Census-designated place · Wisconsin
Wabeno, Wisconsin
Wabeno, census-designated place, in Forest County, Wisconsin. Wabeno had 453 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 269 (±80). GEOID 5583000.
Residents, 2020 Census
453
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 269 ±80
Median household income
$36,250
±$15,022 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485
Median home value
$112,500
±$50,197 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500
Median gross rent
$579
±$165 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087
Where is Wabeno and what county is it in?
Wabeno is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Forest County, Wisconsin. It covers 2.4 square miles of land, 190 residents per square mile in 2020.
Wabeno lies entirely within the Town of Wabeno, a town with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Wabeno, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 453 residents in Wabeno, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 269 (±80).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Wabeno is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Wabeno | Forest County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 269 ±80 | 9,369 | no clear change |
| Households | 130 ±37 | 4,006 | −59 |
| Average household size | 2.07 ±0.39 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 216 ±55 | 8,715 | no clear change |
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 Wabeno?
The median resident of Wabeno is 32.9 years old; 13.8% are under 18 and 22.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 71.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 16.0%.
| Measure | Wabeno | Forest County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.9 ±20.1 | 49.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 13.8% ±7.1 pts | 19.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.7% ±9.8 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Male | 47.2% ±8.1 pts | 51.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 2.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 71.4% ±14.2 pts | 77.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 12.6% ±12.1 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 16.0% ±10.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.2% ±7.6 pts | 7.7% | – |
| With a disability | 17.1% ±8.0 pts | 17.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 20.8% ±12.6 pts | 7.7% | +15.1 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.2% ±9.2 pts | 90.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 4.0% ±6.2 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.8% ±13.5 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.3% ±6.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
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 Wabeno earn?
Half of Wabeno's 130 households earn less than $36,250 a year (±$15,022), against $61,071 in Forest County and $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $35,872 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 22.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wabeno | Forest County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,250 ±$15,022 | $61,071 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $48,903 ±$13,896 | $77,601 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,519 ±$7,511 | $33,817 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 22.7% ±13.3 pts | 15.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 29.7% ±30.7 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.1% ±11.3 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 74.6% ±14.8 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 60.8% ±15.3 pts | 84.7% | – |
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 Wabeno?
Owners occupy 63.1% of Wabeno's occupied homes and renters 36.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $112,500 by its owner (±$50,197). The median renter pays $579 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Wabeno | Forest County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $112,500 ±$50,197 | $185,000 | – |
| Median gross rent | $579 ±$165 | $594 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.7% ±26.2 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $827 ±$124 | $1,251 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 63.1% ±14.2 pts | 82.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 36.9% ±14.2 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Housing units | 216 ±55 | 8,715 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±23.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 18.6% ±26.3 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.4% ±11.6 pts | 86.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.6% ±4.0 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.1% ±13.3 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.5% ±12.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
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 Wabeno work and get to work?
64.9% of Wabeno's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.8 minutes.
| Measure | Wabeno | Forest County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.1% ±15.1 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±5.4 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.9% ±14.6 pts | 78.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 19.8% ±9.6 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±18.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 2.7% ±7.5 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.6% ±15.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.8 min ±11.3 | 25.1 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 Wabeno?
No census tract lies mostly in Wabeno; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Forest County | 2,774 | $57,969 |
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 Wabeno) · Census block assignment files
How does Wabeno compare with other places in Wisconsin?
Wabeno 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.
Wabeno's figures with every place in Wisconsin (CSV)
Every place in Wisconsin, sortable · Compare Wabeno 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 Wabeno?
25 of the 57 figures for Wabeno 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 Wabeno 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.