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Rusk County, Wisconsin: crime rate, income and local data
FBI reports put Rusk County at 2.8 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, close to the rate for Wisconsin (2.9). Median household income is $59,944 and the unemployment rate was 4.2% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 14,179 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Rusk County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 39 violent and 54 property crimes per year. That is 2.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, close to the Wisconsin rate (2.9), and 25% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 3.8 per 1,000 (Wisconsin: 12.7; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 79% of the violent total.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Rusk County | Per 1,000 | Wisconsin per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 39 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 7 | 0.49 | 0.39 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 31 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 54 | 3.8 | 12.7 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 13 | 0.92 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 35 | 2.5 | 9.3 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 6 | 0.43 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Rusk County?
Half of households in Rusk County make more than $59,944 and half make less; across Wisconsin the midpoint is $77,485. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $163,400, and the median rent is $874 a month. 16.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 11.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.2% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 247 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Rusk County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,179 | 5,914,872 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $59,944 | $77,485 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $163,400 | $266,500 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $874 | $1,087 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.4% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 13.1% | 10.6% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 16.2% | 11.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 33.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 77.9% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 49.2 | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.9% | 90.3% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.7% | 5.2% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Rusk County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Rusk County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Rusk County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 2 high-hazard dams in Rusk County. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Flambeau (92 ft) and Big Falls (50 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
1 facility in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 1,527 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Rusk County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 8 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 4 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 2 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Rusk County?
Rusk County had 2 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include US 8 EB and US 8 WB. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Rusk County?
Rusk County has 9 public schools (2024-25) and 3 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 2 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 5 fire or EMS stations and 2 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Rusk County
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Rusk County, plus 3 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Flambeau River Outfitters LLC (Ladysmith), Ladysmith Ace (Ladysmith), Wallys Saw & Gun (Bruce) and Walmart #4281 (Ladysmith).
Liquor stores
No liquor stores are on the map in Rusk County. Wisconsin has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Rusk County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Rusk County?
Rusk County averaged 39 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.8 per 1,000 residents, close to the Wisconsin rate (2.9). The property-crime rate was 3.8 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Rusk County?
$59,944 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $77,485 for Wisconsin and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Rusk County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.2% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 247 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Rusk County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Rusk County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Is there road construction in Rusk County right now?
Rusk County had 2 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include US 8 EB and US 8 WB.
How many nursing homes are in Rusk County?
2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Rusk County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barron County | 46,797 | 1.4 | $65,933 |
| Chippewa County | 66,799 | 1.6 | $74,680 |
| Price County | 14,092 | 1.4 | $60,546 |
| Sawyer County | 18,476 | 3.0 | $60,801 |
| Taylor County | 20,024 | 1.00 | $69,350 |
| Washburn County | 16,854 | 0.88 | $63,441 |
More: Wisconsin statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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