Wisconsin Latino Family and Youth Study: Brown County Demographic Snapshot

Total Latino Population and its Growth over Time

By 2020 the Latino population of Brown County had increased more than seventeen-fold since the 1990 Census, and its share of the county population was more than ten times larger than 30 years prior. Since 2000, the total population of Brown County has increased by 19% while the Latino population has more than tripled; the increase among Latinos has accounted for more than 40% of the county’s total gain in population during that time.

	1990 Census		2000 Census		2010 Census		2020 Census
Population	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Total	194,594		226,778		248,007		268,740
Latino	1,525	0.8%	8,698	4.0%	17,985	7.3%	26,216	9.8%

Municipalities with Highest Percentages of Latino Residents, Brown County, 2020

Municipality	Total Population	Latino Population	Pct. Latinos	Share of County Latino Population
Green Bay city	107,395	19,220	17.9%	73.3%
Bellevue village	15,935	1,740	10.9%	6.6%
Wrightstown town	2,578	204	7.9%	0.8%
Wrightstown village	2,895	183	6.3%	0.7%
Morrison town	1,689	105	6.2%	0.4%
Allouez village	14,156	867	6.1%	3.3%
Ashwaubenon village	16,991	765	4.5%	2.9%
De Pere city	25,410	1,067	4.2%	4.1%

Based on the 2020 Census results, more than one in six residents of Green Bay identified as of Latino origin. Nearly three-fourths of the county’s Latinos live in the city, with most of the balance in seven other municipalities.

Latino Population by Census Block, Brown County: 2020

Age and Sex Patterns

Population by Five-Year Age Groups, Non-Latino and Latino Population, Brown County, 2020

Comparing the age structure of Brown County’s non-Latino and Latino populations reveals the relative youth of the Latino population. In 2020:

• Among non-Latinos 24% were in the 0-19 years age range, among Latino’s 43% were ages 0-19.
• Among non-Latinos 32% of the population were ages 20-44, among Latinos 38% were 20-24.
• Among non-Latinos 27% were in the 45-64 age range, among Latinos 15% were 45-64.
• Among non-Latinos 17% were ages 65 and older, among Latinos 4% were ages 65 and older.

The median age for the county’s total population in 2020 was 37.9, while the median age of the Latino population was significantly lower at 23.5.

The male-to-female ratios of Latinos were higher than the corresponding ones for non-Latinos for all age groups except for those 0-19. For the total population in Brown County the ratio of Latino males-to-females is 104 to 100; among non-Latinos, there were fewer men than women, 98 for every 100. High male-to-female ratios were particularly evident in the prime working age categories of 20-44 and 45-64.

Housing and Household Patterns

Given that the Latino population is younger, it is not surprising that the proportion of households who were renters is much higher among Latino-headed households than among non-Latino households. In Brown County, nearly two-thirds of Latino-headed households rent as compared to only one-third of non-Latino households.

Latino and Non-Latino Households by Owner/Renter Status, Brown County, 2020

	2010-2014 Estimate				2020
	Latino Households		Non-Latino Households		Latino Households		Non-Latino Households
Tenure	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Owner Occupied	1,384	33%	64,218	67%	2,604	38%	66,966	66%
Renter Occupied	2,769	67%	31,334	33%	4,334	62%	34,252	34%

With a higher share of renters than owners, Latinos also tended to be more likely to live in multi-family rather than single-family housing units. In Brown County, 47% of Latino-headed households lived in multi-family housing (structures with 2 or more units), compared to only 29% of non-Latinos.

Latino and Non-Latino Households by Housing Type, Brown County, 2020

	2010-2014 Estimate				2018-2022 Estimate
Units in Structure	Latino Housing Units		Non-Latino Housing Units		Latino Housing Units		Non-Latino Housing Units
	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
1	1,925	46%	68,535	72%	3,628	53%	75,826	71%
2 to 4	809	19%	8,922	9%	1,320	19%	8,341	8%
5 to 9	893	22%	6,825	7%	899	13%	8,225	8%
10 or more	382	9%	10,215	11%	674	10%	12,837	12%
Mobile home	140	3%	1,050	1%	307	4%	1,109	1%

The Latino population tends to live in family households at rates greater than the non-Latino population. In Brown County, nearly 30% of Latino households were married couples with children, and another nearly one-quarter were single parents with children. In contrast, non-Latino family households tend primarily to be made up of married couples without children in the home.  This distinction is also influenced by non-Latino households being older in general.  Many of these non-Latino households were likely made up of “empty nesters” whose children have grown and moved away and of single people living alone.

