Clark County is located in central Wisconsin, extending from the forested uplands of the Northwoods’ southern edge into the state’s agricultural heartland. Created in 1853 and named for George Rogers Clark, it developed around logging and sawmilling along the Black and Wisconsin River watersheds before shifting toward mixed farming and food production. The county is mid-sized by Wisconsin standards, with a population of about 34,000 residents. Land use is largely rural, characterized by dairy farms, crop fields, and extensive woodlands, with small cities and villages serving as local service centers. Manufacturing and agriculture remain major economic pillars, alongside forestry-related activity. Clark County also has a notable history of Central and Eastern European immigration, reflected in community institutions and cultural traditions. The county seat is Neillsville.
Clark County Local Demographic Profile
Clark County is located in central Wisconsin, stretching from the city of Neillsville east toward the Marshfield area and encompassing a mix of rural towns, forests, and small urban centers. For local government and planning resources, visit the Clark County official website.
Population Size
County-level demographic statistics for population size are published by the U.S. Census Bureau, but exact figures cannot be verified here without live access to the current tables. Use the U.S. Census Bureau’s county profile page for the official, up-to-date population count for Clark County: U.S. Census Bureau data profile for Clark County, Wisconsin.
Age & Gender
County-level age distribution (including standard Census age bands and median age) and the sex composition (male/female share) are reported in the U.S. Census Bureau’s county profile and related American Community Survey tables; exact values are not available in this response without direct retrieval from the tables. The authoritative county-level figures are available via the Clark County, Wisconsin data profile on data.census.gov.
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial composition (e.g., White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, and Two or More Races) and ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino origin) are provided by the U.S. Census Bureau at the county level, but exact values are not available in this response without direct table access. The official county breakdown is published on the Clark County, Wisconsin Census profile.
Household and Housing Data
Household characteristics (household count, average household size, family vs. nonfamily households) and housing indicators (housing units, occupancy/vacancy, tenure such as owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied) are available through the U.S. Census Bureau’s county-level profile and American Community Survey tables; exact county values are not available in this response without direct retrieval. Official statistics are available via the U.S. Census Bureau Clark County profile page and the broader American Community Survey (ACS) program documentation.
Email Usage
Clark County, Wisconsin is a largely rural county with small population centers, where longer distances between households and providers can constrain fixed-line network buildout and make mobile broadband a more common access path for digital communication.
Direct county-level email usage statistics are generally not published; email access trends are therefore inferred from proxy indicators such as broadband subscription, computer availability, and age structure. The most comparable local measures are available via the U.S. Census Bureau’s data portal (American Community Survey), which reports household broadband subscription and computer access—both prerequisites for routine email use. Age distribution from the same source indicates the share of older adults versus working-age residents; higher proportions of older residents are typically associated with lower adoption of some digital services, including email, relative to younger and middle-aged groups.
Gender distribution is available in Census profiles but is not a primary driver of email access compared with connectivity, device access, and age.
Connectivity limitations are reflected in rural service gaps and deployment challenges documented through the FCC National Broadband Map and Wisconsin program reporting via the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin broadband resources.
Mobile Phone Usage
Clark County is located in central Wisconsin, with the city of Neillsville serving as the county seat. The county is predominantly rural, characterized by mixed agricultural land, forests, and dispersed small communities rather than large urban centers. These conditions (lower population density, longer distances between cell sites, and wooded terrain) tend to increase the cost and complexity of building dense mobile networks compared with metropolitan areas, which can influence both coverage quality and capacity.
Key terms: availability vs. adoption
- Network availability refers to where mobile service (voice/data) is technically offered by providers and where signal/service is reported (for example, 4G LTE or 5G coverage).
- Household adoption (use) refers to whether residents actually subscribe to and use mobile service and mobile internet, which is influenced by income, age, device ownership, and affordability, among other factors.
Mobile penetration and access indicators (adoption)
County-specific “mobile penetration” metrics (for example, subscriptions per 100 residents) are not typically published at the county level in a consistent way. The most comparable county-level adoption indicators generally come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s household survey estimates.
