County · Wisconsin

Pierce County, Wisconsin

Pierce County, Wisconsin. Pierce County had 43,519 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.1% since 2020, faster than Wisconsin (+1.3%). It holds 27 places (8 cities, villages and boroughs, 17 towns and townships and 2 census-designated) and 8 census tracts. GEOID 55093.

Pierce County is one of the 15 counties of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

43,519

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 42,212 · ACS 2020-2024: 42,584

Median household income

$92,109

±$5,320 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485

Median home value

$333,700

±$8,284 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500

Median gross rent

$1,044

±$89 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087

How many people live in Pierce County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 42,212 residents in Pierce County. The Census Bureau estimates 43,519 for July 1, 2025, up 3.1% since 2020, faster than Wisconsin (+1.3%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 42,584 over 574 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −619 (41,602)
2021→2022 +955 (42,557)
2022→2023 +513 (43,070)
2023→2024 +236 (43,306)
2024→2025 +213 (43,519)

Pierce County in Wisconsin. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Pierce County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	42,584	5,914,872	+607
Households	15,867±280	2,479,480	no clear change
Average household size	2.53±0.04	2.33	no clear change
Housing units	17,152±56	2,778,572	+553

Pierce County's population since 2000

From 36,804 in 2000 to 43,519 in 2025: up 18.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 36,804
2005 (estimate) 39,318
2010 Census 41,019
2015 (estimate) 41,117
2020 Census 42,212
2025 (estimate) 43,519

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Pierce County?

Pierce County holds 27 places: 8 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 17 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 2 census-designated places. The largest is River Falls with 17,916 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Pierce County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

River Falls	city	16,182	16,719±27	$83,627	$327,600	15.1%	78%
Prescott	city	4,333	4,503±25	$74,412	$306,900	11.5%	100%
Ellsworth	village	3,348	3,349±17	$87,857	$262,200	8.6%	100%
Oak Grove (town), Pierce County	town	2,361	2,452±35	$153,279	$531,400	4.0%	100%
River Falls (town)	town	2,215	2,631±368	$118,500	$390,500	4.0%	100%
Clifton (town), Pierce County	town	2,177	2,531±296	$123,221	$460,300	4.3%	100%
Trenton (town), Pierce County	town	1,911	1,697±195	$109,750	$301,800	4.2%	100%
Trimbelle (town)	town	1,679	1,495±201	$107,375	$333,000	6.1%	100%
Spring Valley	village	1,401	1,290±147	$69,750	$198,900	6.6%	99%
Martell (town)	town	1,147	1,064±158	$94,519	$356,900	4.5%	100%
Ellsworth (town)	town	1,121	1,399±326	$121,250	$387,400	3.1%	100%
Gilman (town)	town	1,006	1,178±202	$107,969	$362,600	6.6%	100%
Hartland (town), Pierce County	town	830	818±114	$97,885	$306,700	7.5%	100%
Elmwood	village	820	629±83	$61,563	$172,000	13.7%	100%
El Paso (town)	town	724	685±127	$101,250	$266,700	1.0%	100%
Union (town), Pierce County	town	602	653±141	$94,750	$209,800	7.8%	100%
Spring Lake (town)	town	598	823±191	$97,905	$232,100	3.6%	100%
Plum City	village	596	541±139	$66,071	$168,400	10.5%	100%
Maiden Rock (town)	town	591	438±78	$73,929	$322,200	8.0%	100%
Diamond Bluff (town)	town	478	451±124	$74,605	$291,700	3.8%	100%
Salem (town)	town	475	563±114	$93,750	$313,200	9.5%	100%
Rock Elm (town)	town	447	411±91	$85,917	$284,200	2.4%	100%
Bay City	village	441	327±54	$57,857	$116,400	8.9%	100%
Hager City	CDP	357	243±71	$108,333	$268,300	7.4%	100%
Isabelle (town)GEOID 5509337350	town	261	234±48	$96,250	$252,800	0.4%	100%
Diamond BluffGEOID 5520125	CDP	184	192±104	$105,000	$365,400	5.2%	100%
Maiden RockGEOID 5548175	village	115	85±42	$89,375	$178,600	0.0%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Pierce County?

