Wisconsin

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Population

5.81M

0.312% growth

Median Age

39.6


Median Household Income

$60,773

2.48% growth

Poverty Rate

12.3%


Number of Employees

2.88M

0.525% growth

Median Property Value

$188,500

5.37% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Wisconsin had a population of 5.81M people with a median age of 39.6 and a median household income of $60,773. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Wisconsin grew from 5.8M to 5.81M, a 0.312% increase and its median household income grew from $59,305 to $60,773, a 2.48% increase.

The population of Wisconsin is 81% White Alone, 6.95% Hispanic or Latino, and 6.26% Black or African American Alone. 8.83% of the people in Wisconsin speak a non-English language, and 97.3% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wisconsin are University of Wisconsin-Madison (12,367 degrees awarded in 2017), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (5,725 degrees), and Marquette University (3,364 degrees).

The median property value in Wisconsin is $188,500, and the homeownership rate is 67.1%. Most people in Wisconsin commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 21 minutes. The average car ownership in Wisconsin is 2 cars per household.

Wisconsin borders Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Photo by Randen Pederson

United States

Economy

The economy of Wisconsin employs 2.88M people. The largest industries in Wisconsin are Construction (156,486 people), Elementary & secondary schools (156,208 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (151,795 people), and the highest paying industries are Not specified wholesale trade ($202,085), Business, technical & trade schools and training ($181,957), and Pipeline transportation ($123,801).

Median household income in Wisconsin is $60,773. Males in Wisconsin have an average income that is 1.36 times higher than the average income of females, which is $47,745. The income inequality in Wisconsin (measured using the Gini index) is 0.441, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$60,773

2018 value

± $391

2.48%

1 Year Growth

± 1.15%

Households in Wisconsin have a median annual income of $60,773, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $59,305 in 2017, which represents a 2.48% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Wisconsin compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$64,874

Average Male Salary

± $1,364

$47,745

Average Female Salary

± $994

In 2018, full-time male employees in Wisconsin made 1.36 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Wisconsin by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races

    $62,272 ± $34,034

  2. White

    $49,813 ± $828

  3. Two or More Races

    $48,430 ± $8,009

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Wisconsin workers was American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races. These workers were paid 1.25 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Wisconsin by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.441

2018 Wage GINI

0.452

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.52% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Waukesha County, WI

  2. St. Croix County, WI

  3. Ozaukee County, WI

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wisconsin was Waukesha County, WI with a value of $86,968, followed by St. Croix County, WI and Ozaukee County, WI, with respective values of $81,453 and $81,104.

The following map shows all of the counties in Wisconsin colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

12.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wisconsin (693k out of 5.61M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    474,652 ± 4,360

  2. Black

    118,842 ± 2,168

  3. Hispanic

    92,172 ± 2,015

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wisconsin is White, followed by Black 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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

2.88M

2018 Value

0.525%

1 Year growth

± 0.525%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Wisconsin grew at a rate of 0.525%, from 2.86M employees to 2.88M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wisconsin, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (73,056 people), Registered nurses (67,707 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (67,599 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wisconsin.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Wisconsin, by number of employees, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (73,056 people), Registered nurses (67,707 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (67,599 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Wisconsin has an unusually high number of residents working as Disc jockeys, except radio (6.05 times higher than expected), Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (4.55 times), and Print binding & finishing workers (4.48 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Wisconsin, by average salary, are Surgeons ($424,432), Dentists ($272,834), and Physicians ($265,178).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.88M

2018 Value

0.525%

1 Year growth

± 0.525%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Wisconsin grew at a rate of 0.525%, from 2.86M employees to 2.88M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wisconsin, are Construction (156,486 people), Elementary & secondary schools (156,208 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (151,795 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wisconsin, though some of these residents may live in Wisconsin and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Wisconsin, by number of employees, are Construction (156,486 people), Elementary & secondary schools (156,208 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (151,795 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Wisconsin has an unusually high number of Other transportation equipment manufacturing (10.8 times higher than expected), Dairy product manufacturing (9.51 times), and Foundries (7.52 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Wisconsin, by average salary, are Not specified wholesale trade ($202,085), Business, technical & trade schools and training ($181,957), and Pipeline transportation ($123,801).

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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

  1. Other foodstuffs

    $41.9B

  2. Machinery

    $30.3B

  3. Mixed freight

    $29.6B

In 2015, the top outbound Wisconsin product (by dollars) was Other foodstuffs with $41.9B, followed by Machinery ($30.3B) and Mixed freight ($29.6B).

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

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Domestic Trade Growth

$356B

2020 Value

$493B

Projected 2045 Value

38.5% growth

In 2020, total outbound Wisconsin trade was $356B. This is expected to increase 38.5% to $493B by 2045.

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

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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

  1. Illinois

    $31.3B

  2. Minnesota

    $29.3B

  3. Michigan

    $11.1B

In 2015, the top outbound Wisconsin domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $31.3B, followed by Minnesota with $29.3B and Michigan and $11.1B.

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

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Health

94.6% of the population of Wisconsin has health coverage, with 55.5% on employee plans, 13.6% on Medicaid, 12.5% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 1.21% on military or VA plans.

