Lafayette County, Wisconsin Demographics 2026

Name: Lafayette County, Wisconsin Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lafayette County, Wisconsin has a population of 16,942, the 58th most populous county in Wisconsin. The median household income is $76,462 and the median home value is $194,500. The poverty rate is 11.9%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Lafayette County Quick Facts

Population 16,942

Median Household Income $76,462

Median Home Value $194,500

Poverty Rate 11.9%

Unemployment Rate 2.9%

Median Age 40.8 years

Homeownership Rate 80.2%

Affordability Ratio 2.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 22.6%

High School Graduation 91.5%

Cities/Places 9

Population 16,942 58th of 72

Median Income $76,462 1% lower than state

Poverty Rate 11.9%

Unemployment 2.9%

How Lafayette County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	16,788	16,942	+0.9%
Median household income	$72,091	$76,462	+6.1%
Median home value	$182,100	$194,500	+6.8%

Median Household Income

Lafayette

$76,462

$77,485

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Lafayette

$194,500

$266,500

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 13.4%

$25K-$50K 18.8%

$50K-$100K 32.5%

$100K+ 35.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.1%

$10K-$15K

3.3%

$15K-$20K

2.9%

$20K-$25K

3.1%

$25K-$30K

4.1%

$30K-$35K

4.5%

$35K-$40K

2.6%

$40K-$45K

3.4%

$45K-$50K

4.1%

$50K-$60K

7.3%

$60K-$75K

9.5%

$75K-$100K

15.8%

$100K-$125K

12.9%

$125K-$150K

7.5%

$150K-$200K

9.0%

$200K+

5.9%

Employment

2.9% Unemployment Rate State: 3.3%|National: 5.2%

65.3% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 80.2%

Renter 19.8%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $830/mo 13.0% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

25.3%

18-34

18.1%

35-54

22.1%

55-74

26.2%

75+

8.3%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 37 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Lafayette County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Darlington	2,409	$56,641	22.1%	$155,100
Shullsburg	1,184	$64,028	11.7%	$148,800
Benton	1,054	$80,938	8.1%	$157,400
Belmont	949	$61,875	9.7%	$191,200
Argyle	877	$59,702	10.7%	$137,300
South Wayne	441	$75,139	8.4%	$130,600
Gratiot	305	$42,344	31.1%	$151,300
Woodford	75	N/A	1.3%	$98,500
Wiota	50	$90,417	8.0%	$187,500

Explore Wisconsin Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Lafayette County is located in Wisconsin with a total population of 16,942. It is the 58th most populous county out of 72 in Wisconsin. The county encompasses 9 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lafayette County is 40.8 years. This is 1% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lafayette County is $76,462. This is 1% lower than the state median of $77,485. It is also 5% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.9%. This is 13% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.5%. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 11% lower than the state rate of 3.3%. The median home value is $194,500. Housing costs are 27% lower than the state median of $266,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Lafayette County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 80.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 18% higher than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Lafayette County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.7% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.1%. The Black or African American population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

22.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 32% lower than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lafayette County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Wisconsin and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Lafayette County, Wisconsin?

Lafayette County has a population of 16,942, making it the 58th most populous county in Wisconsin.

What is the median income in Lafayette County?

The median household income in Lafayette County is $76,462 with a poverty rate of 11.9%.

How many cities are in Lafayette County, Wisconsin?

Lafayette County contains 9 Census-designated places.