Saint Croix County is located in western Wisconsin along the Minnesota border, forming part of the St. Croix River valley and the eastern edge of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan region. Established in 1840 and named for the St. Croix River, it has developed from an agricultural and lumber-era landscape into a fast-growing commuter and mixed-use county. With a population of roughly 93,000 (2020 U.S. Census), Saint Croix County is mid-sized by Wisconsin standards. Settlement is concentrated in and around communities such as Hudson, while much of the county remains rural, with farms, woodlands, and river bluffs characteristic of the Driftless Area fringe. The economy includes manufacturing, agriculture, services, and cross-border commuting tied to the Twin Cities. The county seat is Hudson, a regional center for government, retail, and riverfront commerce.

Saint Croix County Local Demographic Profile

Saint Croix County is in western Wisconsin along the Minnesota border, part of the Twin Cities metropolitan commuting region via the St. Croix River corridor. The county seat is Hudson, and local government information is maintained by the Saint Croix County official website.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov, county-level demographic totals for Saint Croix County are available through standard Census and American Community Survey (ACS) tables. Exact figures for “estimated population” vary by reference year and program (e.g., decennial Census counts vs. annual ACS estimates), and a single definitive population number is not provided here without a specified year/table.

Age & Gender

Age distribution and gender ratio are published by the U.S. Census Bureau for Saint Croix County in ACS “Age and Sex” tables (county geography). The most commonly used detailed table is ACS Table B01001 (Sex by Age) for Saint Croix County, Wisconsin, which provides:

  • Population by sex (male/female totals)
  • Detailed age brackets (e.g., under 5 through 85+), enabling calculation of median age and age-group shares

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Race and ethnicity are reported separately by the U.S. Census Bureau and are available for Saint Croix County through ACS detailed tables, including:

Household & Housing Data

Household composition, household size, and housing occupancy/tenure for Saint Croix County are available from ACS household and housing tables, including:

These official Census Bureau tables provide the county’s household counts, household-type distributions, total housing stock, vacancy, and owner/renter breakdowns for the selected ACS period displayed on data.census.gov.

Email Usage

Saint Croix County sits on Wisconsin’s fast-growing St. Croix River corridor next to the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro, with denser, better-served communities (Hudson–New Richmond area) and more rural townships where last‑mile networks can be harder to build and maintain. Direct county-level email usage statistics are not routinely published; email access is therefore summarized using proxies such as household broadband and computer availability plus age structure.

Digital access indicators (proxies for email access)

County measures for household broadband subscription and computer access are available from the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov (ACS) (tables commonly used include “Computer and Internet Use”). Higher broadband/computer penetration generally supports higher email adoption and more reliable access.

Age distribution (proxy for adoption patterns)

The county’s age profile from the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (St. Croix County) is relevant because older cohorts typically show lower overall digital adoption than prime working-age adults, influencing email usage rates and support needs.

Gender distribution

Gender balance is reported in QuickFacts, but it is generally a weaker predictor of email adoption than age and connectivity.

Connectivity and infrastructure limitations

Wisconsin connectivity constraints, including rural coverage gaps, are summarized by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Broadband), which affects service availability and performance for email and other communications.

Mobile Phone Usage

Saint Croix County is located in western Wisconsin along the Minnesota border, anchored by the St. Croix River and included in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan statistical area. Development is concentrated in the eastern Twin Cities exurbs (notably Hudson and nearby communities), while large portions of the county are lower-density and rural. This mix of suburbanizing corridors, river valleys/bluffs, and agricultural/wooded areas can produce uneven mobile signal strength, with coverage generally strongest near population centers and major transportation routes and weaker in sparsely populated areas and rugged terrain.

Key distinction: network availability vs. adoption

  • Network availability describes where mobile broadband service is reported as present (coverage by 4G/5G networks).
  • Household adoption describes whether residents subscribe to and use mobile service or mobile broadband (including “cellular data only” households).

County-level reporting often provides more complete information on availability than on adoption, and many adoption indicators are published only at broader geographies or as survey estimates with limitations.

