Dane County vs Milwaukee County
A side-by-side comparison of Dane County and Milwaukee County: population, income, housing, and more.
Dane County and Milwaukee County are counties in Wisconsin. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Milwaukee County has the higher population (927,656 vs 564,777 in Dane County). Dane County has the higher median household income ($88,108 vs $62,118 in Milwaukee County). Dane County has the higher median home value ($366,100 vs $216,500 in Milwaukee County).
Population, income & housing
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 564,777 | 927,656 |
| Median age | 35.6 yrs | 35.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $88,108 | $62,118 |
| Median home value | $366,100 | $216,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,345 | $1,069 |
| Housing units | 254,880 | 423,838 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.7% | 49.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.4% | 33.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 4.7% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 536,078 → 564,777 (+5.4%) | 951,226 → 927,656 (-2.5%) |
| Median household income | $73,893 → $88,108 (+19.2%) | $50,606 → $62,118 (+22.7%) |
| Median home value | $265,600 → $366,100 (+37.8%) | $158,300 → $216,500 (+36.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,083 → $1,345 (+24.2%) | $880 → $1,069 (+21.5%) |
Dane County
536,078564,777
$73,893$88,108
$265,600$366,100
$1,083$1,345
Milwaukee County
951,226927,656
$50,606$62,118
$158,300$216,500
$880$1,069
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.2% | 6.5% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.8% | 17.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.5% | 9.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.4% | 16.1% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 13.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 11.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| 75 and over | 5.6% | 5.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.7% | 48.6% |
| Black or African American | 5.1% | 25.6% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.6% | 16.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 3.7% | 10.4% |
| High school graduate | 17.4% | 28.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 24.4% | 27.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 32.6% | 21.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 21.9% | 12.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 65.2% | 70.8% |
| Carpooled | 5.8% | 8.4% |
| Public transit | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| Walked | 5.2% | 3.0% |
| Bicycle | 1.9% | 0.4% |
| Worked from home | 17.8% | 12.7% |
| Other means | 1.1% | 1.0% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 51.0% | 45.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.6% | 4.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 9.1% | 23.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 11.6% | 10.4% |
| 20 or more units | 21.0% | 16.4% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.8% | 0.5% |
Poverty & households
| Dane County | Milwaukee County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.5% | 17.5% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 2.33 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 21 | 22 |
| Median year structure built | 1985 | 1956 |
Full profiles
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