• county
  • FIPS 55073
  • Largest town: Wausau

Marathon County, Wisconsin

Marathon County had 139,091 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,545.2 square miles of land. It is the largest by land of Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents.

Population
139,091
#10 of 72 in Wisconsin · #481 in US
Area
1,545.2 sq mi
#1 of 72 in Wisconsin · #390 in US
Density
90 / sq mi
#23 of 72 in Wisconsin · #990 in US
Median household income
$74,505
#20 of 72 in Wisconsin · #701 in US

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

Marathon County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Marathon County

Marathon County population, land area and income

Marathon County had 139,091 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,545.2 square miles of land. It is the largest by land of Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents. That works out to 90.0 people per square mile, near the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Wisconsin has 41,821 residents, so Marathon County is 3.3 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $74,505 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

139,091

3144th1st

481st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,545 sq mi

3144th1st

390th of 3,144 (US)

Density

90.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

990th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$74,505

3143rd1st

701st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

139,091

72nd1st

10th of 72 (WI)

Land area

1,545 sq mi

72nd1st

1st of 72 (WI)

Density

90.0 / sq mi

72nd1st

23rd of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$74,505

72nd1st

20th of 72 (WI)

How Marathon County's population changed since 2020

Marathon County gained 977 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.7%. That ranks 43rd 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, Marathon County recorded 6,137 births and 6,129 deaths, a natural change of +8. Net international migration added +1,100 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -67. The largest single component was international migration, which added 1,100 people.

138.1k2020137.8k2021138.2k2022138.8k2023139.1k2024
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
6,137
Deaths
6,129
Net international migration
+1,100
Net domestic migration
-67
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+253

Where Marathon County is

The Census internal point of Marathon County is at 44.898000, -89.757800. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Marathon 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: Marathon County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
44.898000, -89.757800
DMS
44°53'52.80"N 89°45'28.08"W
UTM
16N 282257.5E 4975319.9N
Geohash
dpbpmt2mg
Plus code
86PGV6XR+6V

Towns in Marathon County

16 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Marathon County, 96,784 people together, or 70% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Marathon County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Wausau with 40,262.

  1. 01Wausau40,262
  2. 02Weston15,866
  3. 03Kronenwetter8,435
  4. 04Rib Mountain7,275
  5. 05Rothschild5,629
  6. 06Mosinee4,531
  7. 07Maine2,614
  8. 08Schofield2,291
  9. 09Spencer1,813
  10. 10Stratford1,614
  11. 11Marathon City1,551
  12. 12Edgar1,430
  13. 13Marshfield (part)1,066
  14. 14Athens1,064
  15. 15Colby (part)707
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Marathon County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Marathon County. The most populous is Wood County, WI, with 73,943 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 127.3 miles S of Marathon County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Green Bay, WI (population 106,311), 90.8 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Wausau, WI (population 40,262), 7.0 miles away.

Marathon County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Marathon County is 55073: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 073. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $74,505.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Marathon County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 139,091. That is up 977 people (0.7%) from the July 2020 estimate of 138,114.

What is the FIPS code of Marathon County?

55073. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (073) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Marathon County?

Wausau, with 40,262 residents inside Marathon County in 2024.

Which counties border Marathon County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Wood County, WI; Portage County, WI; Waupaca County, WI; Shawano County, WI; Clark County, WI; Lincoln County, WI; Taylor County, WI; Langlade 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.