County population in 2012: 5,934 (32% urban, 68% rural); it was 6,861 in 2000 County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 1,090 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 1,181 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 2,487 Renter-occupied apartments: 551 (it was 596 in 2000)
% of renters here:
19%
State:
32%
Land area: 757 sq. mi. Water area: 162.0 sq. mi.
Population density: 8 people per square mile
(very low).
Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Iron County: 87.5 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
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Industries providing employment: Educational,health and social services (20.2%), Manufacturing (12.8%), Arts,entertainment,recreation,accommodation and food services (12.1%), Retail trade (11.2%).
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2009: $1,426 (1.3%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2009: $1,459 (1.5%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 14.2%
(14.3% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 10.3% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 9.7% for American Indian residents, 100.0% for other race residents, 14.3% for two or more races residents) Median age of residents in 2010: 51 years old
(Males: 50 years old, Females: 51 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 51 years old, Black residents: 45 years old, American Indian residents: 37 years old, Asian residents: 40 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 19 years old, Other race residents: 25 years old)
Residents with income below the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
11.1%
Whole state:
8.7%
Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
3.0%
Whole state:
3.7%
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Iron County is $401 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $503 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $644 a month.
Notable locations in this county outside city limits:
Notable locations in Iron County: Fishermans Landing (A), Murrays Landing (B), Sandrock (C), Springstead Landing (D), McIver Camp (E), Sherman Townhall (F), Kimball Town Hall (G), Mercer Area Ambulance and Rescue (H), Saxon - Gurney Fire Department (I), Kimball Fire Department (J), Mercer Fire Department Station 1 (K), Mercer Fire Department Station 2 (L), Oma Volunteer Fire Department (M), Sherman Township Volunteer Fire Department (N). Display/hide their locations on the map
Cemeteries: Hillside Cemetery (1), Edgewood Cemetery (2), Mercer Cemetery (3), Calvary Cemetery (4), Lake View Cemetery (5), Greenwood Cemetery (6). Display/hide their locations on the map
Lakes, reservoirs, and swamps: Mud Lake (A), Munnomin Lake (B), Muskie Lake (C), Mystery Lake (D), Negro Lakes (E), Net Lake (F), Lake Nine (G), Nokomis Lake (H). Display/hide their locations on the map
Streams, rivers, and creeks: Alder Creek (A), Apple Creek (B), Barr Creek (C), Bell Creek (D), Javorsky Creek (E), Sugarbush Creek (F), Sullivan Creek (G), Island Creek (H), Swamp Creek (I). Display/hide their locations on the map
Parks in Iron County include: Saxon Harbor County Park (1), Bass Lake Preserve State Natural Area (2), Caroline Lake State Natural Area (3), Frog Lake and Pines State Natural Area (4), Lake Evelyn State Natural Area (5), Moose Lake State Natural Area (6), Springstead Muskeg State Natural Area (7), Big Island State Wildlife Area (8), Boot Lake State Wildlife Area (9). Display/hide their locations on the map
Current college students: 189 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 83.7% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 13.2%
Number of foreign born residents: 121 (71% naturalized citizens)
Iron County:
1.8%
Whole state:
3.6%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
1995 to March 2000: 20
1990 to 1994: 7
1985 to 1989: 0
1980 to 1984: 10
1975 to 1979: 2
1970 to 1974: 2
1970 to 1974: 9
1965 to 1969: 71
Mean travel time to work (commute): 19.8 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 54.5%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 4,693
One, attached: 85
Two: 209
3 or 4: 139
5 to 9: 93
10 to 19: 64
20 or more: 78
Mobile homes: 325
Boats, RVs, vans, etc.: 20
Housing units in Iron County with a mortgage: 780 (51 second mortgage, 95 home equity loan, 4 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 955
Here:
45.0% with mortgage
State:
68.7% with mortgage
Religion statistics:
Percentage of population affiliated with a religious congregations: 37.11%
Here
37.1%
USA
50.2%
Total adherents: 2,546 Total congregations: 12
Adherents
Breakdown of population affiliated with a religious congregations
Name
Catholic Church
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Lutheran Church
United Methodist Church
Other
Adherents
1,930 (75.8%)
200 (7.9%)
171 (6.7%)
116 (4.6%)
129 (5.1%)
Congregations
5 (41.7%)
2 (16.7%)
1 (8.3%)
1 (8.3%)
3 (25.0%)
Source: Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Average size of farms: 206 acres Average total farm production expenses per farm: $20,942 Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $33,524 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 91.94% Average age of principal farm operators: 56 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 7.09
Tornado activity:
Iron County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is significantly below Wisconsin state average. It is 5.0 times below overall U.S. average.
