County · Wisconsin

Rusk County, Wisconsin

Rusk County, Wisconsin. Rusk County had 14,146 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.2% since 2020, while Wisconsin grew 1.3%. It holds 33 places (9 cities, villages and boroughs and 24 towns and townships) and 5 census tracts. GEOID 55107.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

14,146

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 14,188 · ACS 2020-2024: 14,179

Median household income

$59,944

±$2,781 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485

Median home value

$163,400

±$5,993 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500

Median gross rent

$874

±$36 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087

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

The 2020 Census counted 14,188 residents in Rusk County. The Census Bureau estimates 14,146 for July 1, 2025, down 0.2% since 2020, while Wisconsin grew 1.3%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 14,179 over 914 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −70 (14,099)
2021→2022 +61 (14,160)
2022→2023 +73 (14,233)
2023→2024 −107 (14,126)
2024→2025 +20 (14,146)

Rusk County in Wisconsin. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Rusk County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	14,179	5,914,872	+47
Households	6,355±147	2,479,480	no clear change
Average household size	2.20±0.05	2.33	no clear change
Housing units	8,663±48	2,778,572	−526

Rusk County's population since 2000

From 15,347 in 2000 to 14,146 in 2025: down 7.8%. 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 15,347
2005 (estimate) 15,091
2010 Census 14,755
2015 (estimate) 14,119
2020 Census 14,188
2025 (estimate) 14,146

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 Rusk County?

Rusk County holds 33 places: 9 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 24 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Ladysmith with 3,172 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 Rusk County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Ladysmith	city	3,216	3,227±16	$41,719	$124,200	19.0%	100%
Flambeau (town), Rusk County	town	987	1,136±188	$83,393	$166,100	15.4%	100%
Bruce	village	781	900±120	$52,667	$87,100	16.9%	100%
Grant (town), Rusk County	town	732	692±113	$75,536	$172,600	7.2%	100%
Thornapple (town)	town	721	659±120	$62,083	$180,900	15.3%	100%
Marshall (town), Rusk County	town	664	586±100	$65,125	$140,000	15.9%	100%
Atlanta (town)	town	560	571±96	$78,438	$175,000	8.6%	100%
Rusk (town), Rusk County	town	551	556±91	$76,402	$209,800	0.8%	100%
Dewey (town), Rusk County	town	542	482±71	$83,750	$221,300	7.1%	100%
Willard (town)	town	525	522±102	$66,250	$222,000	15.5%	100%
Stubbs (town)	town	523	508±93	$58,333	$178,100	10.2%	100%
Grow (town)	town	443	540±135	$66,538	$170,200	6.7%	100%
Big Bend (town)	town	401	478±92	$67,813	$254,500	12.9%	100%
Washington (town), Rusk County	town	360	440±75	$54,730	$247,200	3.4%	100%
Hawkins	village	331	322±70	$41,250	$72,500	16.5%	100%
Lawrence (town), Rusk CountyGEOID 5510742950	town	301	254±61	$43,587	$99,800	8.3%	100%
Strickland (town)	town	280	321±70	$84,500	$227,800	7.8%	100%
SheldonGEOID 5573175	village	261	220±72	$37,315	$118,400	15.0%	100%
Murry (town)	town	247	206±47	$58,750	$198,200	17.6%	100%
True (town)	town	237	189±58	$63,333	$164,600	3.2%	100%
Weyerhaeuser	village	232	161±48	$61,250	$95,000	19.3%	100%
Richland (town), Rusk County	town	197	169±48	$55,179	$134,100	12.4%	100%
Hubbard (town), Rusk CountyGEOID 5510736125	town	178	158±34	$50,417	$171,900	29.1%	100%
Hawkins (town)GEOID 5510733300	town	122	104±26	$59,583	$147,500	13.5%	100%
Wilson (town), Rusk CountyGEOID 5510787450	town	116	151±53	$58,750	$230,000	9.5%	100%
South Fork (town)GEOID 5510774975	town	115	142±41	$59,286	$116,700	2.8%	100%
Big Falls (town)GEOID 5510707225	town	115	124±37	$61,000	$139,600	8.9%	100%
TonyGEOID 5580225	village	105	123±34	$81,250	$85,000	7.3%	100%
Glen FloraGEOID 5529475	village	100	89±30	$68,750	$115,000	18.0%	100%
ConrathGEOID 5516775	village	88	70±45	not published	$153,100	1.4%	100%
IngramGEOID 5536925	village	70	44±25	$48,750	$97,500	13.6%	100%
Wilkinson (town)GEOID 5510787125	town	51	20±9	$48,750	$185,400	5.0%	100%
Cedar Rapids (town)GEOID 5510713550	town	36	15±10	$93,750	$262,500	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 Rusk County?

