Special Report
This Is the Least Educated Metro Area in Wisconsin
Published:
Last Updated:
College enrollment has declined steadily in the United States in recent years. With rising tuition costs and surging student debt, enrollment has fallen by an average of nearly 2% a year since 2010. While four years of higher education may not be for everyone, Americans without a bachelor’s degree tend to be far more limited in their career opportunities, job security, and earning potential.
Nationwide, an estimated 33.1% of American adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Educational attainment rates vary considerably across the country, however, and in nearly every state, there is at least one metro area where the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree is well below the national average.
In the Janesville-Beloit metro area, located in Wisconsin, only 23.2% of the adult population have a bachelor’s degree, the smallest share of any metro area in the state. Meanwhile, across Wisconsin, 31.3% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The average weekly wage for a college-educated worker in the United States is about 67% higher than it is for those with no more than a high school diploma — and in places with lower educational attainment, incomes also tend to be lower than average. In the Janesville-Beloit metro area, the typical household earns $61,243 per year, less than the median household income across Wisconsin of $64,168.
All data in this story are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
Least educated metro area | Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%) | Adults with a bachelor’s degree, statewide (%) | Median household income ($) | Median household income, statewide ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama: Gadsden | 17.2 | 26.3 | 41,447 | 51,734 |
Alaska: Anchorage | 33.1 | 30.2 | 80,676 | 75,463 |
Arizona: Lake Havasu City-Kingman | 13.5 | 30.2 | 50,179 | 62,055 |
Arkansas: Pine Bluff | 16.4 | 23.3 | 41,541 | 48,952 |
California: Visalia | 13.6 | 35.0 | 57,692 | 80,440 |
Colorado: Pueblo | 23.4 | 42.7 | 51,276 | 77,127 |
Connecticut: Norwich-New London | 33.3 | 39.8 | 75,633 | 78,833 |
Delaware: Dover | 24.5 | 33.2 | 58,001 | 70,176 |
Florida: Sebring-Avon Park | 16.7 | 30.7 | 48,698 | 59,227 |
Georgia: Dalton | 15.0 | 32.5 | 51,967 | 61,980 |
Hawaii: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina | 27.7 | 33.6 | 80,754 | 83,102 |
Idaho: Twin Falls | 20.0 | 28.7 | 56,667 | 60,999 |
Illinois: Danville | 12.1 | 35.8 | 43,111 | 69,187 |
Indiana: Michigan City-La Porte | 18.0 | 26.9 | 56,019 | 57,603 |
Iowa: Sioux City | 22.6 | 29.3 | 60,132 | 61,691 |
Kansas: Topeka | 29.1 | 34.0 | 59,567 | 62,087 |
Kentucky: Elizabethtown-Fort Knox | 21.4 | 25.1 | 55,246 | 52,295 |
Louisiana: Houma-Thibodaux | 16.3 | 25.0 | 49,874 | 51,073 |
Maine: Lewiston-Auburn | 25.1 | 33.2 | 63,813 | 58,924 |
Maryland: Cumberland | 19.1 | 40.9 | 49,729 | 86,738 |
Massachusetts: Pittsfield | 33.9 | 45.0 | 58,895 | 85,843 |
Michigan: Battle Creek | 20.2 | 30.0 | 49,055 | 59,584 |
Minnesota: St. Cloud | 26.6 | 37.3 | 66,076 | 74,593 |
Mississippi: Gulfport-Biloxi | 22.7 | 22.3 | 50,642 | 45,792 |
Missouri: St. Joseph | 20.0 | 30.2 | 50,425 | 57,409 |
Montana: Great Falls | 25.6 | 33.6 | 51,227 | 57,153 |
Nebraska: Grand Island | 21.0 | 33.2 | 55,907 | 63,229 |
Nevada: Carson City | 21.3 | 25.7 | 57,270 | 63,276 |
New Hampshire: Manchester-Nashua | 37.8 | 37.6 | 83,626 | 77,933 |
New Jersey: Vineland-Bridgeton | 16.1 | 41.2 | 54,587 | 85,751 |
New Mexico: Farmington | 14.4 | 27.7 | 44,321 | 51,945 |
New York: Watertown-Fort Drum | 22.4 | 37.8 | 53,917 | 72,108 |
North Carolina: Rocky Mount | 17.4 | 32.3 | 46,466 | 57,341 |
North Dakota: Bismarck | 33.4 | 30.4 | 70,979 | 64,577 |
Ohio: Springfield | 16.2 | 29.3 | 50,128 | 58,642 |
Oklahoma: Lawton | 20.5 | 26.2 | 51,332 | 54,449 |
Oregon: Grants Pass | 16.8 | 34.5 | 47,573 | 67,058 |
Pennsylvania: Johnstown | 20.6 | 32.3 | 49,076 | 63,463 |
Rhode Island: Providence-Warwick | 33.2 | 34.8 | 70,967 | 71,169 |
South Carolina: Sumter | 20.1 | 29.6 | 49,263 | 56,227 |
South Dakota: Rapid City | 30.8 | 29.7 | 58,361 | 59,533 |
Tennessee: Morristown | 19.3 | 28.7 | 47,326 | 56,071 |
Texas: Odessa | 15.1 | 30.8 | 67,205 | 64,034 |
Utah: St. George | 27.3 | 34.8 | 63,595 | 75,780 |
Vermont: Burlington-South Burlington | 44.6 | 38.7 | 74,909 | 63,001 |
Virginia: Staunton | 24.2 | 39.6 | 57,844 | 76,456 |
Washington: Longview | 15.3 | 37.0 | 55,497 | 78,687 |
West Virginia: Weirton-Steubenville | 17.5 | 21.1 | 49,510 | 48,850 |
Wisconsin: Janesville-Beloit | 23.2 | 31.3 | 61,243 | 64,168 |
Wyoming: Casper | 20.7 | 29.1 | 65,034 | 65,003 |
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.