Waupaca County, Wisconsin

WI · FIPS 55135 Republican

Located in Wisconsin, Waupaca County has a population of 51,569 residents and a median age of 45.3 years, making it the #993 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.4%. The median home value is $211,400, and the median household income is $72,830, which is 3% below the national median.

51,569
Population
#993 of 3,222
$72,830
Median Income
-3.1% #984 of 3,222
45.3 years
Median Age
+16.5% #710 of 3,222
10.4%
Poverty Rate
-17.5% #884 of 3,222

Demographics

Waupaca County has a population of 51,569, making it the #993 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Waupaca County is $72,830, ranking #984 out of 3,222 counties — 3.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.4% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.

Income#984
$72,830
-3.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Per Capita#658
$41,606
+0.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poverty#884
10.4%
-17.5%
vs nation
73th percentile
Unemployment#572
2.8%
-47.6%
vs nation
82th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Waupaca County is $211,400 (-25.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $852/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.3%.

Home Value#1,293
$211,400
-25.0%
vs nation
60th percentile
Rent#1,732
$852
-26.7%
vs nation
46th percentile
Homeownership#1,475
75.3%
+17.0%
vs nation
54th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Waupaca County, 20.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.1% below the national average, ranking #1,907 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.5% −39.1% vs nation
Rank #1,907 of 3,222
41th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Waupaca County is 76.5 years. 15.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,117
76.5
+1.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#630
15.3%
-21.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Diabetes#321
8.5%
-23.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#790
34.3%
-8.1%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#890
5.3
-6.1%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#705
3.9
-12.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#639
6.5%
-37.5%
vs nation
80th percentile
Physical Inactivity#783
22.7%
-14.0%
vs nation
75th percentile
Food Insecurity#437
10.6%
-26.4%
vs nation
86th percentile

Substance Use

18.0% of adults in Waupaca County smoke , 36.7% are obese , and 26.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 10.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,688
18.0%
+0.2%
vs nation
46th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,088
36.7%
-3.2%
vs nation
65th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,131
26.9%
+35.1%
vs nation
0th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#59
10.4
-67.8%
vs nation
97th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 19.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,491
19.5
-1.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#562
11.7
-34.4%
vs nation
77th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,226
17.0
-16.0%
vs nation
57th percentile

Families & Children

15.3% of children in Waupaca County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 11.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#527
11.2
-48.9%
vs nation
83th percentile
Child Poverty#1,161
15.3%
-19.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Waupaca County is 72.8%. The mean commute time is 26.8 min, which is 2.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.8 min −2.8% vs nation
Rank #1,519 of 3,222
53th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Waupaca County voted Republican with a margin of 33.4%. The vote was 32.8% Dem / 66.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +33.4%
32.8% 66.2%
Dem 30,367 votes Rep
2020 REP +31.8%
33.3% 65.1%
Dem 29,130 votes Rep
2016 REP +30.2%
32.6% 62.8%
Dem 25,491 votes Rep
2012 REP +9.4%
44.8% 54.2%
Dem 25,801 votes Rep
2008 DEM +2.9%
50.8% 47.9%
Dem 25,511 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Waupaca County, Wisconsin

Waupaca County, Wisconsin has a total population of 51,569, making it the 993rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Waupaca County is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Waupaca County is $72,830, which ranks #984 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.

The median home value in Waupaca County is $211,400, 25.0% below the national median. Renters in Waupaca County pay a median gross rent of $852 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Waupaca County, 20.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.8 min.

Waupaca County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).

All data for Waupaca 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.