The median resident of Rusk County is 49.2 years old; 20.0% are under 18 and 26.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.8%. 1.1% 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	Rusk County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	49.2±0.3	40.2	no clear change
Under 18 years	20.0%	21.4%	–
65 years and over	26.0%±0.1 pts	18.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.1%	8.0%	+0.2 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	93.1%±0.4 pts	78.6%	−1.6 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.2%±0.2 pts	5.9%	+0.6 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.1 pts	2.9%	–
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.1 pts	0.5%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.8%±0.4 pts	3.7%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	1.1%±0.3 pts	5.2%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	2.4%±0.6 pts	9.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	9.0%±0.9 pts	6.2%	–
With a disability	17.3%±1.4 pts	12.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	5.7%±1.0 pts	5.2%	−2.8 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	92.9%±0.8 pts	93.6%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	16.9%±1.6 pts	33.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	4.5%±0.8 pts	11.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	2.2%±0.7 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 Rusk County earn?

Half of Rusk County's 6,355 households earn less than $59,944 a year (±$2,781), against $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $58,497 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Rusk County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$59,944±$2,781	$77,485	no clear change
Mean household income	$73,376±$2,906	$101,466	–
Per capita income	$33,309±$1,153	$43,373	+$1,491
People below the poverty line	13.1%±1.8 pts	10.6%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	20.6%±5.5 pts	12.8%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	16.2%±1.9 pts	11.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	84.9%±1.8 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 Rusk County?

Owners occupy 77.9% of Rusk County's occupied homes and renters 22.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $163,400 by its owner (±$5,993). The median renter pays $874 a month including utilities, and 34.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Rusk County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$163,400±$5,993	$266,500	+$23,839
Median gross rent	$874±$36	$1,087	+$61
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	34.4%±8.7 pts	35.0%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,260±$52	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	77.9%±2.1 pts	67.8%	no clear change
Housing units	8,663±48	2,778,572	−526
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.4%±0.4 pts	0.5%	–
Rental vacancy rate	3.4%±3.1 pts	4.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	84.0%±1.8 pts	66.2%	–
Mobile homes	8.3%±0.9 pts	3.1%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.8%±0.4 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	16.6%±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 Rusk County building?

Builders took permits for 77 new housing units across Rusk County in 2025 (75 single-family), 5.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 72 units
2020 72 units
2021 102 units
2022 86 units
2023 92 units
2024 74 units
2025 77 units

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

How do people in Rusk County get to work?

77.5% of Rusk County's workers drive alone and 9.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.4%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Rusk County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	55.6%±1.3 pts	65.3%	–
Unemployment rate	5.4%±1.5 pts	3.2%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	77.5%±2.1 pts	74.4%	–
Carpooled	10.8%±2.0 pts	7.3%	–
Public transportation	0.3%±0.3 pts	1.1%	–
Walked	1.7%±0.6 pts	2.6%	–
Worked from home	9.2%±1.7 pts	13.1%	no clear change
Mean travel time to work	26.9 min±1.6	22.2 min	+3.0 min

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 Rusk County's census tracts?

Rusk County is divided into 5 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $46,369 (Tract 9605) to $75,409 (Tract 9602).

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

Tract 960155107960100	Tony (6%)	3,496	3,343±179	$61,827	$146,800	$832	10.5%
Tract 960255107960200	Weyerhaeuser (13%)	1,993	1,961±138	$75,409	$183,900	$883	9.1%
Tract 960355107960300	Bruce (21%)	2,287	2,449±158	$57,443	$199,000	$718	11.5%
Tract 960455107960400	Sheldon (11%)	2,905	2,865±157	$66,049	$170,600	$994	12.2%
Tract 960555107960500	Ladysmith (82%)	3,507	3,561±170	$46,369	$138,800	$879	19.8%

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

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

Rusk County's rank among Wisconsin's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	65th of 72
Growth 2020-2025	59th of 72
Residents per square mile	64th of 72
Median household income	70th of 72
Median home value	68th of 72
Median gross rent	38th of 72
Poverty rate	11th of 72
Bachelor's degree or higher	67th of 72
Median age	16th 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 Rusk 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.