Latino and non-Latino Households by Type, Brown County, 2010-2014 & 2020

	2010-2014 Estimate				2020
Household Type	Latino Households		Non-Latino Households		Latino Households		Non-Latino Households
	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Family households:	3,405	82%	61,569	64%	5,161	74%	63,054	62%
Married couples, no children	361	9%	28,672	30%	1,033	15%	30,796	30%
Married couples, with children	1,886	45%	19,440	20%	2,010	29%	17,830	18%
Single parent with children	974	23%	8,505	9%	1,546	22%	8,334	8%
Other families	184	4%	4,952	5%	572	8%	6,094	6%
Nonfamily households:	748	18%	33,983	36%	1,777	26%	38,164	38%
Householder living alone	471	11%	27,400	29%	1,219	18%	30,590	30%
Householder not living alone	277	7%	6,583	7%	558	8%	7,574	7%

 

In part because of their relative youth Latinos families were more likely to have children living at home, their average family size has tended to be larger than that of non-Latinos. In Brown County, the average Latino-headed family has 4.7 members, while non-Latino families average 3.  Latino family sizes grew between then 2010 Census and the 2021 5-year estimate.

Immigration and Countries of Origin

In Brown County, 43% of Latino residents were born in Wisconsin, while 21% were born in another state besides Wisconsin. Only 29% were estimated to have been born outside the U.S.

Latinos by Place of Birth and Nativity, Brown County, 2010-2014 & 2018-2022

	2010-2014 Estimate		2018-2022 Estimate
Place of Birth	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Born in Wisconsin	7,670	40%	10,993	43%
Born in another state in the U.S.	3,347	17%	5,418	21%
Native; Born outside the U.S.*	1,088	6%	1,618	6%
Foreign Born	7,310	38%	7,334	29%

*Includes Latinos born in Puerto Rico, and those born in other countries who have at least one U.S. parent

Nearly three out of four Latinos in Brown County identified Mexico as their country of heritage or origin, and eleven percent reported Puerto Rico. Other Central and South American countries and some Caribbean nations (e.g., Cuba, the Dominican Republic) accounted for the balance.

Latino Country/Regions of Heritage, Brown County, 2010-2014 & 2018-2022

	2010-2014 Estimate		2018-2022 Estimate
Country/Region	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Mexico	14,043	72%	18,722	74%
Puerto Rico	1,886	10%	2,894	11%
Central American	1,649	8%	1,664	7%
South American	416	2%	763	3%
Others	1,421	8%	1,320	5%

 

Immigration to Brown County during the 1990s was robust, producing a sharp rise in the number and percentage of non-U.S. citizen Latinos, and a consequent decline in the percentage of native U.S. citizen Latinos (even though numeric increases among U.S. citizen Latinos were strong). However, following 2020, the percentage of native U.S. Latino citizens increased, with a resulting decline in the share of non-U.S. citizens.

Language Ability

In Brown County, 35% of Latino residents reported speaking only English at home, while 64% report speaking Spanish as their primary language at home. Among those who use Spanish at home, three out of four reported also speaking English “very well” or “well.”

