Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety88#1,859/15,637
Economy17#12,941/15,631
Housing74#3,930/14,977
Health58#6,631/15,609
Healthcare10#14,028/15,650
Environment72#4,396/15,453
Education73#4,186/15,649
Infrastructure31#10,870/15,650
Community80#3,106/15,651
Leisure & amenities27#11,385/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Darlington, Wisconsin ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lafayette County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Wisconsin 14.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLafayette County value
Public libraries · high4.0 /10k
98/100Wisconsin 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesLafayette County value
Students per teacher · low10.8×
95/100Wisconsin 13.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsLafayette County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low106 min
94/100Wisconsin 140 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesLafayette County value
Property crime rate · low382 /100k
94/100Wisconsin 1,017 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationLafayette County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Wisconsin 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLafayette County value

Weaknesses

Dentists · low18 /100k
3/100Wisconsin 75 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLafayette County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Wisconsin 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyLafayette County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.1 /10k
4/100Wisconsin 4.8 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLafayette County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Wisconsin 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLafayette County value
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
4/100Wisconsin 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLafayette County value
Primary care physicians · low24 /100k
7/100Wisconsin 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLafayette County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateWorsening
11.3% (2015-2019) → 40.4% (2020-2024)
+29 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
33.6% (2015-2019) → 53.0% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedWorsening
13.5 /1k (2021) → 1.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−91%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Poverty rateWorsening
9.3% (2015-2019) → 22.1% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
11.3% (2015-2019) → 21.4% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.8× (2015-2019) → 2.7× (2020-2024)
+49%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Darlington, Wisconsin improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Bachelor's++9.7 points15.7% → 25.4%

Declined5

Poverty+13 points9.3% → 22.1%
Uninsured+10 points11.3% → 21.4%
Inequality+0.0680.358 → 0.426
Rent / income+5.2 points25.5% → 30.7%
Price / income+0.9×1.8× → 2.7×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Darlington, Wisconsin between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.7 min2015-2019	20.3 min2020-2024	−3.4 min	Within the margin of error	82%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.7%2015-2019	25.4%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Improved	89%
Broadband subscriptions	75.4%2015-2019	80.7%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Effective property tax rate	2.32%2015-2019	1.92%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	84%
High school diploma or higher	87.7%2015-2019	85.1%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	26%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3582015-2019	0.4262020-2024	+0.068	Declined	11%
Median household income	$54,2502015-2019	$56,6412020-2024	+4.4%	Within the margin of error	11%
Poverty rate	9.3%2015-2019	22.1%2020-2024	+13 points	Declined	2%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	25.5%2015-2019	30.7%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Declined	22%
Rent-burdened households	33.6%2015-2019	53.0%2020-2024	+19 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.3%2015-2019	21.4%2020-2024	+10 points	Declined	3%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Darlington, Wisconsin five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Darlington, Wisconsin in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Darlington, Wisconsin itself moved −15.3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,409 residents (±298)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 women (+6.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,409 residents (±298)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

White74%1,772
Black0.4%†9
Hispanic or Latino22%†538
Asian2.7%†65
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†5
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.8%†20

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−8.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,526 residents (±159)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

No high school diploma15%†227
High school or GED25%386
Some college23%354
Associate degree11%†171
Bachelor's degree16%†248
Graduate degree9.2%140

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: High school or GED (−16.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

901 households (±99)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $25k17%†151
$25k–50k29%†257
$50k–75k14%†126
$75k–100k13%†117
$100k–150k18%158
$150k–200k7.0%†63
$200k or more3.2%†29

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−13.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

901 households (±99)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Own68%616
Rent32%285

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

270 households (±64)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $75018%†49
$750–1,00055%†148
$1,000–1,50020%†54

Home values

616 homes (±88)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under $150k47%292
$150k–250k37%225
$250k–400k14%†85

Age of homes

999 homes (±101)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

2010 or later4.9%†49
2000–20098.0%†80
1980–199916%†156

Size of homes

999 homes (±101)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Studio0.5%†5
1 bedroom5.5%†55
2 bedrooms32%317

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

986 workers (±112)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Drive alone71%698
Carpool9.1%†90
Public transit0.0%0
Walk7.1%†70
Bike0.0%0
Work from home12%†123
Other0.5%†5

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+11.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

863 workers (±116)

Darlington, Wisconsin
Wisconsin share

Under 15 min56%480
15–29 min20%†170
30–44 min13%†110

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Lafayette County, the county holding most of Darlington's residents.

Lafayette County has 348 employer establishments, 204 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248; 0.84× Wisconsin's), with 3,808 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,668. The Census Bureau also counts 1,477 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 348; 1,477 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 204; US 248 · Wisconsin 244
Paid employees: 3,808
Average annual pay: $48,668; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lafayette County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	33	19.3	1.25×About typical	227	$69,881	164
Truck transportation	22	12.9	2.55×More than typical	131	$44,656	61
Restaurants and other eating places	20	11.7	0.64×Fewer than typical	174	$12,000	19
Religious organizations	17	10	1.80×More than typical	45	$11,311	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	15	8.8	1.75×More than typical	99	$52,303	41
Services to buildings and dwellings	14	8.2	1.22×About typical	37	$23,676	73
Building equipment contractors	13	7.6	1.27×More than typical	76	$60,737	19
Banks and credit unions	12	7	2.18×More than typical	94	$47,926	—
Full-service restaurants	12	7	0.92×About typical	92	$10,902	6
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	11	6.4	5.32×More than typical	29	$13,655	9
Food manufacturing	10	5.9	6.34×More than typical	1,239	$58,472	6
Gasoline stations	9	5.3	1.63×Too few to compare	153	$21,065	—

Rank places for an industry Open Lafayette County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,067 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Darlington, Wisconsin: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

823.7FY2017
1.4KFY2018
759.7FY2019
1.8KFY2020
1KFY2021
2.1KFY2022
2.8KFY2023
3.1KFY2024
277FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Darlington, Wisconsin, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Darlington is mostly in Lafayette County.

See federal money in Lafayette County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Darlington, Wisconsin is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mark PocanD-WI-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Lafayette County71100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Lafayette County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5518875