You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Wisconsin.
The median household income in Waukesha County, the richest county in Wisconsin is $106,076, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 72 counties in the Badger State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in Wisconsin? The richest county in Wisconsin is Waukesha County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Price County, according to the Census data.
$106,076 median income · $494,695 median home price
$96,996 median income · $494,294 median home price
$103,046 median income · $467,939 median home price
$89,975 median income · $465,320 median home price
$96,359 median income · $423,203 median home price
$92,109 median income · $361,589 median home price
$88,810 median income · $370,910 median home price
$85,351 median income · $351,613 median home price
$83,750 median income · $359,899 median home price
$80,520 median income · $404,316 median home price
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Wisconsin’s statewide median.
Wisconsin statewide median: $77,485
Wisconsin statewide median: $330,171
On the map
Where Wisconsin’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Wisconsin county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Wisconsin, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Wisconsin for each of the criteria from one to 72, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Wisconsin.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Badger State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Wisconsin. The median Wisconsin home is 50 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Wisconsin
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waukesha County | 411,762 | $106,076 | $494,695 |
| 2 | Ozaukee County | 92,966 | $96,996 | $494,294 |
| 2 | St. Croix County | 96,033 | $103,046 | $467,939 |
| 4 | Dane County | 572,674 | $89,975 | $465,320 |
| 4 | Washington County | 137,879 | $96,359 | $423,203 |
| 6 | Pierce County | 42,584 | $92,109 | $361,589 |
| 7 | Calumet County | 52,942 | $88,810 | $370,910 |
| 8 | Columbia County | 58,272 | $85,351 | $351,613 |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 86,003 | $83,750 | $359,899 |
| 10 | Walworth County | 105,657 | $80,520 | $404,316 |
| 11 | Outagamie County | 192,826 | $85,069 | $337,446 |
| 12 | Iowa County | 23,867 | $82,182 | $335,142 |
| 13 | Brown County | 270,892 | $79,649 | $348,016 |
| 13 | Green County | 37,017 | $82,852 | $327,448 |
| 15 | Sauk County | 66,009 | $79,541 | $330,477 |
| 16 | Kenosha County | 168,438 | $81,239 | $323,633 |
| 17 | Door County | 30,445 | $74,795 | $424,675 |
| 18 | Polk County | 45,555 | $77,219 | $328,021 |
| 19 | Kewaunee County | 20,664 | $82,725 | $312,593 |
| 20 | Dodge County | 88,742 | $75,929 | $315,129 |
| 21 | Racine County | 197,532 | $78,096 | $304,766 |
| 21 | Portage County | 70,832 | $76,070 | $314,196 |
| 23 | Vilas County | 23,647 | $68,431 | $389,397 |
| 24 | La Crosse County | 120,488 | $73,013 | $326,200 |
| 25 | Eau Claire County | 107,116 | $74,546 | $314,564 |
| 25 | Sheboygan County | 117,991 | $73,094 | $315,782 |
| 27 | Chippewa County | 66,799 | $74,680 | $314,131 |
| 28 | Dunn County | 45,527 | $74,824 | $306,489 |
| 29 | Oconto County | 39,589 | $75,049 | $300,350 |
| 30 | Rock County | 164,350 | $75,673 | $286,957 |
| 31 | Winnebago County | 171,769 | $74,925 | $297,134 |
| 32 | Marathon County | 138,403 | $77,884 | $270,800 |
| 33 | Trempealeau County | 30,839 | $76,313 | $271,969 |
| 34 | Pepin County | 7,431 | $75,256 | $278,228 |
| 35 | Oneida County | 38,167 | $69,371 | $311,080 |
| 36 | Fond du Lac County | 104,137 | $74,275 | $282,904 |
| 36 | Bayfield County | 16,575 | $71,151 | $294,111 |
| 38 | Waupaca County | 51,569 | $72,830 | $280,716 |
| 39 | Lafayette County | 16,942 | $76,462 | $233,379 |
| 40 | Douglas County | 44,229 | $75,099 | $249,938 |
| 41 | Green Lake County | 19,263 | $68,196 | $286,241 |
| 42 | Sawyer County | 18,476 | $60,801 | $326,863 |
| 43 | Vernon County | 31,049 | $71,893 | $256,887 |
| 44 | Washburn County | 16,854 | $63,441 | $303,500 |
| 45 | Monroe County | 46,208 | $69,467 | $254,612 |
| 46 | Buffalo County | 13,393 | $70,479 | $247,941 |
| 47 | Manitowoc County | 81,406 | $69,148 | $255,268 |
| 47 | Waushara County | 24,868 | $67,107 | $274,993 |
| 49 | Menominee County | 4,252 | $62,108 | $299,211 |
| 49 | Milwaukee County | 926,331 | $64,435 | $283,167 |
| 51 | Burnett County | 16,916 | $62,819 | $290,650 |
| 51 | Barron County | 46,797 | $65,933 | $278,689 |
| 53 | Shawano County | 41,039 | $66,479 | $271,642 |
| 54 | Juneau County | 26,689 | $67,270 | $255,309 |
| 55 | Taylor County | 20,024 | $69,350 | $226,316 |
| 55 | Richland County | 17,205 | $66,420 | $267,993 |
| 57 | Lincoln County | 28,426 | $68,164 | $237,321 |
| 58 | Marquette County | 15,746 | $65,681 | $263,565 |
| 59 | Jackson County | 20,981 | $68,110 | $226,146 |
| 60 | Wood County | 74,004 | $67,989 | $223,020 |
| 61 | Clark County | 34,739 | $67,400 | $217,631 |
| 62 | Grant County | 51,770 | $66,858 | $222,304 |
| 63 | Crawford County | 16,042 | $64,094 | $230,022 |
| 64 | Adams County | 21,123 | $59,442 | $246,818 |
| 65 | Marinette County | 42,046 | $63,809 | $210,151 |
| 66 | Forest County | 9,369 | $61,071 | $215,025 |
| 67 | Iron County | 6,210 | $60,625 | $210,259 |
| 67 | Ashland County | 16,080 | $62,462 | $186,085 |
| 69 | Florence County | 4,646 | $61,086 | $198,944 |
| 70 | Langlade County | 19,490 | $55,878 | $215,146 |
| 71 | Rusk County | 14,179 | $59,944 | $204,725 |
| 71 | Price County | 14,092 | $60,546 | $200,456 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 72 Wisconsin counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In Wisconsin For 2026
Living in Wisconsin can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Wisconsin are Waukesha County, Ozaukee County, St. Croix County, Dane County, Washington County, Pierce County, Calumet County, Columbia County, Jefferson County, and Walworth County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on Wisconsin? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In Wisconsin FAQs
What is the richest county in Wisconsin?
Waukesha County is the richest county in Wisconsin for 2026, with a median household income of $106,076. Ozaukee County and St. Croix County are next.
What are the richest counties in Wisconsin?
The richest counties in Wisconsin are Waukesha County, Ozaukee County, St. Croix County, Dane County, Washington County, Pierce County, Calumet County, Columbia County, Jefferson County, and Walworth County. We ranked all 72 Wisconsin counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Waukesha County?
The median household in Waukesha County earns $106,076 a year, against a Wisconsin statewide median of $77,485. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of Wisconsin?
The median home across the ten richest Wisconsin counties is $413,760, versus $330,171 statewide. In Waukesha County, the typical home runs $494,695.
What is the poorest county in Wisconsin?
Price County is the poorest county in Wisconsin by this ranking, coming in last of the 72 counties we scored on income and home prices.
