Waukesha County, Wisconsin

WI · FIPS 55133 Republican

Located in Wisconsin, Waukesha County has a population of 411,762 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #181 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.2%. The median home value is $398,200, and the median household income is $106,076, which is 41% above the national median.

411,762
Population
#181 of 3,222
$106,076
Median Income
+41.2% #119 of 3,222
43.5 years
Median Age
+11.8% #1,080 of 3,222
5.2%
Poverty Rate
-58.5% #65 of 3,222

Demographics

Waukesha County has a population of 411,762, making it the #181 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

94.5%
Native Born
5.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Waukesha County is $106,076, ranking #119 out of 3,222 counties — 41.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.2% and unemployment stands at 2.3%.

Income#119
$106,076
+41.2%
vs nation
96th percentile
Per Capita#86
$58,126
+40.9%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poverty#65
5.2%
-58.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Unemployment#374
2.3%
-56.7%
vs nation
88th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Waukesha County is $398,200 (+41.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,356/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.0%.

Home Value#290
$398,200
+41.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Rent#357
$1,356
+16.6%
vs nation
89th percentile
Homeownership#1,366
76.0%
+18.0%
vs nation
58th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Waukesha County, 48.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.0% above the national average, ranking #117 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
48.9% +45.0% vs nation
Rank #117 of 3,222
96th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Waukesha County is 80.3 years. 12.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#179
80.3
+6.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#88
12.2%
-37.6%
vs nation
97th percentile
Diabetes#68
7.4%
-33.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#278
31.5%
-15.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#55
4.4
-22.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#34
3.2
-28.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Uninsured Rate#32
3.9%
-62.8%
vs nation
99th percentile
Physical Inactivity#104
17.5%
-33.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Food Insecurity#45
7.7%
-46.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Substance Use

12.5% of adults in Waukesha County smoke , 32.0% are obese , and 25.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#242
12.5%
-30.4%
vs nation
92th percentile
Adult Obesity#334
32.0%
-15.6%
vs nation
89th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,064
25.2%
+27.0%
vs nation
3th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#754
22.9
-29.1%
vs nation
64th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Waukesha County is 1.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 5.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#66
1.7
-78.4%
vs nation
96th percentile
Suicide Rate#211
11.3
-42.7%
vs nation
92th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#163
7.4
-58.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#51
5.7
-71.9%
vs nation
98th percentile

Families & Children

4.4% of children in Waukesha County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 3.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#174
4.5
-33.4%
vs nation
87th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#26
3.4
-84.7%
vs nation
99th percentile
Child Poverty#10
4.4%
-76.8%
vs nation
100th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Waukesha County is 87.1%. The mean commute time is 24.8 min, which is 10.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
87.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.8 min −10.0% vs nation
Rank #1,974 of 3,222
39th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Waukesha County voted Republican with a margin of 19.7%. The vote was 39.5% Dem / 59.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.1 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +19.7%
39.5% 59.2%
Dem 274,845 votes Rep
2020 REP +20.8%
38.8% 59.6%
Dem 267,996 votes Rep
2016 REP +28.1%
33.5% 61.6%
Dem 236,269 votes Rep
2012 REP +34.8%
32.2% 67%
Dem 241,084 votes Rep
2008 REP +25.7%
36.6% 62.3%
Dem 232,897 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Waukesha County, Wisconsin

Waukesha County, Wisconsin has a total population of 411,762, making it the 181st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Waukesha County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Waukesha County is $106,076, which ranks #119 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 41.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.3%.

The median home value in Waukesha County is $398,200, 41.3% above the national median. Renters in Waukesha County pay a median gross rent of $1,356 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Waukesha County, 48.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.0% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.8 min.

Waukesha County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.7%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (3.9%).

All data for Waukesha 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.