Most recent natural disasters:
Wisconsin Hurricane Katrina Evacuation, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 1, 2005, Emergency Declared (EM-3249): September 13, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3249, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Wisconsin Flooding, Incident Period: April 10, 2001 to July 6, 2001, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1369): May 11, 2001, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1369, Natural disaster type: Flood
Wisconsin Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding, Incident Period: May 26, 2000 to July 19, 2000, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1332): June 24, 2000, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1332, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Wisconsin Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding, Incident Period: July 4, 1999 to July 31, 1999, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1284): August 16, 1999, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1284, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood, Wind
Wisconsin Drought, Incident Period: June 17, 1976, Emergency Declared (EM-3014): June 17, 1976, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3014, Natural disaster type: Drought
Wisconsin Heavy Rains, Flooding, Incident Period: September 10, 1972, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-352): September 10, 1972, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-352, Natural disaster type: Flood, Heavy Rain
Wisconsin FLOODING, Incident Period: May 1, 1969, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-260): May 1, 1969, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-260, Natural disaster type: Flood
The number of natural disasters in Iron County (7) is smaller than the US average (12). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 5 Emergencies Declared: 2
Other sales and related workers including supervisors (6%)
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (6%)
Other management occupations except farmers and farm managers (5%)
Carpenters (5%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (5%)
Electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations including supervisors (4%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (4%)
Secretaries and administrative assistants (7%)
Cooks and food preparation workers (6%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (5%)
Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (4%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)
Waiters and waitresses (4%)
Cashiers (4%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Germany (14%)
United Kingdom (12%)
Italy (12%)
Canada (10%)
Philippines (7%)
Other Northern Europe (6%)
Hungary (6%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Iron County (%):
German (21%)
Italian (19%)
Finnish (15%)
Polish (9%)
Irish (6%)
English (5%)
Swedish (4%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 2,136 (76%)
Carpooled: 367 (13%)
Bus or trolley bus: 10 (0%)
Streetcar or trolley car: 3 (0%)
Bicycle: 5 (0%)
Walked: 114 (4%)
Other means: 8 (0%)
Worked at home: 163 (6%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders
102 people in nursing homes
8 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
86 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
10 people in local jails and other municipal confinement facilities
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $39,344.
6.84% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($34,891 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
6.84%
Wisconsin average:
6.06%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
3.34% relocated from other counties in Wisconsin ($18,569 average AGI)
3.50% relocated from other states ($16,316 average AGI)
Iron County:
3.50%
Wisconsin average:
2.00%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:
7.20% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($32,103 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
7.20%
Wisconsin average:
6.22%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
4.07% relocated to other counties in Wisconsin ($19,880 average AGI)
3.13% relocated to other states ($12,217 average AGI)
Iron County:
3.13%
Wisconsin average:
2.21%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:
Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 8.5 Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 6.2
Births per 1000 population in Iron County
Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 14.4 Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 13.5
Deaths per 1000 population in Iron County
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 8.4 Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006: 20.7
Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Iron County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 1,593 (1,395 aged, 198 disabled) Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 13% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 11%
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 451.2 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1413.750 Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 30.08
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 62.99 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 60.16
Household type by relationship:
Households: 5,820
In family households: 4,512 (1,121 male householders, 573 female householders)
1,346 spouses, 1,209 children (1,131 natural, 29 adopted, 49 stepchildren), 37 grandchildren, 34 brothers or sisters, 55 parents, 23 other relatives, 102 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 1,308 (598 male householders (497 living alone)), 530 female householders (470 living alone)), 180 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 96 (all institutionalized)
Size of family households: 1,036 2-persons, 325 3-persons, 236 4-persons, 70 5-persons, 22 6-persons, 5 7-or-more-persons.
96.1% of residents of Iron County speak English at home.
0.9% of residents speak Spanish at home (83% speak English very well, 7% speak English well, 10% speak English not well).
1.9% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (73% speak English very well, 10% speak English well, 17% speak English not well).
0.2% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (77% speak English very well, 23% speak English well).
0.9% of residents speak other language at home (91% speak English very well, 5% speak English well, 3% speak English not well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $48,354,000 ($7238 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $3,070,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $21,996,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $9,440,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $80,000 Federal grants: $12,919,000 Federal procurement contracts: $282,000 ($0,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $3,638,000 ($2,570,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $391,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $2,490,000 Federal Government insurance: $2,677,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 209
Here:
31 per 1000 residents
State:
65 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 462
Here:
69 per 1000 residents
State:
44 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +8
Here:
+1 per 1000 residents
State:
+8 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: +49
Here:
+7 per 1000 residents
State:
+3 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Iron County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 0.62 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
5.6
State:
6.1
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
3.9
State:
4.1
Year house built
2005 or later: 158
2000 to 2004: 279
1990 to 1999: 908
1980 to 1989: 720
1970 to 1979: 988
1960 to 1969: 538
1950 to 1959: 546
1940 to 1949: 407
1939 or earlier: 1,357
Rooms in houses/apartments in Iron County, Wisconsin
63% of Iron County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 42% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 51% lived in Wisconsin.
Iron County:
63.1%
State average:
57.2%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 3120
Northeast: 104
Midwest: 3257
South: 132
West: 91
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $45,000
Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 10%
Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 9%
Year Householders Moved Into Unit:
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Iron County
51.0 years
38.0 years
(56.8%)
(43.2%)
, Gogebic County, Michigan 
, Price County 
, Vilas County 
.
