Rusk County, Wisconsin
Located in Wisconsin, Rusk County has a population of 14,179 residents and a median age of 49.2 years, making it the #2,212 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.1%. The median home value is $163,400, and the median household income is $59,944, which is 20% below the national median.
Demographics
Rusk County has a population of 14,179, making it the #2,212 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.2 years, which is 26.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Rusk County is $59,944, ranking #2,089 out of 3,222 counties — 20.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.1% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rusk County is $163,400 (-42.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $874/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rusk County, 16.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.8% below the national average, ranking #2,508 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rusk County is 76.3 years. 17.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.0% of adults in Rusk County smoke , 36.8% are obese , and 23.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 23.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 20.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 26.3 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.8% of children in Rusk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 13.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rusk County is 70.8%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rusk County voted Republican with a margin of 38.0%. The vote was 30.5% Dem / 68.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rusk County, Wisconsin
Rusk County, Wisconsin has a total population of 14,179, making it the 2,212th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rusk County is 49.2 years, which is 26.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rusk County is $59,944, which ranks #2,089 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Rusk County is $163,400, 42.0% below the national median. Renters in Rusk County pay a median gross rent of $874 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rusk County, 16.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.
Rusk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.1%).
All data for Rusk 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.