What is the poverty rate in Wisconsin?
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The poverty rate was about 10.3% of Wisconsin’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 598,900 people in Wisconsin were considered in poverty.
10.3%
of the population (2025)
599K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
The state's poverty rate was 10.3% in 2025, the lowest based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010. It was unchanged from the previous year. Wisconsin's poverty rate hit a peak in 2013 of 13.5%.
In 2025, 10.3% of Wisconsin's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 598,900 people living in Wisconsin were in poverty — down 20.7% from the 2013 peak of 755,600.
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In 2025, 598,900 people in Wisconsin were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Wisconsin?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Wisconsin decreased from 16.4% to 12.4%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 11.7% to 9.5%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.1% to 10.2%.
In 2025, 12.4% of children in Wisconsin were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Wisconsin?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Wisconsin during 2025, six had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
One had a lower than average poverty rate: White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the some other race population shifted the most, decreasing from 30.6% in 2015 to 16% in 2025.
In Wisconsin, the poverty rate for the some other race population decreased from 30.6% in 2015 to 16.0% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Wisconsin have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Wisconsin counties ranged from 5% in Ozaukee County to 21.7% in Menominee County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Milwaukee County — was 17.2%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Wisconsin counties ranged from 5.0% to 21.7%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Menominee County | 21.7% |
| 2. | Milwaukee County | 17.2% |
| 3. | Sawyer County | 15.6% |
| 4. | Forest County | 15.2% |
| 5. | Richland County | 14.5% |
| 6. | Adams County | 14.1% |
| 7. | Crawford County | 13.8% |
| 8. | Green Lake County | 13.8% |
| 9. | Langlade County | 13.5% |
| 10. | Ashland County | 13.4% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
