 Marathon County, WI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Marathon County, WI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.35% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Marathon County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Marathon County, WI (11.9k out of 137k 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 35 - 44, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Marathon County, WI is White, followed by Asian 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, 12.3% of the children was living in poverty in Marathon County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.3%.

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 115 in Marathon County, WI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 28.9 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

94.2% of the population of Marathon County, WI has health coverage, with 53.2% on employee plans, 12.3% on Medicaid, 15% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 1.4% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Marathon County, WI see 1,059 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,059 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1327 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 411 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.5% were men and 49.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,059 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Marathon County, WI

Primary care physicians in Marathon County, WI see an average of 1,059 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,059 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 18.3% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.5% were men and 49.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.83%

Uninsured

53.2%

Employer Coverage

12.3%

Medicaid

15%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

1.4%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Marathon County, WI declined by 2.07% from 5.95% to 5.83%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Marathon 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 53.5 in Marathon County, WI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Marathon 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 35.9% in Marathon County, WI.

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