Brown County, Wisconsin

WI · FIPS 55009 Republican

Located in Wisconsin, Brown County has a population of 270,892 residents and a median age of 38.2 years, making it the #265 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.1%. The median home value is $266,000, and the median household income is $79,649, which is 6% above the national median.

270,892
Population
#265 of 3,222
$79,649
Median Income
+6.0% #600 of 3,222
38.2 years
Median Age
-1.8% #2,553 of 3,222
9.1%
Poverty Rate
-28.1% #585 of 3,222

Demographics

Brown County has a population of 270,892, making it the #265 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.2 years, which is 1.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

94.6%
Native Born
5.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Brown County is $79,649, ranking #600 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.1% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.

Income#600
$79,649
+6.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Per Capita#606
$42,366
+2.7%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poverty#585
9.1%
-28.1%
vs nation
82th percentile
Unemployment#490
2.6%
-50.9%
vs nation
85th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Brown County is $266,000 (-5.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,031/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.0%.

Home Value#809
$266,000
-5.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Rent#904
$1,031
-11.3%
vs nation
72th percentile
Homeownership#2,666
66.0%
+2.5%
vs nation
17th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Brown County, 33.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 0.6% below the national average, ranking #545 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
33.5% −0.6% vs nation
Rank #545 of 3,222
83th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Brown County is 78.7 years. 15.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#465
78.7
+4.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#629
15.3%
-21.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Diabetes#495
8.9%
-20.0%
vs nation
84th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#277
31.5%
-15.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#532
5.1
-10.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#729
3.9
-12.1%
vs nation
77th percentile
Uninsured Rate#667
6.6%
-36.9%
vs nation
79th percentile
Physical Inactivity#618
21.9%
-17.0%
vs nation
80th percentile
Food Insecurity#386
10.4%
-27.8%
vs nation
88th percentile

Substance Use

16.5% of adults in Brown County smoke , 36.6% are obese , and 23.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,137
16.5%
-8.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,063
36.6%
-3.4%
vs nation
66th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,681
23.1%
+16.5%
vs nation
15th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#638
21.0
-35.0%
vs nation
70th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Brown County is 2.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#128
2.2
-73.0%
vs nation
92th percentile
Suicide Rate#574
14.0
-29.0%
vs nation
78th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#317
9.2
-48.4%
vs nation
87th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#140
7.5
-62.7%
vs nation
95th percentile

Families & Children

10.5% of children in Brown County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 13.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#543
5.9
-12.8%
vs nation
60th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#749
13.5
-38.4%
vs nation
75th percentile
Child Poverty#399
10.5%
-44.7%
vs nation
87th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Brown County is 75.0%. The mean commute time is 21.6 min, which is 21.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.6 min −21.7% vs nation
Rank #2,599 of 3,222
19th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Brown County voted Republican with a margin of 7.5%. The vote was 45.6% Dem / 53.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +7.5%
45.6% 53.1%
Dem 148,960 votes Rep
2020 REP +7.2%
45.5% 52.7%
Dem 144,017 votes Rep
2016 REP +10.8%
41.9% 52.7%
Dem 127,497 votes Rep
2012 REP +1.8%
48.6% 50.4%
Dem 128,514 votes Rep
2008 DEM +9.1%
53.9% 44.8%
Dem 124,754 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Brown County, Wisconsin

Brown County, Wisconsin has a total population of 270,892, making it the 265th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Brown County is 38.2 years, which is 1.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Brown County is $79,649, which ranks #600 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.

The median home value in Brown County is $266,000, 5.6% below the national median. Renters in Brown County pay a median gross rent of $1,031 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Brown County, 33.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 0.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.6 min.

Brown County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 77.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).

All data for Brown County, Wisconsin comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.