Overview
Winnebago County sits on the western shore of Lake Winnebago in east-central Wisconsin, with Oshkosh and Neenah as its primary cities. The county's 171,357 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) make it one of Wisconsin's larger counties, with a manufacturing and paper industry history that continues to anchor the local economy. Median household income was $72,873 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above about 74% of U.S. counties nationally.
The unemployment rate was 2.7% (BLS LAUS, Annual 2025), one of the lowest in the state, with 89,320 employed out of a labor force of 91,778. Short commutes and tight employment are defining features here.
Demographics
Median age is 38.4 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), younger than most Wisconsin counties. Winnebago ranks in the top 15% of Wisconsin counties for young population. The county has a small but notable Native American population at 0.3%, Asian residents at 3.2%, Black residents at 2.5%, and Hispanic residents at 4.9%, with white residents at 85.8% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023).
31.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above about 80% of U.S. counties nationally. The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and other institutions contribute to that attainment level.
39,450 OASDI beneficiaries (SSA OASDI, 2024) represent 23.0% of the population.
Education
Per-pupil spending was $15,350 (Education Data Portal, 2020), near the national average of approximately $15,000. The student-teacher ratio was 13.1:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), better than the national average of 15.5:1 and among the better ratios in the state.
Total enrollment was 21,800 students (Education Data Portal, 2021). The graduation rate was 90.6% (Education Data Portal, 2019), above the national average of 87%. Within Wisconsin, that places Winnebago County in the lower half for graduation rates, though it remains above the national norm.
Class sizes are small, spending is average, and outcomes are above the national baseline. The county gets respectable returns on its education system without exceptional spending.
Economy & Employment
Median household income of $72,873 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is firm without being exceptional. Per capita income was $40,072 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), which narrows the gap with the median income, suggesting a less uneven income distribution than counties with wider household-to-per-capita spreads. Average AGI was $75,234 per return (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021).
The poverty rate is 10.4% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than about 70% of U.S. counties. Average commute was 16.8 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), among the shortest in the state and nationally, which speaks to the density of local employment.
86,150 tax returns were filed in 2021 with total AGI of approximately $6.5 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). The county's economic base includes aerospace components, paper products, health care, and education.
Housing & Cost of Living
Median home value was $208,600 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), in the lower 36% nationally. The home-value-to-income ratio of 2.9x (derived) is accessible. Housing in Oshkosh and Neenah remains relatively affordable by Midwest metro standards.
Median gross rent was $924 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Rent-to-income is 15.2% (derived), and housing affordability at 18.9% of income (derived) stays well under the 30% threshold. The vacancy rate is 6.3% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), with 4,812 vacant units out of 76,770 total.
HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit is $1,149 (HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026). That's mid-range for Wisconsin. The county's short commutes mean residents don't typically pay to live close to work in the way suburban sprawl counties require.
Health & Wellness
Winnebago County's health profile falls mostly in the middle of the national distribution. Obesity is 40.6% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), in the top 26% nationally. Diabetes affects 9.9% of the population (CDC PLACES, 2023), and high blood pressure is 29.8% (CDC PLACES, 2023).
Annual checkup rate is 76.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), above about 64% of U.S. counties. Depression is 23.9% (CDC PLACES, 2023), and poor mental health days were reported by 16.7% (CDC PLACES, 2023). Poor physical health days were 12.0% (CDC PLACES, 2023), in the better half nationally.
Uninsured rate was 8.0% (CDC PLACES, 2023), below about 84% of U.S. counties, meaning reasonably good insurance coverage for the income level. Cholesterol screening was 83.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023).
Obesity is the outlier here. Most other health metrics are average to slightly above average, but a 40.6% obesity rate is consistent with the broader pattern seen across Wisconsin's industrial cities.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Winnebago County's average annual temperature is 47.0°F, with average highs of 56.1°F and average lows of 37.9°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025). Annual precipitation is 27.7 inches and snowfall averages 44.5 inches per year. Precipitation is lower than about 74% of U.S. counties; snowfall is above roughly 86%.
FEMA has declared 10 disasters in Winnebago County (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), including 4 severe storms, 2 biological events, 1 hurricane-related declaration, 1 flood, 1 drought, and 1 tornado. The most recent declaration was the 2020 COVID-19 response. Two declarations have come since 2020.
The single tornado declaration from 1974 and drought from 1976 are historical outliers. Severe storms account for the majority of more recent hazard exposure. Lake Winnebago moderates some temperature extremes but doesn't eliminate storm risk.
Financial Profile
FDIC data shows only 1 bank branch with $241.1 million in total deposits (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). That single-branch figure likely reflects incomplete coverage in the source data rather than actual branch scarcity for a county of this size. The deposit figure is low relative to population and AGI.
86,150 tax returns were filed in 2021 with total AGI of approximately $6.5 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI was $75,234 per return.
39,450 OASDI beneficiaries received Social Security in 2024 (SSA OASDI, 2024), representing 23.0% of the population.
Key Comparisons
Winnebago County presents a consistent profile: above-average income, low unemployment, affordable housing, and reasonable education outcomes, without obvious extremes in any direction. The 2.7% unemployment rate places it in the bottom 12% of U.S. counties for unemployment, meaning fewer counties have lower rates.
Against Wisconsin peers, the county's 16.8-minute average commute is among the shortest in the state, and its young median age gives it a demographic buffer against the aging pressures that weigh on many Wisconsin counties. Health outcomes are average to slightly below on obesity.
The FDIC banking data appears limited. The other financial indicators are consistent with a mid-sized Wisconsin manufacturing and services county in steady-state economic health.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023: population, income, housing, demographics, poverty, commute, education attainment
- BLS LAUS, Annual 2025: unemployment rate, employment count, labor force
- CDC PLACES, 2023: health metrics, insurance coverage
- HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026: fair market rent by bedroom size
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026: disaster declarations
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021: tax returns, adjusted gross income
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023: bank branches, total deposits (note: single branch reported, likely incomplete)
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025: temperature, precipitation, snowfall
- SSA OASDI, 2024: Social Security beneficiaries
- Education Data Portal, 2019-2021: per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate, enrollment