• county
  • FIPS 55051
  • Largest town: Hurley

Iron County, Wisconsin

Iron County had 6,235 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 758.2 square miles of land. It ranks 70th of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 36th by land area.

Population
6,235
#70 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,718 in US
Area
758.2 sq mi
#36 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,160 in US
Density
8.2 / sq mi
#72 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,635 in US
Median household income
$58,900
#66 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,948 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Iron County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Iron County

Iron County population, land area and income

Iron County had 6,235 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 758.2 square miles of land. It ranks 70th of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 36th by land area. That works out to 8.2 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Wisconsin has 41,821 residents, so Iron County has 15% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $58,900 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

6,235

3144th1st

2718th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

758 sq mi

3144th1st

1160th of 3,144 (US)

Density

8.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

2635th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$58,900

3143rd1st

1948th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

6,235

72nd1st

70th of 72 (WI)

Land area

758 sq mi

72nd1st

36th of 72 (WI)

Density

8.2 / sq mi

72nd1st

72nd of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$58,900

72nd1st

66th of 72 (WI)

How Iron County's population changed since 2020

Iron County gained 95 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.5%. That ranks 26th of 72 in Wisconsin for growth. The median Wisconsin county changed by +1.0%, and the state as a whole by +1.1%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Iron County recorded 199 births and 433 deaths, a natural change of -234. Net international migration added +6 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +336. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 336 people.

6,14020206,17620216,22120226,27720236,2352024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
199
Deaths
433
Net international migration
+6
Net domestic migration
+336
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-42

Where Iron County is

The Census internal point of Iron County is at 46.326600, -90.261300. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Iron County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Barron County: +0.2%Green County: +0.4%Dunn County: +1.5%Jefferson County: +0.0%Lincoln County: +0.1%Rusk County: -0.1%Fond du Lac County: +0.1%Marquette County: +1.0%Outagamie County: +2.3%Waupaca County: -1.2%Oneida County: +0.8%Eau Claire County: +2.8%Washington County: +1.4%Portage County: +2.3%Menominee County: +0.7%Clark County: +0.5%Monroe County: +0.2%Milwaukee County: -1.5%Buffalo County: +1.1%Lafayette County: +4.2%Ozaukee County: +2.5%Rock County: +1.0%Sheboygan County: +0.2%Green Lake County: +1.8%Waukesha County: +2.3%Calumet County: +2.1%Dodge County: -0.8%Wood County: -0.3%Winnebago County: +0.9%Sawyer County: +4.0%Dane County: +4.6%Sauk County: +1.1%Pepin County: +2.9%Adams County: +3.2%Price County: +0.4%Taylor County: +1.1%Grant County: +0.7%Trempealeau County: -0.0%Vernon County: +2.1%Waushara County: +2.2%Iowa County: +1.0%Crawford County: -0.5%Kenosha County: -0.3%Shawano County: +1.1%Juneau County: -0.7%Jackson County: -0.3%Vilas County: +3.7%Bayfield County: +3.7%Chippewa County: +1.5%Iron County: +1.5%Racine County: +0.3%Door County: +1.3%Ashland County: +1.1%Kewaunee County: +0.9%Polk County: +1.8%Florence County: +2.4%Douglas County: -0.2%Forest County: +3.7%Columbia County: -0.7%Walworth County: +0.7%La Crosse County: +0.1%Manitowoc County: +0.1%Oconto County: +2.5%Langlade County: +0.4%Marathon County: +0.7%Washburn County: +2.2%Brown County: +1.8%Richland County: -0.9%Marinette County: +1.1%St. Croix County: +4.3%Pierce County: +2.7%Burnett County: +3.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.1%
  2. < +0.7%
  3. < +1.3%
  4. < +2.3%
  5. ≥ +2.3%
no data

Orange pin: Iron County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
46.326600, -90.261300
DMS
46°19'35.76"N 90°15'40.68"W
UTM
15N 710809.1E 5133981.5N
Geohash
cbpzd198p
Plus code
86RF8PGQ+JF

Towns in Iron County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Iron County, 1,610 people together, or 26% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Iron County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Hurley with 1,610.

  1. 01Hurley1,610
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Iron County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 4 neighbors for Iron County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Vilas County, WI, with 23,948 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 228.8 miles S of Iron County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Green Bay, WI (population 106,311), 166.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Superior, WI (population 26,620), 90.1 miles away.

Iron County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Iron County is 55051: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 051. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $58,900.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Iron County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 6,235. That is up 95 people (1.5%) from the July 2020 estimate of 6,140.

What is the FIPS code of Iron County?

55051. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (051) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Iron County?

Hurley, with 1,610 residents inside Iron County in 2024.

Which counties border Iron County?

4 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Vilas County, WI; Ashland County, WI; Gogebic County, MI; Price County, WI.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.