Kaukauna, Wisconsin population

Incorporated place · Official geographic code 5538800 · Census name: Kaukauna city

18,517

· Annual resident population estimate

U.S. Census Bureau · Population Estimates Program · Vintage 2025

+193 residents (+1.05%) since July 1, 2024.

Kaukauna had an estimated 18,517 residents on July 1, 2025, the 47th most populous of 608 incorporated places in Wisconsin. Its population grew 1.05% between July 2024 and July 2025, compared with +0.26% for Wisconsin and +0.52% for the United States.

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Population change, 2020–2025
+1,384July 1 to July 1 · +8.08%
Land-area density, 2025
2,239.9People per square mile · 2025 land area
Rank in Wisconsin, 2025
47 of 6082,058 of 19,471 nationally

Kaukauna population history

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The six July 1 estimates in the table belong to one consistent Vintage 2025 series. The Census Bureau revises earlier years when it releases a new vintage; a figure from an older publication may differ from the value below.

Kaukauna population, 2010–2025: 2010–2020 intercensal estimates (2020 boundaries) and Vintage 2025 estimates (2025 boundaries) 18.9k16.9k15.0k 2010201520202025

Vintage 2025, July 1, 2020–2025 Intercensal, 2010–2020

The highest observed population in this annual series was 18,517 in 2025. This is a peak within 2020–2025 coverage, not an all-time record.

Kaukauna, Wisconsin: July 1 annual population estimates, Vintage 2025
Reference datePopulationAnnual change
July 1, 202017,133—
July 1, 202117,247+114
July 1, 202217,658+411
July 1, 202318,127+469
July 1, 202418,324+197
July 1, 202518,517+193
Why is the April 2020 estimates base different from a census count?

The PEP estimates base here is 17,091 residents on April 1, 2020. It incorporates the Census Bureau’s corrections and geographic revisions and serves as the starting point for this annual series. It is not labeled an original 2020 census count. The chart starts at July 1, 2020, so its five-year change uses two July observations. Read about measurement types.

Kaukauna population by year, 2010–2020

From the April 2010 estimates base to the April 2020 census count, Kaukauna gained 1,616 residents (+10.4%). These Census Bureau intercensal estimates use 2020 boundaries and were released in November 2024.

Kaukauna: 2010–2020 intercensal population estimates and April 1, 2020 census count, 2020 boundaries
DatePopulationAnnual change
April 1, 2010 · estimates base15,470—
July 1, 201015,518—
July 1, 201115,655+137
July 1, 201215,896+241
July 1, 201315,982+86
July 1, 201416,147+165
July 1, 201516,274+127
July 1, 201616,397+123
July 1, 201716,619+222
July 1, 201816,833+214
July 1, 201916,962+129
April 1, 2020 · census count17,086—

The April 2020 census count (17,086) and the Vintage 2025 April 2020 base (17,091) differ by 5. The gap comes from boundary changes and the Census Bureau’s revised 2020 base, not population change, so measure growth within one series. Source and download

Growth and density

Between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2025, Kaukauna gained 1,384 residents, a 8.08% increase. The annualized change over these five elapsed years was +1.57%. Annualized change is a summary of the interval; it does not imply that the population changed at that rate in every year.

The 2025 Gazetteer reports 8.27 square miles of land. Dividing the July 1, 2025 population by that compatible land area gives 2,239.9 people per square mile. Water area is excluded. Density depends on geographic boundaries. It describes this entire place, rather than a typical neighborhood or built-up area.

Calculations use unrounded source values. Population counts are displayed as integers, percentages to two decimals and density to one decimal. Calculation methods · Growth calculator

How Kaukauna compares

Growth rates below use the same Vintage 2025 series for every row, so they can be compared directly. A city’s rate can differ sharply from its county’s because the county also includes other towns and unincorporated areas.

