Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lena - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Lena ranks in the 32nd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
32nd
percentile, household income
22nd
percentile, home value
12th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Lena, WI
Lena is a small town in Wisconsin, home to 536 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $57,917 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Home values in Lena run a median of $132,900, and the median resident age is 40.8 years. About 7.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 50 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity).
Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Wisconsin scores 94.1 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $973 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Wisconsin, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 61.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
Population
536 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin
Median Household Income
$57,917/yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.1 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average
How does Lena compare to other US cities?
Where Lena sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income32% higher than other cities
Home value22% pricier than other cities
Median rent12% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Lena against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Wisconsin-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Lena near the bottom of Wisconsin's cities
Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Lena ranks #499 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Lena only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#552 of 753
27th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#499 of 761
0th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#589 of 754
22nd percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#671 of 761
0th percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#696 of 761
9th percentile in Wisconsin
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Wisconsin only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
32nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Lena's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$132,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 78% of 15,600 US cities
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Income distribution context
Lena, WI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lena, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)7.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
536
Median Income
$57,917
Median Home Value
$132,900
Median Age
40.8
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
63.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
7.5%
Schools
Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Lena's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
50
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
50
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
93.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
1
1
0
$0.2M
2024
50
0
50
$7.8M
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
52.0%
Carpool
7.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
15.5%
Work from Home
23.8%
Other
0.8%
Based on 277 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
Cost of living is a Wisconsin state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lena sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Lena, WI?
What is the population of Lena, WI?+
Lena, WI has a population of 536 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Lena, WI?+
The median household income in Lena is $57,917 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Lena?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lena; the closest available measure is the Wisconsin state average, a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Wisconsin vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Lena, WI?+
A typical home in Lena is worth $132,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, 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.