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

Primary care physicians in Wisconsin see 1247 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.565% increase from the previous year (1240 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1516 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 560 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Adams County and Menominee County have the highest prevalence of diabetes (13.1%). Additionally, Menominee County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (45.1%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,247 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Wisconsin see an average of 1,247 patients per year. This represents a 0.565% increase from the previous year (1,240 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Wisconsin in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$8,702

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,159

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$7,057

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,608

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Wisconsin (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 6.26%, from $8,189 to $8,702.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

5.41%

Uninsured

55.5%

Employer Coverage

13.6%

Medicaid

12.5%

Medicare

11.8%

Non-Group

1.21%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wisconsin grew by 2.75% from 5.26% to 5.41%.

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

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Adams County

    13.1% prevalence

  2. Menominee County

    13.1% prevalence

  3. Marquette County

    12.4% prevalence

Adams County and Menominee County have the highest prevalence of diabetes in Wisconsin, at 13.1%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Wisconsin by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Wisconsin is home to a population of 5.81M people, from which 97.3% are citizens. As of 2017, 4.86% of Wisconsin residents were born outside of the country (281k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Wisconsin is composed of 4.71M White Alone residents (81%), 404k Hispanic or Latino residents (6.95%), 364k Black or African American Alone residents (6.26%), 163k Asian Alone residents (2.81%), 120k Two or More Races residents (2.06%), 47.1k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.81%), 6.63k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.114%), and 1.8k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.031%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Wisconsin are Spanish (261,707 speakers), Hmong (38,605 speakers), and German (26,628 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

40

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

41

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.5

In 2018, the median age of all people in Wisconsin was 39.6. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 40, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 41. But people in Wisconsin are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Wisconsin residents was 40.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

4.86%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

281k people

4.8%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

277k people

As of 2017, 4.86% of Wisconsin residents (281k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wisconsin was 4.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    82,867 ± 7,017 people

  2. India

    24,020 ± 3,797 people

  3. China

    15,072 ± 3,010 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 82,867 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 24,020 and China with 15,072.

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Citizenship

97.3%

2018 Citizenship

97.3%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 97.3% of Wisconsin residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Wisconsin was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    4.71M ± 2.73k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    404k ± 12.2k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    364k ± 5.72k

In 2018, there were 11.7 times more White Alone residents (4.71M people) in Wisconsin than any other race or ethnicity. There were 404k Hispanic or Latino and 364k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Wisconsin as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    261,707 speakers (4.77%)

  2. Hmong

    38,605 speakers (0.704%)

  3. German

    26,628 speakers (0.486%)

8.83% of Wisconsin citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Wisconsin was Spanish. 4.77% of the overall population of Wisconsin are native Spanish speakers. 0.704% speak Hmong and 0.486% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    120,241 ± 3,784

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    49,132 ± 3,475

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    36,642 ± 2,806

Wisconsin has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.45 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Wisconsin awarded 88,311 degrees. The student population of Wisconsin is skewed towards women, with 150,993 male students and 190,883 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wisconsin are White (69,469 and 81.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (4,315 and 5.07%), Black or African American (3,532 and 4.15%), and Asian (3,082 and 3.62%).

The largest universities in Wisconsin by number of degrees awarded are University of Wisconsin-Madison (12,367 and 14%), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (5,725 and 6.48%), and Marquette University (3,364 and 3.81%).

The most popular majors in Wisconsin are Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (6,047 and 6.85%), Registered Nursing (4,310 and 4.88%), and General Business Administration & Management (4,067 and 4.61%).

The median tuition costs in Wisconsin are $28,330 for private four year colleges, and $6,535 and $14,268 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    2,270 degrees awarded

  2. General Business Administration & Management

    2,064 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    2,019 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Wisconsin was Registered Nursing with 2,270 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Wisconsin-Madison

    12,367 degrees awarded

  2. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

    5,725 degrees awarded

  3. Marquette University

    3,364 degrees awarded

$6,535

Median In-State Public

$28,330

Median Private

In 2017, the Wisconsin institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Wisconsin-Madison with 12,367 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

36,590

Degrees Awarded to Men

51,721

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 36,590 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wisconsin, which is 0.707 times less than the 51,721 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Wisconsin by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    69,469 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    4,315 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American

    3,532 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Wisconsin were to White students. These 69,469 degrees mean that there were 16.1 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 4,315 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Wisconsin was $188,500 in 2018, which is 0.821 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $178,900 to $188,500, a 5.37% increase. The homeownership rate in Wisconsin is 67.1%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Wisconsin have an average commute time of 21 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Wisconsin is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$188,500

2018 Median

± $1,266

$178,900

2017 Median

± $1,377

In 2018, the median property value in Wisconsin grew to to $188,500 from the previous year's value of $178,900.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Wisconsin compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wisconsin the largest share of households have a property value in the $200k - $250k range.

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Household Income

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

$60,773

Median Household Income

± $391

2.37M

Number of Households

± 20,625

In 2018, the median household income of the 2.37M households in Wisconsin grew to $60,773 from the previous year's value of $59,305.

The following chart displays the households in Wisconsin 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.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Wisconsin distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wisconsin the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

67.1%

2018 Homeownership

66.6%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 67.1% of the housing units in Wisconsin were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.6%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Wisconsin compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

21 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wisconsin have a shorter commute time (21 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.58% of the workforce in Wisconsin have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    81.7%

  2. Carpooled

    7.52%

  3. Worked At Home

    4.83%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Wisconsin was Drove Alone (81.7%), followed by those who Carpooled (7.52%) and those who Worked At Home (4.83%).

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.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wisconsin distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wisconsin have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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