Mobile penetration or access indicators (adoption proxies where available)

County-specific “mobile penetration” (active SIMs/subscriptions per person) is not typically published in U.S. public datasets at the county level. Publicly available proxies for adoption include:

  • Household internet subscription patterns, including cellular-data-only households: The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) publishes estimates on household internet access types (including households with “cellular data plan only”), which is a commonly used proxy for reliance on mobile networks rather than fixed broadband. These estimates are available for counties, subject to margins of error and multi-year pooling in less populous areas. See the Census Bureau’s internet subscription tables via data.census.gov (ACS internet subscription data).
  • Device ownership and connectivity concepts: The ACS measures household subscription types rather than device counts. Direct county-level device penetration (smartphone ownership share) is generally not available from federal administrative sources; such measures are more often produced by private surveys and may not be published at county resolution.

Limitation: Public, county-level statistics that directly quantify the share of residents with mobile phones or smartphones are limited. ACS provides household-level internet subscription categories, not individual mobile phone ownership rates.

Mobile internet usage patterns and reported availability (4G and 5G)

Reported network availability (coverage)

  • FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) provides the primary public dataset for reported mobile broadband coverage in the U.S., including technology generation indicators (such as 4G LTE and 5G variants) as reported by carriers. The FCC’s coverage layers can be explored through the FCC National Broadband Map.
  • The FCC map is the most direct public source for distinguishing where mobile broadband is reported available in Saint Croix County, including differences between populated areas (Hudson and surrounding suburbs/exurbs) and less populated townships.

Important limitation on availability data: FCC BDC mobile coverage is provider-reported and model-based, and it can overstate real-world experience indoors or in challenging terrain. It measures claimed service availability, not observed speeds everywhere, and not adoption.

4G LTE vs. 5G availability patterns

  • 4G LTE is generally the baseline mobile broadband layer in most counties and is typically the most geographically extensive, including along highways and in rural areas.
  • 5G availability commonly appears in population centers and along higher-demand corridors first, with more limited geographic reach than LTE in rural areas. The FCC map provides the most current public view of where carriers report 5G coverage within the county.

Usage patterns (actual usage rather than availability): Public, county-level statistics that quantify the share of mobile users on 4G vs 5G (or traffic shares by technology) are not generally published by federal agencies. Carrier engineering data and private analytics exist but are not consistently available at county granularity.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

  • Smartphones are the dominant end-user device for mobile connectivity nationally, but county-specific smartphone ownership rates are not typically available in federal administrative datasets.
  • Other mobile-connected devices (tablets, hotspots, fixed-wireless gateways using cellular, and IoT devices) contribute to cellular network load, but public datasets generally do not provide Saint Croix County device-type breakdowns.

Public proxy: The ACS “cellular data plan only” household category can indicate households relying on smartphones or mobile hotspots for home connectivity rather than a fixed broadband subscription. Source: data.census.gov (ACS internet subscription tables).

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity

Geography, land use, and settlement pattern

  • Suburban/exurban growth near the Twin Cities tends to correlate with stronger commercial incentives for dense network deployments, increasing the likelihood of robust LTE coverage and more extensive 5G footprints near Hudson and higher-density corridors.
  • Rural townships and lower-density areas typically experience fewer cell sites per square mile, increasing the risk of weaker indoor coverage and dead zones, especially away from primary roads.
  • River valley/bluff topography along the St. Croix River can create localized signal variability; valleys and heavily wooded areas can reduce signal strength compared with open, flatter terrain.

Demographics and adoption-related correlates (measured indirectly)

  • ACS county estimates (age distribution, income, poverty, commuting patterns, and housing characteristics) are commonly used to contextualize internet adoption differences, including likelihood of mobile-only connectivity in some households. County demographic baselines are available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Mobile-only internet reliance (cellular data plan only) is often higher among renters, lower-income households, and younger adults in many U.S. contexts, but county-specific conclusions require direct ACS table review for Saint Croix County due to local variation and survey error.

Local and state reference sources for availability and planning context

Summary of what can and cannot be stated at county level

  • Best public source for mobile network availability (4G/5G): FCC National Broadband Map (reported coverage; availability only).
  • Best public source for adoption proxies (including mobile-only households): ACS tables on internet subscriptions (household adoption; survey-based with margins of error).
  • Not reliably available in public datasets at county level: direct mobile phone penetration rates, smartphone ownership shares, and 4G-vs-5G usage shares.

