Town · Wisconsin
Town of Black Earth, Wisconsin
Black Earth (town), town, in Dane County, Wisconsin. Black Earth (town) had 500 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 510 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 428 (±68). GEOID 5502507825.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
500
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 510 · ACS 2020-2024: 428 ±68
Median household income
$136,667
±$20,041 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485
Median home value
$477,800
±$43,453 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500
Median gross rent
not published
Wisconsin: $1,087
Where is Black Earth (town) and what county is it in?
Black Earth (town) is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin. It covers 17.1 square miles of land, 30 residents per square mile in 2020.
Black Earth (town) is in the Madison, WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Black Earth (town), and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 500 people lived in Black Earth (town) on July 1, 2025, down 1.6% since 2020, while Wisconsin grew 1.3%. The 2020 Census counted 510 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 428 (±68).
| Measure | Black Earth (town) | Dane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 428±68 | 572,674 | no clear change |
| Households | 184±33 | 251,529 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.33±0.26 | 2.21 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 195±33 | 261,061 | no clear change |
Black Earth (town)'s population since 2000
From 449 in 2000 to 500 in 2025: up 11.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Black Earth (town) as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Black Earth (town)?
The median resident of Black Earth (town) is 50.0 years old; 16.4% are under 18 and 21.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.2%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 2.8%.
| Measure | Black Earth (town) | Dane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.0±3.2 | 35.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.4%±6.2 pts | 19.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.5%±7.0 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Male | 53.3%±3.6 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6%±2.8 pts | 7.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.2%±4.2 pts | 75.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.1 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.8%±3.0 pts | 6.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.2%±3.6 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.8%±4.4 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3%±2.8 pts | 4.3% | – |
| With a disability | 10.0%±4.0 pts | 9.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.2%±0.5 pts | 3.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.5%±2.1 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 44.0%±8.3 pts | 55.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 17.3%±5.1 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.1%±3.9 pts | 81.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.6%±3.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Black Earth (town) earn?
Half of Black Earth (town)'s 184 households earn less than $136,667 a year (±$20,041), against $89,975 in Dane County and $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $132,300 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Black Earth (town) | Dane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $136,667±$20,041 | $89,975 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $157,120±$20,673 | $119,709 | – |
| Per capita income | $66,325±$9,324 | $53,181 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 2.3%±2.7 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.7%±7.9 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.8%±4.6 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.3%±3.8 pts | 97.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.5%±7.4 pts | 92.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Black Earth (town)?
Owners occupy 89.1% of Black Earth (town)'s occupied homes and renters 10.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $477,800 by its owner (±$43,453).
| Measure | Black Earth (town) | Dane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $477,800±$43,453 | $394,800 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 100.0%±100.0 pts | 38.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,297±$167 | $2,200 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 89.1%±8.6 pts | 57.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.9%±8.6 pts | 42.9% | – |
| Housing units | 195±33 | 261,061 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±12.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±52.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 97.9%±3.0 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±10.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.6%±3.2 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5%±2.0 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 16.9%±7.9 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.6%±2.6 pts | 8.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Black Earth (town) work and get to work?
72.0% of Black Earth (town)'s workers drive alone and 21.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 10.2%.
| Measure | Black Earth (town) | Dane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 75.9%±6.7 pts | 70.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 10.2%±5.7 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.0%±7.1 pts | 63.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.5%±3.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±8.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Walked | 0.8%±1.9 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.7%±7.9 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.6 min±3.0 | 20.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Black Earth (town)?
No census tract lies mostly in Black Earth (town); 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 131Dane County | 4,785 | $86,853 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Black Earth (town)) · Census block assignment files
How does Black Earth (town) compare with other places in Wisconsin?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Black Earth (town) is the 10,066th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 976th-most populous of 1,239 in Wisconsin.
Black Earth (town) is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 976th | 1,239 |
Black Earth (town)'s figures with every place in Wisconsin (CSV)
Every place in Wisconsin, sortable · Compare Black Earth (town) with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Black Earth (town)?
23 of the 56 figures for Black Earth (town) on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Black Earth (town) are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.