Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety90#97/924
Economy71#265/925
Housing98#22/925
Health74#239/925
Healthcare66#310/923
Environment61#360/917
Education52#445/925
Infrastructure77#209/925
Community65#328/925
Leisure & amenities53#437/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Rent-burdened households · low31.1%
99/100Wisconsin 43.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · low22.3%
98/100Wisconsin 27.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Severe housing problems · low9.1%
96/100Wisconsin 12.4%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Hot days · low1 days
94/100Wisconsin 4 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.410
94/100Wisconsin 0.444United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Property crime rate · low488 /100k
93/100Wisconsin 1,017 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

High ozone days · high11 days
2/100Wisconsin 4 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low1.0 /10k
14/100Wisconsin 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low1.6 /10k
14/100Wisconsin 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.6 /1k
15/100Wisconsin 12.0 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.31%
18/100Wisconsin 1.32%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Social associations · low8.2 /10k
20/100Wisconsin 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
20% (2021) → 52% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+31 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysWorsening
5 days (2017) → 11 days (2022)
+120%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
57.0% (2010 & 2021) → 73.0% (2022 & 2024)
+16 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New business applicationsImproving
5.0 /1k (2020) → 8.6 /1k (2025)
+73%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Suicide rateWorsening
13.8 /100k (2021) → 22.1 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+60%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
23.1% (2020 & 2021) → 34.4% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Property tax−0.4 points1.73% → 1.31%
Gyms+49%0.5 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Property crime−54%1,061 /100k → 488 /100k
New businesses+73%5.0 /1k → 8.6 /1k
Overdose deaths−59%22.1 /100k → 9.1 /100k

Declined6

Suicides+80%12.3 /100k → 22.1 /100k
Firearm deaths+75%7.7 /100k → 13.5 /100k
Grocery stores−28%1.4 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Traffic deaths+42%9.4 /100k → 13.2 /100k
Pharmacies−8.7%1.5 /10k → 1.3 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.7 /10k2020	4.0 /10k2025	+9.6%	Improved	52%
Average commute time	19.3 min2015-2019	20.3 min2020-2024	+0.9 min	Within the margin of error	32%
Average weekly wage	$8822020	$1,0642025	+21%	Improved	27%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.2%2015-2019	22.6%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	41%
Broadband subscriptions	79.3%2015-2019	89.2%2020-2024	+9.9 points	Improved	60%
Child poverty rate	14.3%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Distance to an airport	81 mi2020	41 mi2025	−39 mi	Improved	99%
Drug overdose deaths	22.1 /100k2020	9.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−59%	Improved	90%
Effective property tax rate	1.73%2015-2019	1.31%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Improved	97%
Firearm deaths	7.7 /100k2020	13.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+75%	Declined	5%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−28%	Declined	5%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	+49%	Improved	88%
High school diploma or higher	92.0%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	55%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,8202019	$67,0662024	+29%	Improved	32%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4042015-2019	0.4112020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	35%
Median household income	$56,6122015-2019	$69,1482020-2024	+22%	Improved	23%
New business applications	5.0 /1k2020	8.6 /1k2025	+73%	Improved	82%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−8.7%	Declined	50%
Poverty rate	10.0%2015-2019	9.6%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Property crime rate	1,061 /100k2020	488 /100k2025	−54%	Improved	90%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−3.8%	Little change	31%
Public transit commuters	0.6%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent as share of income	23.5%2015-2019	22.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Rent-burdened households	31.7%2015-2019	31.1%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Restaurants and bars	12.2 /10k2020	12.0 /10k2025	−1.4%	Little change	39%
Suicide rate	12.3 /100k2020	22.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+80%	Declined	3%
Traffic deaths	9.4 /100k2015-2019	13.2 /100k2020-2024	+42%	Declined	10%
Unemployment rate	6.2%2020	3.0%2025	−3.2 points	Improved	56%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.3%2015-2019	5.2%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Violent crime rate	189 /100k2020	127 /100k2025	−33%	Improved	79%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area 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, Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area itself moved −0.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

81,406 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

35,188 households (±462)

Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k13%4,612
$25k–50k20%7,018
$50k–75k21%7,249

Homes

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

Owners and renters

35,188 households (±462)

Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area
United States share

Own77%27,129
Rent23%8,059

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.7 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

39,786 workers (±633)

Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%32,077
Carpool7.1%2,825
Public transit0.5%†216

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area.