Social Media Trends

Saint Croix County is in western Wisconsin along the Minnesota border and is part of the Twin Cities commuter-shed, with major population centers including Hudson and New Richmond. Its cross‑river economic ties to the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro, relatively high broadband availability for a largely suburban–rural county mix, and strong local community networks (schools, youth sports, civic groups) tend to support high day‑to‑day reliance on general-purpose social platforms for local news, events, and marketplace activity.

User statistics (penetration / share of residents using social media)

  • Local (county-specific) social media penetration figures are not published in a standard, continuously updated federal or academic series, so best-available estimates rely on national and state-level survey benchmarks.
  • U.S. adult social media use: Approximately 69% of U.S. adults report using at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2023). This is the most commonly cited national benchmark for “active on social platforms” among adults: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.
  • Wisconsin context: Wisconsin is not consistently broken out in the Pew social-media report tables, but Midwest and non-metro/suburban patterns described in Pew reporting typically track close to the national adult baseline, with platform mix varying by age. For county-level planning, a practical working range is that roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of adults are social media users, with higher usage among younger residents.

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

Based on Pew’s 2023 U.S. adult survey results (widely used for local contextualization):

Local implication for Saint Croix County: Usage is typically highest among working-age adults and households with school-age children (community scheduling, school updates, neighborhood groups) and lowest among older adults, though older residents still commonly use Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown

Pew reports only modest overall gender differences in whether adults use social media at all, but clearer differences by platform:

  • Overall social media use (any platform): Men and women are generally close in adoption in Pew’s reporting (varies slightly by year; differences are usually not large enough to drive countywide strategy alone).
  • Platform differences: Women tend to over-index on visually and socially oriented platforms (notably Pinterest and, in some years, Instagram), while men often over-index on YouTube/Reddit; Facebook use tends to be broadly distributed.
    Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.

Most-used platforms (percent of U.S. adults; used as a proxy baseline)

Pew’s 2023 U.S. adult platform usage estimates:

  • YouTube: ~83%
  • Facebook: ~68%
  • Instagram: ~47%
  • Pinterest: ~35%
  • TikTok: ~33%
  • LinkedIn: ~30%
  • WhatsApp: ~29%
  • Snapchat: ~27%
  • X (Twitter): ~22%
  • Reddit: ~18%
    Source: Pew Research Center platform shares.

Local implication for Saint Croix County: The county’s suburban–rural mix and community-group orientation generally align with Facebook as the dominant local community channel, YouTube as the dominant video/search channel, and Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat strongest among younger residents.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and platform preferences)

  • Local information and community coordination: Facebook Groups and community pages commonly function as “digital town squares” in suburban–rural counties, supporting high engagement around events, weather impacts, school activities, local services, and commerce (Marketplace). Pew documents Facebook’s broad reach among adults, supporting its continued role in local communications: Pew social platform reach.
  • Video-centered consumption: YouTube’s very high penetration (over 80% of adults nationally) indicates that how‑to content, local highlights, sports clips, and news explainers are widely accessible formats for residents across age groups: YouTube usage (Pew).
  • Age-segmented channel preferences: Pew’s age splits show TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram skew younger, while Facebook skews older relative to those platforms. This typically produces a two-track engagement pattern locally: Facebook for broad community reach and short-form video platforms for youth/young adult attention.
  • News and information exposure: Social platforms remain a significant pathway for news discovery, but platform roles differ (e.g., Facebook for local posts and groups; YouTube for commentary and explainers). Pew’s ongoing work on news consumption provides context for these patterns: Pew Research Center: Social Media and News Fact Sheet.
  • Time/attention dynamics: National measurement firms consistently find that mobile-first, short-form video drives high frequency engagement, while Facebook tends to concentrate engagement in groups, comments, and event/marketplace interactions. For standardized, comparable time-spent reporting, industry summaries such as DataReportal’s U.S. digital overview are commonly cited: DataReportal: Digital 2024 United States.

Note on geographic specificity: Public, methodologically consistent county-level social media penetration, platform shares, and demographics are generally not available from Pew or federal statistical programs; the figures above use reputable national benchmarks as the most defensible reference points for Saint Croix County in the absence of published local survey microdata.

Family & Associates Records

Saint Croix County maintains vital and family-related records primarily through the Register of Deeds and the Wisconsin vital records system. Records commonly include birth and death certificates, marriage records, and divorce certificates (divorce records are typically issued through the state system and sourced from circuit court filings). Adoption records are governed by Wisconsin law and are generally not open to public inspection, with access limited to authorized parties and processes.