Cellular-only households (mobile substitution)
The U.S. Census Bureau provides estimates related to telephone service and “wireless-only” (cellular-only) households through its survey programs, but the most directly comparable published tables are often produced at state level or for larger geographies, and county-level availability can vary by table/year. For Clark County, the most practical approach is to use:
- U.S. Census Bureau survey tables for household telephone service and internet subscriptions where county-level estimates are available (with margins of error), and
- Wisconsin statewide benchmarks for contextual comparison when county estimates are not published.
Relevant sources:
- U.S. Census Bureau data portal (data.census.gov) (search for Clark County, WI tables on “telephone service” and “internet subscriptions”).
- American Community Survey (ACS) overview (explains methodology and margins of error affecting county estimates).
Limitation: A single, standardized county-level “mobile penetration” rate is not published by the Census. Available county indicators are typically household-based (for example, “cellular-only” status) rather than subscriber counts.
Mobile internet as a share of household internet access
Census/ACS tables can distinguish between types of internet subscriptions (for example, cellular data plan vs. cable/fiber/DSL). Where available for Clark County, these tables indicate:
- the share of households with any internet subscription, and
- the share with an internet subscription via a cellular data plan (mobile broadband), either alone or alongside fixed broadband.
Primary reference:
Limitation: ACS data describes household subscriptions rather than real-time network performance, and estimates for rural counties can have larger margins of error.
Mobile internet usage patterns and network availability (4G/5G)
Coverage and technology availability (reported)
For county-level network availability, the most widely used public references are federal broadband mapping and carrier-reported coverage layers:
- The FCC National Broadband Map provides location-based reporting for mobile broadband availability (including 4G LTE and 5G, depending on provider filings and map layers). It is the primary public tool for comparing reported coverage across areas within Clark County (for example, around Neillsville and along major corridors versus more remote or heavily forested sections).
- Wisconsin’s statewide broadband resources often summarize coverage conditions and planning frameworks:
Clear distinction: FCC coverage layers describe where providers report service as available; they do not measure how many households subscribe, nor do they directly represent typical indoor signal strength or congestion at peak times.
4G LTE vs. 5G (availability context)
- 4G LTE is generally the baseline technology expected across much of populated Wisconsin and along primary travel routes; in rural counties, LTE coverage is often broader than 5G because it relies on longer-established cell-site grids and lower-frequency deployments.
- 5G availability in rural counties commonly appears as:
- coverage concentrated near population centers,
- coverage along highways and main routes,
- more limited reach in sparsely populated, heavily wooded, or topographically challenging areas.
County-specific, provider-by-provider 5G reach and the mix of low-band/mid-band deployments are best verified using the FCC map and carrier coverage maps, recognizing that carrier maps are promotional and may use different assumptions than the FCC map.
Primary reference:
Limitation: Public sources do not provide a single definitive countywide statistic for “percentage of land area with 5G” that is both uniform across carriers and validated by field testing. The FCC map is the most standardized public reporting tool, but it remains based on provider filings.
Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)
County-level device-type splits (smartphone vs. basic phone vs. tablet/hotspot) are not typically published as an official county statistic. The most defensible public indicators are:
- Household computing device ownership (desktop/laptop/tablet) and
- household internet subscription types (including cellular data plans)
These are available through ACS tables (with margins of error):
General interpretation grounded in available measures:
- A higher share of households reporting a cellular data plan as an internet subscription generally aligns with greater reliance on smartphones and mobile hotspots for internet access.
- A higher share of households with computing devices (desktop/laptop/tablet) often correlates with multi-device use, but it does not directly quantify smartphone ownership.
Limitation: ACS does not directly enumerate “smartphone ownership rate” at the county level in the same way it tracks household computer ownership and subscription categories.
Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Clark County
Rural settlement pattern and population density
- Clark County’s dispersed population pattern tends to reduce the economic incentive for dense cell-site placement compared with urban counties, which can affect:
- consistency of indoor coverage,
- availability of high-capacity mobile service outside towns,
- the practical performance of mobile broadband during peak hours in limited-coverage zones.
References for geography and community context:
- Clark County, Wisconsin official website
- Census QuickFacts (for population, density, age distribution, and housing characteristics; select Clark County, Wisconsin)
Terrain, vegetation, and land use
- Forested areas and rolling terrain typical of central Wisconsin can contribute to signal attenuation and shadowing, especially for higher-frequency services. This is a general radio-propagation constraint and is reflected operationally in more variable coverage away from towers.
Age structure, income, and housing
The strongest publicly available correlates of mobile adoption and reliance on mobile-only internet at local levels typically include:
- income and poverty measures (affect affordability of unlimited data plans and device replacement cycles),
- age distribution (older populations often show lower adoption of mobile-only internet in many survey findings, though county-specific confirmation requires ACS tables),
- housing and household composition (renters vs. owners; multi-family vs. single-family), which can influence both fixed broadband availability and the attractiveness of mobile broadband alternatives.
Primary references:
Limitation: These demographic relationships are well-established in broadband adoption research, but county-specific effect sizes (for example, “how much” income changes mobile-only reliance in Clark County) are not typically published as definitive causal estimates in public administrative datasets.
Summary: what can be stated with high confidence from public sources
- Availability: The most standardized public view of 4G/5G mobile broadband availability within Clark County comes from the FCC National Broadband Map, which distinguishes reported mobile coverage by technology and provider.
- Adoption: The most standardized public view of county household internet subscription types (including cellular data plans) and device ownership comes from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS via data.census.gov), which measures household adoption and reliance patterns rather than signal availability.
- Device mix: County-level “smartphone share” is not typically available as an official statistic; ACS provides household computing-device ownership and cellular-plan subscription categories that serve as partial proxies.
- Drivers: Rural geography, dispersed settlement, and wooded terrain are structural factors associated with more variable coverage outside towns; demographic factors measurable in ACS (age, income, housing) are the principal public indicators associated with differences in mobile adoption and mobile-only internet reliance.
Social Media Trends
Clark County is in central Wisconsin, with Neillsville as the county seat and a largely rural, small‑town settlement pattern anchored by agriculture, manufacturing, and regional service centers. These characteristics typically correlate with heavy reliance on mobile connectivity for communication and local news, alongside in‑person community networks.
User statistics (penetration and active use)
- County-level penetration: Publicly consistent, survey-grade social media penetration estimates are generally not published at the county level (Clark County–specific percentages are uncommon in reputable national datasets).
- State and national benchmarks often used for rural counties:
- U.S. adults using social media: ~70% report using at least one social media site. Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet (2024).
- Usage differences by community type: Social media use is slightly lower in rural areas than urban/suburban in many Pew breakdowns, but still a majority of adults. Source: Pew Research Center (community-type detail in tables).
- Practical interpretation for Clark County: A reasonable reference range for “active on social platforms” is aligned with the national adult baseline (~70%), with rural counties often trending modestly below urban averages, depending on age mix and broadband availability.
Age group trends
- Highest usage: Adults 18–29 show the highest social media adoption (roughly mid‑80%+ using social media). Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Strong usage: Adults 30–49 also have high adoption (typically ~80%).
- Moderate usage: Adults 50–64 generally show ~60–70% usage.
- Lowest usage but still substantial: Adults 65+ are commonly ~45–50% users, with platform choice skewing more toward Facebook. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Implication for Clark County: A rural county with an older median age profile typically exhibits higher relative reliance on Facebook among older cohorts, with Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok concentrated among younger residents.
Gender breakdown
- Across U.S. adults, overall social media use is similar for men and women, with platform-specific differences (women more likely to use Pinterest and Instagram in many survey waves; men often relatively higher on Reddit and some other platforms). Source: Pew Research Center platform-by-demographic tables (2024).
- Implication for Clark County: The most visible gender differences are expected to appear by platform (e.g., Pinterest vs. Reddit) rather than in overall “any social media” adoption.
Most-used platforms (percentages from reputable surveys)
County-specific platform shares are rarely published; the most defensible percentages come from national probability surveys.
- YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults use YouTube. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Facebook: ~68%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Instagram: ~47%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Pinterest: ~35%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- TikTok: ~33%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- LinkedIn: ~30%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Snapchat: ~27%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- X (formerly Twitter): ~22%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Reddit: ~22%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- WhatsApp: ~29%. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)
- Platform-by-age sorting
- Facebook tends to function as a cross‑age “utility” platform (community groups, local announcements), with older adults overrepresented. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok skew heavily toward younger adults, with higher daily engagement rates reported in multiple survey series. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Video-first consumption
- YouTube’s very high reach indicates broad preference for video across age groups; in rural counties it often overlaps with entertainment, how‑to content, and local/regional information seeking. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
- Local information and community coordination
- Rural communities commonly use Facebook Pages/Groups and local media posts for event promotion, weather and road updates, school/community notices, and peer recommendations, reflecting a blend of online coordination with offline networks. Supporting context on local news behaviors appears in Pew’s broader internet/news research, including community-oriented news use patterns: Pew Research Center journalism and local news research.
- Messaging and private sharing
- Nationally, usage of messaging and private sharing (Messenger/WhatsApp and group chats) continues to be a major mode of engagement, especially for family and community coordination, even when public posting frequency is lower. Source: Pew Research Center (2024).
Family & Associates Records
Clark County, Wisconsin family-related vital records include birth, death, marriage, and divorce records. Birth and death records are statewide vital records administered locally by the Clark County Register of Deeds for events occurring in the county; certified copies are issued under Wisconsin vital records rules. Adoption records are generally handled through state courts and the Wisconsin Vital Records Office rather than county public indexing, and access is restricted.
Public-facing databases are limited for vital records. Clark County provides searchable access to recorded real estate and related filings through the Clark County Register of Deeds, including links to its land records search portal. Court records that may reflect family relationships (divorce, paternity, guardianship, probate) are available through the Wisconsin court system’s Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) for cases filed in Clark County Circuit Court; older or sealed cases may require courthouse access.
Residents access vital records by requesting copies in person or by mail through the Register of Deeds office, or through the state’s Wisconsin Vital Records services. In-person court file inspection occurs at the Clark County Clerk of Courts.
Privacy restrictions commonly apply to birth records, adoption files, sealed court matters, and records involving minors; Wisconsin law limits release to eligible requesters and may require identification and fees.
Marriage & Divorce Records
Types of records available
Marriage records
- Marriage license application and license: Created and retained by the Clark County Clerk as the local issuing authority.
- Marriage certificate / marriage record: A vital record registered after the marriage is returned by the officiant; certified copies are issued from vital records repositories (county and state).
- Marriage register/index entries: Summary entries used for administrative and retrieval purposes.
Divorce records
- Divorce case file: A court record maintained by the Clerk of Circuit Court (civil/family case), typically including the judgment and supporting filings.
- Judgment of divorce (decree): The final court order terminating the marriage; usually part of the circuit court file and also reported as a vital event at the state level as a divorce certificate (a vital record summary, not the full case file).
Annulment records
- Annulment case file and judgment: Maintained by the Clerk of Circuit Court as a court record. Wisconsin uses “annulment” for a judgment declaring a marriage void or voidable under state law; the final judgment is part of the court file and may be reflected in state vital statistics as a marital status event.
Where records are filed and how they can be accessed
Clark County marriage records (local filing)
- Filed/maintained by: Clark County Clerk (license/issuance and local recordkeeping).
- Access:
- Requests for certified copies of marriage records are commonly handled through the county vital records function and/or the state vital records office (see below).
- Some non-certified, historical or index-style information may be available through public search systems or in-person review depending on record type and age.
Wisconsin vital records (state filing)
- Filed/maintained by: Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Vital Records (statewide repository for registered marriage and divorce/annulment events).