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.

Manitowoc, WI has 1,726 employer establishments, 212 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 28,889 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,260. The Census Bureau also counts 4,318 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,726; 4,318 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 212; US 248
Paid employees: 28,889
Average annual pay: $50,260; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	124	15.2	0.83×About typical	1,872	$16,189	24
Specialty trade contractors	123	15.1	0.97×About typical	711	$63,371	336
Ambulatory health care services	102	12.5	0.60×Fewer than typical	1,397	$73,946	126
Truck transportation	79	9.7	1.91×More than typical	725	$58,879	97
Full-service restaurants	69	8.5	1.10×About typical	879	$16,063	14
Building equipment contractors	52	6.4	1.06×About typical	388	$65,052	57
Construction of buildings	52	6.4	0.84×About typical	295	$63,651	128
Religious organizations	48	5.9	1.06×About typical	510	$24,031	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	47	5.8	1.14×About typical	169	$45,911	80
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	46	5.6	3.53×More than typical	2,461	$58,566	23
Lessors of real estate	46	5.6	0.46×Fewer than typical	158	$32,139	484
Services to buildings and dwellings	42	5.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	181	$33,740	244

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 81,600 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.6M on contracts performed in Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area: $19.39 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.6M; −84% vs FY2025
Per resident: $19.39; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

U.S. Geological Survey$1M65%
Agricultural Marketing Service$437.5K28%
Department of Veterans Affairs$80K5.0%
Department of the Army$47.1K3.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$1050.0%

Top recipients

SHIPBUILDERS OF WISCONSIN, INC.$1M65%
LAKESIDE FOODS INC$437.5K28%
FULL CIRCLE RECORDINGS LLC$51.6K3.3%
MOTHER DAUGHTER CONTRACTING SERVICES LLC$47.1K3.0%
COMPLETE CARE AT MANITOWOC LLC$28.4K1.8%

Spending by fiscal year

2.4MFY2017
4.6MFY2018
5.5MFY2019
18.5MFY2020
21.1MFY2021
3.6MFY2022
4.6MFY2023
2.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Ship and boat building · 3366$1M65%
Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing · 3114$437.5K28%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$51.6K3.3%
Traveler accommodation · 7211$47.1K3.0%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$28.4K1.8%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327

Largest awards

MANITOWOC SOUTH BREAKWATER REPAIRS$7.3M
ROEN SALVAGE CO.· Manitowoc County, WI· Construction & real property· Sep 17, 2025 – Oct 10, 2025· W912P625FA012
ENGINEERING SERVICES$2.1M
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Manitowoc County, WI· Professional services· Feb 24, 2023 – Dec 12, 2025· N6893623F0230
HAULOUT OF THE R/V STURGEON$879.6K
SHIPBUILDERS OF WISCONSIN, INC.· Manitowoc County, WI· Equipment maintenance· Sep 24, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026· 140G0226C0002
HAULOUT OF THE R/V KIYI$635.5K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $570.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area: $6,984 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $570.7M; −6.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,984; US $12,955
Loan face value: $13M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$428.3M75%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$45.9M8.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$35.4M6.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$28.9M5.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$10.7M1.9%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$3.4M0.6%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$3.2M0.6%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$1.7M0.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

LAKESHORE TECHNICAL COLLEGE$3.8M0.7%
CLEVELAND, WI
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$1M0.2%
MADISON, WI
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT CORP OF WISCONSIN$984.1K0.2%
MANITOWOC, WI
CORE TREATMENT SERVICES, INC$750K0.1%
MANITOWOC, WI
SHIPBUILDERS OF WISCONSIN, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$513.7M90%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$41M7.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$3.8M0.7%
Farm Service Agency$3.2M0.6%
Department of Agriculture
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner$1.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

522.2MFY2021
523.4MFY2022
538.2MFY2023
568.6MFY2024
610.5MFY2025
570.7MFY2026

County aggregates

98%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Manitowoc, WI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Manitowoc CountyCentral county9181,710

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ManitowocPrincipal city34,620

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Areas based in Wisconsin, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Manitowoc, WI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Manitowoc, WI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought