FOX CITIES—The population of the Fox Cities three core counties grew at a rate faster than Wisconsin but slower than the United States from 2010 to 2020, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The information was recently updated in the demographics category of the Fox Cities Leading Indicators for Excellence (LIFE) Study.
In addition, Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties saw an increase in their aging population but a decrease in those under age 18. The region continues to be less diverse than the rest of the United States, as the minority population grew slightly.
The largest population increase was in Outagamie, which saw its population jump by 7.1% between 2010 and 2020, compared with 4.4% in Calumet and 3.6% in Winnebago. Based on 2010 to 2040 population estimates for the region, Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago’s populations are expected to increase by 31%, 21.8% and 15.7% respectively.
The Fox Cities population across the three counties also continues to age, and the pace of that aging increased in the second half of the 2010s as compared to the first half of that decade.
Between 2010 and 2020, the Fox Cities saw an increase in the percentage of the population aged 65 and older (12.1% in 2010 to 15.4% in 2020). While at the same time, all three counties saw a small decrease in the percentage of the population under age 18 (24.3% to 22.3% in the three counties combined).
These changes mirror a wider national trend, which is often attributed to the Baby Boom generation driving growth in older population cohorts. The oldest of the Baby Boom generation turned 65 in 2011 and the youngest will turn 65 by 2029.
Diversity is on the increase in the Fox Cities. The minority populations in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties all grew between 2.5% and 3.5% in 10 years. The number of nationalities in the Fox Cities is also increasing. The refugee relocations between 2006 and 2020 have increased the number of people from East Asia and the Pacific, and South and Central Asia, along with an increase in refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Most of the refugees came from Laos, then Burma, Iraq, and Congo, with smaller numbers coming from Burma, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
The Leading Indicators for Excellence (LIFE) Study began in 2001 and provides a data-focused overview of the quality of life in the Fox Cities area. The study is funded by United Way Fox Cities and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. See more on the Fox Cities LIFE Study website.