- Access:
- Certified copies are issued to eligible requesters under Wisconsin vital records law; identity verification and fees apply.
- Non-certified informational copies may be available for some record categories under state policy and statutory limitations.
- Reference: Wisconsin DHS Vital Records
Divorce and annulment court files (court filing)
- Filed/maintained by: Clark County Clerk of Circuit Court (official court record).
- Access:
- Case registers/dockets are generally accessible through the Wisconsin court system’s public access portal for basic case information, subject to confidentiality rules.
- Copies of filings and judgments are obtained from the Clerk of Circuit Court; access to specific documents may be limited or redacted by law or court order.
- Reference: Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA)
Typical information included in these records
Marriage license / marriage record
Common fields include:
- Full legal names of both parties (including maiden name when reported)
- Dates of birth/ages and places of birth
- Residence addresses and/or municipality/county of residence at time of application
- Date and place of marriage; officiant name/title; witness information (as recorded)
- Application details such as parents’ names (as provided), prior marital status, and identification attestations (format varies by time period and form)
Divorce (judgment and case file)
Common components include:
- Case caption (party names), case number, filing date, county, and branch
- Findings and judgment terminating the marriage, including date the judgment is granted/entered
- Orders on legal custody/physical placement, child support, maintenance, and property division (when applicable)
- Associated filings (petition/summons, financial disclosure forms, proposed parenting plans, affidavits, motions), with redactions or confidentiality applied where required
Annulment (judgment and case file)
Common components include:
- Case caption, case number, filing date, and county/branch
- Judgment declaring the marriage void/voidable and related findings
- Orders addressing children, support, and property matters where applicable (annulment cases can include similar family-law orders)
Privacy or legal restrictions
Vital records (marriage, divorce/annulment vital events)
- Wisconsin treats certified vital records as controlled documents. Access to certified copies is restricted to eligible parties and others authorized by law; applicants generally must provide acceptable identification and pay statutory fees.
- Some information can be withheld on certified copies under state confidentiality rules (for example, certain sensitive data elements).
Court records (divorce/annulment case files)
- Wisconsin court records are generally public, but specific documents or data elements can be confidential by statute or sealed by court order.
- Common restrictions include:
- Protected information such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and certain personal identifiers (typically redacted).
- Confidential proceedings or documents in limited circumstances (for example, certain family-court evaluations, protected addresses, and records sealed by court order).
- Juvenile-related confidentiality affecting records involving minors in separate juvenile proceedings; family cases may also restrict disclosure of certain minor-identifying information in documents.
Public access limitations
- Online portals typically display register-of-actions/docket and limited document availability; full documents may require a request to the Clerk of Circuit Court and may be subject to redaction, confidentiality, or non-disclosure rules.
References:
Education, Employment and Housing
Clark County is in central Wisconsin, anchored by the City of Neillsville and a mix of small towns and rural communities. The county’s population is predominantly small‑town/rural, with employment and housing patterns shaped by agriculture, manufacturing, and local services, plus commuting to nearby regional job centers.
Education Indicators
Public schools (counts and names)
Clark County is served by multiple public school districts operating elementary, middle, and high schools. A consolidated, countywide “number of public schools” and full school-name inventory is not published as a single official county metric; the most reliable way to enumerate current schools is via the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) directory and district pages. Key public districts serving the county include:
- Neillsville School District
- Abbotsford School District (serves portions of Clark and Marathon counties)
- Loyal School District
- Colby School District (serves portions of Clark and Marathon counties)
- Greenwood School District
- Spencer School District (serves portions of Clark and Marathon counties)
- Thorp School District (serves portions of Clark and Eau Claire counties)
- Owen‑Withee School District (serves portions of Clark and Taylor counties)
School and district listings are maintained in the state’s directory: Wisconsin DPI district and school directories.
Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates
- Student–teacher ratios: District-level student–teacher ratios vary by district size and grade configuration; DPI publishes staffing and enrollment used to compute ratios, but a single official countywide ratio is not consistently reported as one metric across sources. DPI district report cards and staffing data are the most consistent public references for comparable district ratios: Wisconsin School Report Cards (DPI).
- Graduation rates: Wisconsin reports 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rates by district and high school via DPI report cards. Clark County’s high schools vary by district; a single countywide graduation rate is not always presented as a standalone figure in state reporting. District report cards provide the most recent, comparable graduation rates for each high school/district: Wisconsin School Report Cards.
Adult educational attainment
The most widely used source for county adult attainment is the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5‑year estimates (population age 25+). These measures are reported as percentages for:
- High school diploma or higher
- Bachelor’s degree or higher
County educational attainment (ACS) is available through: data.census.gov (ACS educational attainment). A single set of percentages is not reproduced here because the “most recent available” values depend on the currently released ACS 5‑year vintage and table selection; the cited source provides the official county estimates and margins of error.
Notable programs (STEM, vocational, AP)
- Career and Technical Education (CTE)/vocational training: Wisconsin districts commonly offer CTE pathways (e.g., agriculture, manufacturing, business/marketing, family & consumer sciences, technology education), often supported through regional cooperative arrangements and technical college partnerships. Program availability varies by district; DPI CTE framework information is maintained at: Wisconsin DPI Career and Technical Education.
- Advanced Placement (AP) / dual credit: AP participation and dual-credit opportunities are district-specific and typically documented in district course catalogs and DPI report cards (college and career readiness components). Wisconsin AP program information is summarized by the College Board; district participation varies: Advanced Placement program overview (College Board).
- STEM programming: STEM offerings in rural Wisconsin districts often include project-based science/technology courses, robotics clubs, and applied manufacturing/engineering coursework where staffing and enrollment support it; these are documented at district level rather than as a countywide inventory.
School safety measures and counseling resources
- Safety measures: Wisconsin public schools generally operate with building access controls, emergency response planning, visitor management procedures, and school-based law enforcement collaboration depending on district resources. State-level school safety planning support is coordinated through Wisconsin programs and guidance, with resources available via: Wisconsin DPI School Safety.
- Student supports and counseling: Counseling and student services staffing vary by district; school report cards and district staffing reports are common public sources for pupil services roles. County-level mental health and youth support services are also typically coordinated through county human services and community providers, but these are not standardized as a single “county school counseling” statistic.
Employment and Economic Conditions
Unemployment rate (most recent year available)
County unemployment is reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) as annual averages. The most recent annual and monthly county rates are available through: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics. A single numeric rate is not stated here because the “most recent year available” changes with ongoing releases; the linked source provides the official latest annual average for Clark County.
Major industries and employment sectors
Industry composition for residents (where employed people live) is typically summarized in ACS 5‑year estimates and commonly includes:
- Manufacturing
- Educational services and health care/social assistance
- Retail trade
- Construction
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (notably more prominent in rural counties)
- Transportation/warehousing and other services (varies by corridor access and local employers)
County industry tables are available at: data.census.gov (ACS industry by county).
Common occupations and workforce breakdown
Occupational distribution (ACS) for county residents typically spans:
- Management, business, science, and arts
- Service occupations
- Sales and office
- Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
- Production, transportation, and material moving (often elevated in manufacturing-oriented areas)
Clark County occupation shares (ACS) are available at: data.census.gov (ACS occupation by county).
Commuting patterns and mean commute time
ACS provides commuting mode shares and travel-time metrics, including:
- Driving alone and carpooling (dominant in rural counties)
- Working from home (increased relative to pre‑2020 levels in many areas)
- Mean travel time to work (minutes)
Clark County commuting characteristics are available via: data.census.gov (ACS commuting/travel time).
Local employment vs. out-of-county work
County-to-county commuting (where workers live vs. where they work) is best measured with the U.S. Census Bureau’s LEHD Origin–Destination Employment Statistics:
- OnTheMap / LEHD provides inflow/outflow and primary job location patterns for Clark County residents and workplaces: LEHD OnTheMap (commuting flows).
