According to a new report, the Wisconsin’s median age is 40.1 years making it one of only 14 states where the median age is over 40 – the national median is 38.8.
Wisconsin’s Demographic Dilemma was published by Wisconsin Manufacturer’s & Commerce Foundation.
In addition to being one of the oldest states in the country, Wisconsin’s population under age 5 shrunk by 10.1 percent from 2010 to 2020, while the population of people ages 65-84 expanded by 41.7 percent.
The persistent workforce shortage is being driven by a population gap that has existed for many years.
“Without growing our population, we cannot grow our economy,” said Rachel Ver Velde, WMC senior director of workforce, education and employment policy. “To do so, we must enact public policies that attract people to our state. That means we need to reform our tax code to be competitive with our neighbors, expand and invest in choice and charter schools that are popular with families, and commit to a talent attraction campaign that showcases why Wisconsin is a great place to live.”
The WMC Foundation report details the fact that Wisconsin’s population has shrunk by roughly 1,200 people over the last three years. This is due to more people dying in the state than being born from 2020 to 2022 and domestic out-migration of more than 11,000 people over the same period. International immigration has added a net of roughly 11,500 over the last three years.
From 2010 to 2020, Wisconsin grew its population by 3.6 percent. That lags the national average of 7.4 percent. Birth rates dropped roughly 4 percent year-over-year in 2020 across the country and the fertility rate fell to 1.64 – a record low. Total births were the lowest since 1979.
