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Towards the other end of the age scale, those 50-64 represent the Baby Boomers in our region. All counties INCOME/ECONOMIC
of the Great Rivers Region have a larger percentage of residents in this age group than the national average,
except La Crosse County, which comes in slightly under the national average. Houston County has the highest
percentage of residents over the age of 50 years old (40.6%), which is also significantly higher than the
national average of 32%. These data help account for the increase in the median age and draw attention to
the challenges and opportunities of aging communities. It is important to keep in mind that, in 2018, the first
wave of Baby Boomers will turn 75 years old. Low maintenance housing, public transportation, and efficient
health care are just some of the needs that aging communities are facing and will continue to face as large
segments of the population age. Despite these increasing challenges, the positive contribution of older adults
on our communities should not be overlooked. Older populations can provide rich intergenerational learning
opportunities, be a source of community volunteers and community action. By 2030, one in five Americans
will be over the age of 65, with 200,000 Americans estimated to become centenarians2.

The racial make-up of the Great Rivers Region is predominately white with the largest ancestry groups in the
region being German, Norwegian, and Irish3. The two largest non-European ethnic populations are Hispanic
and Asian4. From 2000 to 2010, the Latino population has increased by 74% in Wisconsin, which is the
highest percentage of increase in the last years5. The four Wisconsin counties that had a rate of growth higher
than the state averages are La Crosse (76%), Monroe (124%), Trempealeau (595%), and Vernon (112%)6.
The Hmong population, which is included in Asian measures, increased by nearly 1,000 citizens in La Crosse
County, making 4.1% of the La Crosse County population of Hmong descent.

Housing

The majority of residents in the Great Rivers Region own their own home. According to the U.S. Census, La
Crosse County has the highest percentage of renter occupied units, at 34.6% of the population, and Houston
County has the lowest percentage of renters, at 19.1%. Since 2007, the number of home sales in the Great
Rivers Region has been declining, with the exception of Houston County, which has remained fairly stagnant;
however, there were some modest gains in all counties but La Crosse between 2009 and 2013. These details
can be found in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Home Sales

# of Home Sales 6,000
5,000
4,000 La Crosse Monroe Trempealeau Vernon Houston
3,000 5,951 752 273
2,000 4,281 1,105 783 581 263
1,000 5,763 828 271
4,935 985 571 733 269
0 2,753 414 242
2,496 1,201 281 448 250
2007 2,218 503 323
2008 1,123 345
2009
2010 599 333
2011
2012 654 472
2013
696 445

Source: Boxwood Means

COMPASS NOW 2015 65