Forest County vs Iron County
A side-by-side comparison of Forest County and Iron County: population, income, housing, and more.
Forest County and Iron County are counties in Wisconsin. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Forest County has the higher population (9,261 vs 6,164 in Iron County). Forest County has the higher median household income ($59,727 vs $59,058 in Iron County). Forest County has the higher median home value ($170,000 vs $155,200 in Iron County).
Population, income & housing
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,261 | 6,164 |
| Median age | 49.1 yrs | 55.9 yrs |
| Median household income | $59,727 | $59,058 |
| Median home value | $170,000 | $155,200 |
| Median gross rent | $585 | $640 |
| Housing units | 8,696 | 5,572 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.4% | 86.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 23.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 2.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,995 → 9,261 (+3.0%) | 5,687 → 6,164 (+8.4%) |
| Median household income | $45,536 → $59,727 (+31.2%) | $43,798 → $59,058 (+34.8%) |
| Median home value | $132,300 → $170,000 (+28.5%) | $119,000 → $155,200 (+30.4%) |
| Median gross rent | $506 → $585 (+15.6%) | $538 → $640 (+19.0%) |
Forest County
8,9959,261
$45,536$59,727
$132,300$170,000
$506$585
Iron County
5,6876,164
$43,798$59,058
$119,000$155,200
$538$640
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.2% | 3.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 13.9% | 11.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 4.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.4% | 18.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.4% | 18.6% |
| 75 and over | 9.6% | 13.4% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 77.9% | 94.0% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 11.4% | 0.6% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 1.5% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 6.7% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.2% | 1.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.3% | 4.6% |
| High school graduate | 37.9% | 32.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 37.3% | 39.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11.9% | 17.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 3.6% | 6.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 79.2% | 81.3% |
| Carpooled | 9.6% | 9.2% |
| Public transit | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Walked | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 6.5% | 5.6% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 1.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 85.9% | 88.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.4% | 2.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.1% | 2.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.8% | 2.6% |
| 20 or more units | 0.2% | 1.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 9.7% | 2.6% |
Poverty & households
| Forest County | Iron County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.0% | 11.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 2.05 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 26 | 21 |
| Median year structure built | 1980 | 1973 |
Full profiles
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