A single consolidated “local vs. out-of-county” percentage is not consistently published as one official county figure across general reference sources; LEHD is the standard public dataset for this breakdown.
Housing and Real Estate
Homeownership and rental share
Homeownership and tenancy are reported by ACS (occupied housing units):
- Owner-occupied share (homeownership rate)
- Renter-occupied share
Clark County tenure estimates are available at: data.census.gov (ACS housing tenure). (The most recent values depend on the latest released ACS 5‑year vintage.)
Median property values and recent trends
- Median value of owner-occupied housing units is reported by ACS, and multi-year trends can be assessed by comparing successive ACS 5‑year releases.
- For market-price trends (sales-based), private aggregators and REALTOR® reports exist, but they are not official government statistics and can differ by methodology.
Official median value estimates (ACS): data.census.gov (ACS median home value).
Wisconsin housing market context is also tracked in state and university reporting; a commonly referenced source for statewide housing conditions is: University of Wisconsin System housing research and reports (coverage varies by publication).
Typical rent prices
ACS reports:
- Median gross rent (including utilities where applicable in the measure)
- Gross rent as a percentage of household income for renters
Clark County rent estimates (ACS): data.census.gov (ACS median gross rent).
Types of housing
Clark County’s housing stock is characterized by:
- Single-family detached homes as the dominant form in many communities and rural areas
- Manufactured homes (more common in rural settings and smaller municipalities)
- Small multifamily properties/apartments concentrated in incorporated places (e.g., Neillsville and other villages/cities), with limited large-scale apartment inventory typical of rural counties
- Rural residential lots and farm-related housing outside municipal cores
Housing unit structure type shares are available in ACS: data.census.gov (ACS units in structure).
Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)
- Municipal centers (e.g., Neillsville and other incorporated communities): generally closer access to schools, municipal parks, libraries, clinics, and retail services, with shorter in-town travel distances.
- Townships and rural areas: larger parcels, greater distance to schools/amenities, and higher reliance on personal vehicles for daily travel.
These characteristics are typical for central Wisconsin rural counties; they are not published as a single standardized county metric.
Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)
Property taxes in Wisconsin are administered locally (municipalities, school districts, technical colleges, county) and expressed through:
- Mill rates / tax rates (vary by municipality and school district)
- Net property tax bills (vary by assessed value and local levies)
Countywide “average rate” is not a single fixed value because rates differ by taxing jurisdiction within Clark County. The most authoritative public sources are:
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) property tax and assessment publications: Wisconsin DOR property tax overview
- Local treasurer/municipal assessment and tax bill records for typical homeowner costs (jurisdiction-specific rather than countywide)
A practical proxy for “typical homeowner cost” is the combination of ACS median home value (for value context) and jurisdiction-level effective tax bills from municipal records; no single official countywide homeowner tax bill is reported as a uniform statistic across all jurisdictions.
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Wisconsin
- Adams
- Ashland
- Barron
- Bayfield
- Brown
- Buffalo
- Burnett
- Calumet
- Chippewa
- Columbia
- Crawford
- Dane
- Dodge
- Door
- Douglas
- Dunn
- Eau Claire
- Florence
- Fond Du Lac
- Forest
- Grant
- Green
- Green Lake
- Iowa
- Iron
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Juneau
- Kenosha
- Kewaunee
- La Crosse
- Lafayette
- Langlade
- Lincoln
- Manitowoc
- Marathon
- Marinette
- Marquette
- Menominee
- Milwaukee
- Monroe
- Oconto
- Oneida
- Outagamie
- Ozaukee
- Pepin
- Pierce
- Polk
- Portage
- Price
- Racine
- Richland
- Rock
- Rusk
- Saint Croix
- Sauk
- Sawyer
- Shawano
- Sheboygan
- Taylor
- Trempealeau
- Vernon
- Vilas
- Walworth
- Washburn
- Washington
- Waukesha
- Waupaca
- Waushara
- Winnebago
- Wood