Vilas County Demographics

A map of Vilas County's Population by Race

Vilas County, Wisconsin has an estimated population of 23,647, a slight increase from the 23,047 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.8% White, 8.3% Native American/Other, 3.9% Multiracial, 2.3% Hispanic, 0.4% Asian, and 0.3% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Vilas County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Vilas is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Wisconsin overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Vilas County, that probability was 26.8% in 2020 and 27.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Vilas County is ranked the 49th most populous county in Wisconsin, out of 72 counties. Vilas County was ranked the 49th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Vilas County's White Population

20,054 residents of Vilas County, or 84.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Vilas County is higher than in Wisconsin overall, where 78.6% of the population is White. Vilas County ranks 54th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vilas County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.5%. White residents' share of Vilas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 84.8%.

Vilas County is more White than neighboring Forest County (77.7% White). Vilas County is less White than neighboring Oneida County (93.4% White), Gogebic County (90.5% White), Lincoln County (93% White), and Iron County (92.9% White).

Vilas County's Black Population

65 residents of Vilas County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Vilas County is lower than in Wisconsin overall, where 5.9% of the population is Black. Vilas County ranks 67th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vilas County's Black population has grown by an estimated 32.7%. Black residents' share of Vilas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Vilas County is more Black than neighboring Iron County (0% Black). Vilas County is less Black than neighboring Oneida County (0.5% Black), Gogebic County (0.4% Black), Lincoln County (0.5% Black), and Forest County (0.4% Black).

Vilas County's Asian Population

91 residents of Vilas County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Vilas County is slightly lower than in Wisconsin overall, where 2.9% of the population is Asian. Vilas County ranks 65th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vilas County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 59.6%. Asian residents' share of Vilas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Vilas County is more Asian than neighboring Forest County (0.1% Asian). Vilas County is less Asian than neighboring Oneida County (0.5% Asian), Gogebic County (0.6% Asian), and Iron County (0.5% Asian).

Vilas County's Hispanic Population

541 residents of Vilas County, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Vilas County is lower than in Wisconsin overall, where 8% of the population is Hispanic. Vilas County ranks 56th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vilas County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 17.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Vilas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.3%.

Vilas County is more Hispanic than neighboring Oneida County (1.7% Hispanic), Gogebic County (2% Hispanic), Iron County (1.6% Hispanic), and Forest County (2.2% Hispanic).

Vilas County's Native American/Other Population

1,966 residents of Vilas County, or 8.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Vilas County is higher than in Wisconsin overall, where 0.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Vilas County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vilas County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 12.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Vilas County's population has decreased from 9.7% to 8.3%.

Vilas County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Oneida County (0.9% Native American/Other), Gogebic County (2.7% Native American/Other), Lincoln County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Iron County (0.3% Native American/Other). Vilas County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Forest County (12.1% Native American/Other).

Vilas County's Multiracial Population

930 residents of Vilas County, or 3.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Vilas County is comparable to the share in Wisconsin overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Vilas County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vilas County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 38.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Vilas County's population has increased from 2.9% to 3.9%.

Vilas County is more Multiracial than neighboring Oneida County (3.1% Multiracial), Gogebic County (3.8% Multiracial), and Lincoln County (3.1% Multiracial). Vilas County is less Multiracial than neighboring Iron County (4.7% Multiracial), and Forest County (7.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.