City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Richland Center, WI

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

5,030
Residents
$51,472
Median income
$137,700
Median home
$973
Median rent (state)

Richland Center - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Richland Center places in the 22nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

22nd
percentile, household income
23rd
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: Richland Center, WI

5,030 people live in Richland Center, Wisconsin - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $51,472 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 9.9%. Home values in Richland Center run a median of $137,700, and the median resident age is 44.2 years. Educational attainment runs 18.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.7% 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 (Building Boom), up 50% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: the state registers 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $973 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Wisconsin, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 51.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

Population

5,030 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$51,472 /yr

Poverty 9.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.1 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average

How does Richland Center compare to other US cities?

Richland Center measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 22% higher than other cities
Home value 23% pricier than other cities
Median rent 12% 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Richland Center's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Wisconsin, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

22ndIncome percentile

22nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Richland Center's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$137,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 77% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Richland Center $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Household income distribution - Richland Center, WI Richland Center, WI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Richland Center, WI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Richland Center, WI median $51,472/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Richland Center, 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 Richland Center, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 18.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.7%

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

Population
5,030
Median Income
$51,472
Median Home Value
$137,700
Median Age
44.2
Poverty Rate
9.9%
Labor force participation
59.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.5%

Schools

Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,000 residents5,100 residents5,200 residents5,300 residents 202020212022202320242025 5,192 residents 5,020 residents ▼ -3.3%
Richland Center's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 0
2021 1
2022 0
2023 3
2024 3

Permit volume increased 50% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
78.2%
Carpool
11.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.5%
Work from Home
6.4%

Based on 2,420 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 Richland Center sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$973/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
51.6 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Wisconsin

Wind Lake
5,028 people
Dodgeville
5,013 people
Lake Wisconsin
5,051 people
Summit
4,997 people
Union Grove
4,968 people
Mayville
5,169 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Richland Center's 5,030 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Myrtletown, CA
5,028 people
Manheim, PA
5,028 people
Vandergrift, PA
5,028 people
Cave Creek, AZ
5,033 people
Three Points, AZ
5,033 people
Florence, NJ
5,027 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Richland Center's $51,472 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Winnsboro, TX
$51,473 median income
Waco, TX
$51,468 median income
Oquawka, IL
$51,477 median income
Penn Yan, NY
$51,466 median income
Polson, MT
$51,463 median income
Royal Palm Estates, FL
$51,461 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Richland Center, 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 Richland Center, WI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.3% White 92.6% Black or African American 1.6% Asian 1.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.6% Two or more races 2.2% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Richland Center compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Richland Center (this city) 5,030 $51,472
Wind Lake 5,028 $100,306
Dodgeville 5,013 $72,768
Lake Wisconsin 5,051 $116,053
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Richland Center, WI?

What is the population of Richland Center, WI? +

Richland Center, WI counts 5,030 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Richland Center, WI? +

Richland Center households earn a median of $51,472 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Richland Center? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Richland Center; 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 Richland Center, WI? +

A typical home in Richland Center is worth $137,700, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.