Brown County Demographics

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

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.