Online access to many county-recorded documents is provided through the county’s land records portal, which includes recorded documents that may reference family relationships (such as deeds and affidavits): Saint Croix County Land Records. The Register of Deeds provides information on obtaining certified copies and office services: Saint Croix County Register of Deeds. Statewide vital records ordering and eligibility rules are administered by Wisconsin DHS Vital Records: Wisconsin Vital Records (DHS).

In-person access and requests are handled at the Saint Croix County Government Center through the Register of Deeds; some records may also be available through the Clerk of Courts for court case access: Saint Croix County Clerk of Courts. Privacy restrictions apply to vital records, with certified copies generally limited to eligible requesters; older records and non-certified informational copies may have different availability under state rules.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage records (licenses and certificates): Marriage license applications and related documents are created by the county and used to produce an official marriage record once the marriage is registered.
  • Divorce records (judgments/decrees and case files): Divorce actions are maintained as Wisconsin circuit court case records, including the final judgment of divorce and associated filings.
  • Annulments (judgments and case files): Annulments are maintained as circuit court case records, similar in structure to divorce cases, with a final judgment and supporting pleadings.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage records

    • Filed/created by: The Saint Croix County Clerk’s Office issues marriage licenses and maintains the county-level marriage records created from the license process.
    • State vital records: Marriage records are also maintained by the Wisconsin Vital Records Office (Wisconsin Department of Health Services) after local registration.
    • Access methods:
      • County: Requests are handled through the Saint Croix County Clerk’s Office (in person, by mail, or as provided by the office’s procedures).
      • State: Certified copies and searches are available through the Wisconsin Vital Records Office and its authorized service channels. Official state information is available at Wisconsin Vital Records (DHS).

  • Divorce and annulment records

    • Filed/maintained by: The St. Croix County Circuit Court (Clerk of Circuit Court) maintains divorce and annulment case files and final judgments as court records.
    • Statewide case access: Basic public case information is generally available through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access system (CCAP) at Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.
    • Obtaining documents: Copies of judgments, findings, and other filings are obtained through the Clerk of Circuit Court, subject to court record access rules and confidentiality restrictions.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage records (license/certificate)

    • Full legal names of both parties (including prior names as recorded)
    • Date and place of marriage (municipality/county)
    • Ages or dates of birth
    • Residences at time of application
    • Marital status and prior marriages (as recorded on the application)
    • Officiant information and date of ceremony
    • Witness information (where recorded)
    • License number and filing/registration details

  • Divorce records (judgment/decree and case file)

    • Names of parties and case number
    • Date the action was filed and date judgment was entered
    • Grounds/statutory basis as reflected in pleadings and findings under Wisconsin law
    • Orders on legal custody, physical placement, and child support (when applicable)
    • Property division and debt allocation
    • Maintenance (spousal support), attorney fees, and other financial orders (when applicable)
    • Any restraining orders or injunction terms within the family action (when applicable)
    • Court-approved marital settlement agreement or stipulation (when applicable)

  • Annulment records (judgment and case file)

    • Names of parties and case number
    • Date filed and date of judgment
    • Findings supporting annulment under Wisconsin law as reflected in pleadings and the judgment
    • Orders regarding children, support, and property (when applicable), consistent with court authority in family actions

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Marriage records

    • Wisconsin treats vital records as regulated records. Certified copies are generally limited to persons with a direct and tangible interest and other eligible requesters recognized by Wisconsin law and the Wisconsin Vital Records Office. Non-certified access is typically more limited and governed by state rules and local practice.
    • Requesters typically must provide acceptable identification and fees; some requests may require documentation of eligibility for certified copies.

  • Divorce and annulment court records

    • Court case records are generally public, but confidential information is restricted by statute and court rules. Common restrictions include:
      • Protected personal identifiers (for example, certain financial account numbers and other sensitive identifiers) subject to redaction rules
      • Sealed records or sealed documents by court order
      • Confidential reports or records in family actions (for example, certain guardian ad litem materials, mediation-related records, psychological evaluations, or child-related records), as provided by law or court order
    • Public online case listings (such as CCAP) typically provide docket-level information and may omit or restrict certain data elements; access to full documents is subject to the Clerk of Circuit Court’s procedures and confidentiality requirements.

