Buffalo County vs Rusk County
A side-by-side comparison of Buffalo County and Rusk County: population, income, housing, and more.
Buffalo County and Rusk County are counties in Wisconsin. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Rusk County has the higher population (14,146 vs 13,341 in Buffalo County). Buffalo County has the higher median household income ($68,722 vs $58,322 in Rusk County). Buffalo County has the higher median home value ($197,600 vs $152,000 in Rusk County).
Population, income & housing
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,341 | 14,146 |
| Median age | 46.4 yrs | 49.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $68,722 | $58,322 |
| Median home value | $197,600 | $152,000 |
| Median gross rent | $822 | $816 |
| Housing units | 6,546 | 8,679 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.3% | 77.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 16.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 4.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,126 → 13,341 (+1.6%) | 14,132 → 14,146 (+0.1%) |
| Median household income | $57,829 → $68,722 (+18.8%) | $47,532 → $58,322 (+22.7%) |
| Median home value | $159,700 → $197,600 (+23.7%) | $113,400 → $152,000 (+34.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $765 → $822 (+7.5%) | $661 → $816 (+23.4%) |
Buffalo County
13,12613,341
$57,829$68,722
$159,700$197,600
$765$822
Rusk County
14,13214,146
$47,532$58,322
$113,400$152,000
$661$816
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.8% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.3% | 15.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 6.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 10.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.2% | 16.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 15.4% |
| 75 and over | 9.5% | 10.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.2% | 93.7% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Asian | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.7% | 2.0% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 8.0% | 7.7% |
| High school graduate | 38.1% | 43.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 31.8% | 32.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.0% | 12.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.1% | 4.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 79.5% | 79.6% |
| Carpooled | 5.5% | 8.6% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 4.0% | 1.5% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 0.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 81.8% | 83.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 2.0% | 0.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.5% | 3.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 3.5% | 2.6% |
| 20 or more units | 1.5% | 2.0% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.7% | 8.4% |
Poverty & households
| Buffalo County | Rusk County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 12.5% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 2.23 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1970 | 1976 |
Full profiles
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