Population and growth compared with larger geographies, Vintage 2025
GeographyPopulation · 2025Growth · 2024–25Growth · 2020–25
Kaukauna18,517+1.05%+8.08%
Calumet County53,982+0.41%+2.87%
Outagamie County195,894+0.57%+2.58%
Wisconsin5,972,787+0.26%+1.28%
United States341,784,857+0.52%+3.08%

The Census Bureau does not publish births, deaths or migration for incorporated places; county profiles show those components of change. Coverage details

Kaukauna demographics: age, race and income

The median age in Kaukauna is 38.6 years, compared with 40.2 in Wisconsin. 25.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median household income is $80,365. About 7.8% of residents live below the poverty level, and 2.4% were born outside the United States.

These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. They describe the 60 months ending in December 2024, come from a sample survey with the margins of error shown, and are separate from the July 1, 2025 population estimate above.

Kaukauna population characteristics, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates with 90 percent margins of error
CharacteristicKaukaunaMarginWisconsinU.S.
Age and sex
Median age38.6±2.140.238.9
Under 18 years20.9%±2.221.4%22.0%
65 years and over14.7%±1.918.5%17.2%
Female50.7%±1.749.9%50.5%
Race and Hispanic origin
Hispanic or Latino (any race)4.6%±1.98.0%19.3%
White alone, not Hispanic89.0%±3.078.6%57.4%
Black alone, not Hispanic0.5% *±0.35.9%11.9%
Asian alone, not Hispanic1.9% *±1.72.9%5.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic0.6% *±0.30.5%0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic0.0% *±0.10.0%0.2%
Some other race, not Hispanic0.0% *±0.10.3%0.6%
Two or more races, not Hispanic3.4%±1.13.7%4.3%
Born outside the United States2.4%±1.15.2%14.1%
Households and education
Households7,298±2992,479,480129,227,496
Average household size2.40±0.102.332.53
Bachelor’s degree or higher, age 25+25.1%±3.033.4%35.7%
Income and poverty
Median household income$80,365±$9,030$77,485$80,734
Below the poverty level7.8%±2.110.6%12.5%

Margins are 90% margins of error. * The margin is large relative to the estimate (coefficient of variation above 30%); treat it as approximate. Percentages are computed from published Summary File counts with Census Bureau margin formulas. ACS survey population: 17,706; 2024 boundaries. Source and download

Geographic context

This figure covers the residents inside Kaukauna’s municipal boundary on July 1, 2025. It is not a metropolitan-area total, and figures for a ZIP code, school district or mailing address area cover different territory, so they usually differ. Kaukauna lies in Calumet County and Outagamie County, according to the published county/place-part relationships.

Wisconsin population · State city directory · City proper versus county versus metro

Other incorporated places in the same counties

Largest other whole incorporated places sharing at least one of these counties; their totals can include residents of neighboring counties.

Resident population, July 1, 2025; change since July 1, 2024. PEP Vintage 2025.
PlacePopulation · 2025Change · 2024–25Growth · 2024–25People / sq. mi.
Appleton75,452+208+0.28%2,968.0
Howard22,233+254+1.16%1,188.7
Fox Crossing19,320+10+0.05%1,528.3
Menasha18,385-20-0.11%3,041.8
Harrison14,492+200+1.40%454.3

Wisconsin incorporated places with nearby population ranks

Neighboring 2025 population ranks within Wisconsin. Similar population does not imply similar density, boundaries or demographics.

Resident population, July 1, 2025; change since July 1, 2024. PEP Vintage 2025.
PlacePopulation · 2025Change · 2024–25Growth · 2024–25People / sq. mi.
Marshfield18,980-85-0.45%1,373.4
Wisconsin Rapids18,654-110-0.59%1,341.9
Menasha18,385-20-0.11%3,041.8
River Falls17,916+166+0.94%2,402.5

Source, citation and downloads

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025, sub-est2025.csv, variable POPESTIMATE2025; Kaukauna city, Wisconsin, geographic code 5538800; resident population 18,517 on July 1, 2025; boundaries January 1, 2025. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv. Retrieved September 30, 2026. US Population Data snapshot pep-2025-r1, transformation 1.

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