Education, Employment and Housing

Saint Croix County is in west‑central Wisconsin along the St. Croix River, bordering Minnesota and anchored by the Hudson–New Richmond area within the Minneapolis–St. Paul commuter shed. It is one of Wisconsin’s faster‑growing counties, with a population a little over 100,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020), characterized by a mix of suburban neighborhoods near I‑94 and rural townships with agricultural and low‑density residential land uses.

Education Indicators

Public school presence (counts and names)

Public education is delivered through multiple K–12 districts serving distinct communities (Hudson, New Richmond, River Falls, Baldwin‑Woodville, Somerset, St. Croix Central, Glenwood City, among others). A single countywide “number of public schools” is not consistently published in a standard, comparable format across districts in one place; a practical proxy is the district school directories and the state report‑card listings. The most authoritative statewide directory and accountability listings are maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) through its district/school search and report‑card systems (see the Wisconsin DPI portal and district report cards).

School names vary by district and change over time with grade reconfigurations; district homepages and DPI directories are the most current sources for official school rosters.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratio: Reported ratios differ by district and school level; countywide ratios are typically consistent with suburban/rural western Wisconsin norms (generally in the mid‑teens to low‑20s students per teacher). A single countywide ratio is not routinely published as a headline indicator; the most consistent source for comparable ratios is school‑level staffing and enrollment reporting through DPI.
  • Graduation rate: District 4‑year graduation rates in Saint Croix County are generally high relative to statewide averages, with many districts reporting rates in the low‑ to mid‑90% range in recent DPI accountability cycles. The most recent, comparable graduation rate for each high school is published in the Wisconsin School and District Report Cards.

Note on precision: County‑aggregated graduation rates and student–teacher ratios are not consistently published as a single statistic; DPI’s school and district report cards provide the most recent audited rates at the district/high‑school level.

Adult educational attainment (adults 25+)

Based on U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) county profiles, Saint Croix County has high educational attainment compared with many Wisconsin counties:

  • High school diploma or higher: roughly 95%+
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: roughly 35%–45%

The most current annual estimates are available through the county profile tables in the U.S. Census Bureau’s data portal (ACS 1‑year or 5‑year, depending on availability and margins of error).

Notable programs (STEM, CTE/vocational, AP)

Across the county’s larger districts and high schools, commonly documented offerings include:

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)/vocational pathways (manufacturing, construction trades, business/marketing, health sciences, agriculture, and skilled‑trades aligned coursework), reflecting regional labor demand in manufacturing and construction.
  • Advanced Placement (AP) and/or dual‑credit options (often through regional technical colleges and universities), particularly in the larger comprehensive high schools.
  • STEM coursework and extracurriculars (engineering/robotics, Project Lead The Way–type sequences, and applied sciences), more prevalent in the county’s larger districts.

Program availability is district‑specific and best verified through district course catalogs and DPI CTE summaries; DPI’s CTE overview is available via Wisconsin DPI Career and Technical Education.

Safety measures and counseling resources

District safety practices generally include controlled building access, visitor management, emergency response planning and drills, school resource officer (SRO) arrangements in some communities, and coordination with local law enforcement and emergency management. Student support commonly includes school counseling staff, school psychologists/social workers, and referral pathways to community mental‑health services; resourcing levels vary by district size. District safety plans and pupil services/counseling staffing are typically documented in district policies and annual notices; statewide school safety guidance is maintained by DPI through its school safety resources (Wisconsin DPI Safe Schools).

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent)

  • The most recent annual unemployment rate for Saint Croix County is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and Wisconsin’s labor market information program. Recent years have generally been low (commonly in the ~2%–4% range annually), reflecting a tight Upper Midwest labor market and strong commuting linkages to the Twin Cities. Authoritative annual figures are available through the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Wisconsin labor market dashboards (often distributed via Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development).

Note on precision: The exact “most recent year” value updates annually; BLS LAUS is the definitive source.

Major industries and employment sectors

ACS and regional economic profiles typically show employment concentrated in:

  • Educational services and health care/social assistance
  • Manufacturing (notably in western Wisconsin’s regional supply chains)
  • Retail trade
  • Construction (supported by residential growth and renovation activity)
  • Professional, scientific, management, and administrative services
  • Transportation/warehousing (linked to I‑94 corridor access)

Industry composition is most consistently measured in ACS “industry by occupation” tables and Wisconsin DWD regional profiles.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Common occupational groups reflected in ACS county patterns include:

  • Management, business, science, and arts occupations (a substantial share, consistent with Twin Cities commuting)
  • Sales and office occupations
  • Production, transportation, and material moving
  • Construction, extraction, and maintenance
  • Service occupations (health care support, protective service, food service)

The most current distribution is available in ACS occupation tables via data.census.gov.