The median resident of Pierce County is 38.8 years old; 20.3% are under 18 and 16.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.4%. 2.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Pierce County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	38.8±0.5	40.2	+2.0
Under 18 years	20.3%	21.4%	–
65 years and over	16.8%±0.2 pts	18.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	3.0%	8.0%	+0.9 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	91.3%±0.4 pts	78.6%	−2.8 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.6%±0.2 pts	5.9%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1.2%±0.3 pts	2.9%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.5%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3.4%±0.5 pts	3.7%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	2.2%±0.5 pts	5.2%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	3.1%±0.7 pts	9.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	5.6%±0.6 pts	6.2%	–
With a disability	10.4%±0.9 pts	12.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	3.1%±0.6 pts	5.2%	−1.5 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	96.3%±0.9 pts	93.6%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	33.5%±2.0 pts	33.4%	+4.3 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	10.5%±1.2 pts	11.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	7.4%±1.4 pts	2.0%	–

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 Pierce County earn?

Half of Pierce County's 15,867 households earn less than $92,109 a year (±$5,320), against $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $89,007 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Pierce County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$92,109±$5,320	$77,485	no clear change
Mean household income	$118,966±$11,595	$101,466	–
Per capita income	$45,908±$4,478	$43,373	+$5,220
People below the poverty line	9.8%±1.7 pts	10.6%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	7.4%±3.8 pts	12.8%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	5.9%±1.3 pts	11.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	92.2%±1.4 pts	90.3%	–

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 Pierce County?

Owners occupy 75.0% of Pierce County's occupied homes and renters 25.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $333,700 by its owner (±$8,284). The median renter pays $1,044 a month including utilities, and 32.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Pierce County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$333,700±$8,284	$266,500	+$76,854
Median gross rent	$1,044±$89	$1,087	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	32.4%±5.7 pts	35.0%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$2,008±$66	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	75.0%±2.1 pts	67.8%	+2.8 pts
Housing units	17,152±56	2,778,572	+553
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.4%±0.2 pts	0.5%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.9%±4.0 pts	4.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	73.5%±2.2 pts	66.2%	–
Mobile homes	4.6%±1.1 pts	3.1%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.0%±0.7 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	18.4%±1.6 pts	17.8%	–

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 many new homes is Pierce County building?

Builders took permits for 367 new housing units across Pierce County in 2025 (273 single-family), 8.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 301 units
2020 367 units
2021 269 units
2022 283 units
2023 373 units
2024 202 units
2025 367 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Pierce County get to work?

75.4% of Pierce County's workers drive alone and 12.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.2%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Pierce County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	68.6%±1.2 pts	65.3%	–
Unemployment rate	3.2%±0.7 pts	3.2%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	75.4%±1.9 pts	74.4%	–
Carpooled	6.1%±0.9 pts	7.3%	–
Public transportation	0.0%±0.1 pts	1.1%	–
Walked	4.5%±1.0 pts	2.6%	–
Worked from home	12.8%±1.4 pts	13.1%	+7.9 pts
Mean travel time to work	26.8 min±0.9	22.2 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 are Pierce County's census tracts?

Pierce County is divided into 8 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $75,643 (Tract 9604) to $104,243 (Tract 9602).

Census tracts of Pierce County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 960155093960100	Elmwood (28%)	2,837	2,781±241	$79,464	$199,500	$841	7.1%
Tract 960255093960200	River Falls (6%)	6,174	6,079±401	$104,243	$364,400	$1,037	4.7%
Tract 960355093960300	River Falls (96%)	5,707	5,148±419	$83,615	$332,300	$970	17.9%
Tract 960455093960400	River Falls (94%)	5,964	6,845±434	$75,643	$359,000	$1,068	20.5%
Tract 960555093960500	Prescott (52%)	7,977	8,477±395	$100,924	$373,900	$1,203	7.4%
Tract 960655093960600	Bay City (6%)	4,988	4,632±331	$103,500	$318,400	$1,107	6.1%
Tract 960755093960700	Ellsworth (51%)	4,873	5,004±345	$94,929	$296,600	$1,052	7.3%
Tract 960855093960800	Plum City (5%)	3,692	3,618±258	$86,122	$264,200	$826	6.7%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Pierce County compare with Wisconsin's other counties?

Pierce County's rank among Wisconsin's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	35th of 72
Growth 2020-2025	12th of 72
Residents per square mile	27th of 72
Median household income	5th of 72
Median home value	7th of 72
Median gross rent	15th of 72
Poverty rate	43rd of 72
Bachelor's degree or higher	12th of 72
Median age	61st of 72

Every county in Wisconsin

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Pierce County 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.