Language Spoken at Home, and Self-Identified English Ability,

Latino Population, Brown County, 2010-2014 & 2018-2022

	2010-2014 Estimate		2018-2022 Estimate
Language Spoken at Home	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
English only	4,154	25%	7,917	35%
Spanish	12,414	74%	14,471	64%
Other language	94	1%	80	<1%
Of those that speak Spanish at home, they also report that they:
Speak English “very well”	6,045	49%	7,112	49%
Speak English “well”	2,453	20%	3,577	25%
Speak English “not well”	2,340	19%	2,859	20%
Speak English “not at all”	1,576	12%	923	6%

Note: Universe for this measure is population 5 years of age and older

Labor Force

Labor force participation rates in Brown County were higher for the Latino population at 74%, compared to 66% for the non-Latino population. Non-Latinos in Brown County were relatively older, and thus less likely to be in the labor force. State-wide, Latinos’ corresponding labor force percentages were 70% employed, 3% unemployed, and 27% not in the labor force.

Employment Status by Sex for Latino Population 16 years and over,

Brown County, 2018-2022 Estimates

	Total		Male		Female
Employment Status	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Employed or Armed Forces	11,882	74%	6,657	79%	5,225	69%
Unemployed	384	2%	257	3%	127	2%
Not in Labor Force	3,742	23%	1,541	18%	2,201	29%

Unemployment rates are generally measured as the unemployed share of the civilian labor force, or those that are actively looking for work (it is distinct from the unemployed percentage of all persons age 16 years and over, shown above). In Brown County the unemployment rate for Latinos was 3.1% compared to 2.9% for the non-Latino population.

Among Latinos working in Brown County, 30% reported being employed in manufacturing. Statewide, the proportion of Latinos in manufacturing was only 23%.

Top Five Industries of Employment for Latinos, Brown County, 2017-2021 Estimate

Industry	Count	Percent
Manufacturing	3,314	30%
Educational services, and health care and social assistance	1,417	13%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services	1,340	12%
Retail trade	1,078	10%
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative, and waste management services	894	8%

Education

Over the past 30 years, the educational attainment of Latinos in Brown County has been reflective of the pattern of recent arrivals moving into the county. Brown County’s Latino population nearly quintupled from 1990 to 2000; many were foreign-born non-U.S. citizens (see graph in “Immigration and Countries of Origin” section earlier). During that time, the share of those who had less than a high school education rose from 41% in 1990 to 58% in 2000. In the subsequent 20 years, educational attainment increased among Brown County’s Latino population . The proportion of Latinos without a high school diploma has fallen to 35%, while all other higher attainment categories have grown.

In terms of public-school enrollments in 2015-2023, the number of Latino students increased by nearly 100 at the elementary level, nearly 400 in middle schools, and nearly 700 in high schools. These increases helped to boost elementary enrollment and to sustain overall totals at the middle and high school levels as non-Latino enrollment declined.

Income and Poverty

The median income for Latino households in Brown County has been consistently lower than that for all households. Latino household income was 75% that of all households in 1990 and dipped to 68% in 2000 (influenced by an influx of new immigrants in the 1990s). Latino income returned to 75% in the 2010-2014 period, and recently rose to 83% of the median income for all households in Brown County.  Though median household incomes have increased relative to the non-Latino population, it is important to recall that Latino households tend to be larger that non-Latino households, so the income gap per-capita is larger.

The incomes of Brown County’s Latino households were concentrated between $25,000 and $100,000; nearly two-thirds of households had incomes in this range. Roughly 17% of households had incomes below $25,000, and just under 20% had incomes of $100,000 or more.

  Poverty Status by Family Type for Latino-Headed Families, Brown County, 2018-2022

	Latino Families
	2010-2014 Estimate		2018-2022 Estimate
Household Type	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Families with income in the past 12 months below poverty level:	747	22%	776	16%
Of those families in poverty:
Married couple family	381	51%	412	53%
Male householder, no wife present	59	8%	128	16%
Female householder, no husband present	307	41%	236	30%

The poverty rate for Latino families in Brown County was 16% during the 2018-2022 period, compared to 6% for all families in the county. Of Latino families with incomes below the poverty line, one-half were married-couple families with children, and three out of ten were female-headed households.

This report was produced at the UW Applied Population Lab with support from UW Extension.  For any questions, please contact apl@dces.wisc.edu.

Data sources for this report include the 1990-2020 Decennial Censuses and the 5-Year American Community Survey Estimates from 2014 and 2022.