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

Commuting in Saint Croix County is shaped by:

  • High out‑commuting to the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro, especially from Hudson and I‑94 corridor communities.
  • In‑county commuting to district hubs (Hudson, New Richmond, River Falls, Baldwin area) for education, health care, local government, retail, and manufacturing.
  • Primary mode: driving alone remains the dominant commuting mode typical of outer‑metro and rural counties; carpooling is present but smaller; transit use is limited.

Mean travel time to work is typically around the high‑20s to low‑30s minutes in recent ACS estimates, elevated by cross‑river commuting and corridor congestion at peak times. The definitive measure is the ACS “travel time to work” statistic for the county.

Local employment vs. out‑of‑county work

A notable share of employed residents work outside the county, particularly in Minnesota (Twin Cities job centers) and, to a lesser extent, adjacent Wisconsin counties. County‑to‑county commuting flows are most clearly documented in the U.S. Census Bureau’s LEHD/OnTheMap origin‑destination data products.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership and rental share

Saint Croix County is predominantly owner‑occupied:

  • Homeownership: commonly around 75%–85%
  • Renters: commonly around 15%–25%

These shares are reported in ACS housing tenure tables for the county (U.S. Census Bureau ACS).

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median owner‑occupied home value: typically in the mid‑$300,000s to low‑$400,000s in recent ACS estimates, reflecting strong demand in the I‑94 corridor and Twin Cities spillover.
  • Trend: values rose substantially from 2020–2022, with continued elevated levels thereafter; year‑to‑year changes vary by interest rates and inventory. ACS provides a consistent median value series; market listing indices (e.g., regional REALTOR® statistics) may show faster‑moving trends but are not as standardized for reference use as ACS.

Note on proxies: Median values can differ notably between Hudson‑area suburbs and more rural townships; ACS is the most consistent countywide benchmark.

Typical rent prices

  • Median gross rent: commonly around $1,100–$1,400 per month in recent ACS estimates, with higher rents in newer multifamily properties near Hudson, New Richmond, and River Falls. ACS “median gross rent” is the standard reference measure (via data.census.gov).

Housing types

The county’s housing stock is dominated by:

  • Single‑family detached homes (largest share)
  • Rural lots and low‑density subdivisions outside city/village centers
  • Townhomes/duplexes and small‑to‑mid‑size apartment complexes concentrated in Hudson, New Richmond, River Falls, and other incorporated areas
  • Manufactured homes present in smaller shares, more common in some rural pockets

This pattern aligns with ACS “units in structure” distributions and observed land use along the I‑94 growth corridor.

Neighborhood characteristics (schools/amenities)

  • Hudson and I‑94 corridor communities: greater proximity to retail, medical services, and regional commuting access; more newer subdivisions and some multifamily development.
  • River Falls and New Richmond areas: mix of established neighborhoods near schools and civic amenities, plus newer growth at community edges.
  • Rural townships: larger lots, agricultural adjacency, longer drive times to schools/services, and more reliance on county highways.

Specific proximity metrics are not typically published countywide; municipal comprehensive plans and parcel/land‑use maps provide the most granular documentation.

Property taxes (rate and typical cost)

Wisconsin property taxes are high by national standards and vary by municipality and school district levies.

  • A commonly used benchmark is the effective property tax rate (property taxes as a share of home value), which in Wisconsin is frequently around ~1.5%–2.0% (local variation is substantial).
  • For a mid‑$300,000 to low‑$400,000 home, this corresponds to a typical annual tax bill in the mid‑$5,000s to ~$8,000+, depending on municipality, school district, and applied credits.

The most authoritative local figures are published by municipal assessors/treasurers and summarized by Wisconsin taxation agencies; statewide property tax context is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Note on proxies: Countywide “average tax bill” is not a single fixed value due to levy differences among cities, villages, and towns; effective rate ranges are a clearer summary statistic.

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Other Counties in Wisconsin