• county
  • FIPS 55065
  • Largest town: Darlington

Lafayette County, Wisconsin

Lafayette County had 17,306 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 633.6 square miles of land. It ranks 57th of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 46th by land area.

Population
17,306
#57 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,961 in US
Area
633.6 sq mi
#46 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,509 in US
Density
27 / sq mi
#57 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,005 in US
Median household income
$73,114
#28 of 72 in Wisconsin · #780 in US

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

Lafayette County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Lafayette County

Lafayette County population, land area and income

Lafayette County had 17,306 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 633.6 square miles of land. It ranks 57th of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 46th by land area. That works out to 27.3 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

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

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $73,114 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

17,306

3144th1st

1961st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

634 sq mi

3144th1st

1509th of 3,144 (US)

Density

27.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

2005th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$73,114

3143rd1st

780th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

17,306

72nd1st

57th of 72 (WI)

Land area

634 sq mi

72nd1st

46th of 72 (WI)

Density

27.3 / sq mi

72nd1st

57th of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$73,114

72nd1st

28th of 72 (WI)

How Lafayette County's population changed since 2020

Lafayette County gained 702 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 4.2%. That ranks 3rd 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, Lafayette County recorded 1,092 births and 681 deaths, a natural change of +411. Net international migration added +293 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +9. The largest single component was natural change, which added 411 people.

16.6k202016.8k202116.9k202217.1k202317.3k2024
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
1,092
Deaths
681
Net international migration
+293
Net domestic migration
+9
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+247

Where Lafayette County is

The Census internal point of Lafayette County is at 42.655600, -90.130300. 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 Lafayette 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: Lafayette County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
42.655600, -90.130300
DMS
42°39'20.16"N 90°07'49.08"W
UTM
15N 735214.8E 4726564.0N
Geohash
9zxftj1ng
Plus code
86JFMV49+6V

Towns in Lafayette County

5 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Lafayette County, 5,020 people together, or 29% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Lafayette County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Darlington with 2,482.

  1. 01Darlington2,482
  2. 02Shullsburg1,230
  3. 03Belmont1,033
  4. 04Cuba City (part)253
  5. 05Hazel Green (part)22
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Lafayette County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Lafayette County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Grant County, WI, with 52,330 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 47.6 miles NE of Lafayette County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Madison, WI (population 285,300), 46.4 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Platteville, WI (population 11,833), 17.9 miles away.

Lafayette County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Lafayette County is 55065: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 065. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $73,114.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Lafayette County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 17,306. That is up 702 people (4.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,604.

What is the FIPS code of Lafayette County?

55065. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (065) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Lafayette County?

Darlington, with 2,482 residents inside Lafayette County in 2024.

Which counties border Lafayette County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Grant County, WI; Stephenson County, IL; Green County, WI; Iowa County, WI; Jo Daviess County, IL.

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.