RANK #355 / 1001 NAT · #13 / 29 WI · POP 66,799
1YR FORECAST: +2.4%
5YR OUTLOOK: +19%
Chippewa County, Wisconsin, is often recognized for its natural beauty and the historic Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, a local landmark since 1867. Located in west-central Wisconsin, about 90 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the county seat of Chippewa Falls sits along the Chippewa River. The community offers a small-town atmosphere with access to outdoor recreation, including Lake Wissota State Park, which provides opportunities for camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and winter sports. Commute times within the county average around 21.3 minutes, below the national average.
Life in Chippewa County blends rural charm with accessible amenities. Many families reside here, and public schools are generally rated above average. The economy is diverse, with key sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and tourism. Notable employers include Associated Milk Producers Inc., Berry Global, and TTM Technologies Inc. Chippewa Valley Technical College provides training programs that align with local workforce needs. The county's economic development efforts focus on supporting existing businesses and attracting new investment, with initiatives like the Lake Wissota Business Park.
Chippewa County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +3.3% YoY, population +0.4%, wages +3.8%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below-average climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 11.5x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Chippewa County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 64/100, Chippewa County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. Employment is expanding at +2.3%, and median household income stands at $74,680 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in WI.
Housing in Chippewa County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $257,900 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.29, with rents averaging $963/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Employers in Chippewa County are hiring — job growth of +2.3% — but the population is close to flat (+0.4% YoY). Home values moved +3.3% over the past year. Labor demand is outpacing local population growth, which tends to tighten wages and housing.
In significant numbers — 5.81% of Chippewa County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.