City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Blue River, WI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Blue River — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

484
Residents
$56,830
Median income
$123,800
Median home
$1,097
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Blue River, WI

Blue River is a city in Wisconsin with a population of 484 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $56,830 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 7.4%. Typical homes in Blue River are valued around $123,800, and the median resident age is 42.2 years. About 6.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 51.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 3 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity).

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Wisconsin registers 94.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,097 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $225 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 59.1 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

484 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$56,830 /yr

Poverty 7.4%

Cost of Living Index

94.1 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Blue River compare to other US cities?

Where Blue River sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 30% higher than other cities
Home value 19% pricier than other cities
Median rent 29% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Blue River against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Blue River, WI Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Blue River, WI. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Blue River, WI — median $56,830/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Blue River, WI — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 6.2%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.4%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.3%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
484
Median Income
$56,830
Median Home Value
$123,800
Median Age
42.2
Poverty Rate
7.4%
Labor force participation
51.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.2%

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 1
2024 3

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
84.2%
Carpool
10.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
4.1%

Based on 196 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Wisconsin — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Wisconsin state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Wisconsin state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,097/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
59.1 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Blue River, WI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Blue River, WI — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Blue River compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Blue River) plus the nearest peer cities in Wisconsin, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WI

Blue River

56.83% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$56,830
Selected

WI

Vesper

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$50
Selected

WI

Mattoon

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$50
Selected

WI

Rosholt

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$50
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Blue River, WI?

What is the population of Blue River, WI? +

Blue River, WI has a population of 484 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Blue River, WI? +

The median household income in Blue River is $56,830 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Blue River? +

Blue River has a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Blue River, WI? +

The median home value in Blue River is $123,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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