Page 82 - 2015 Compass Now

Table 12 indicates that the Great Rivers Region has a much higher percentage of people in the labor force
than the U.S. average. Overall, the participation rate over the past five years has been between 92% and
95% for our region, whereas the U.S. average has fluctuated from between 63% and 65%.

Table 12: Labor Force Participation Rate

County/Region 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
La Crosse 94.8%
Monroe 93.2% 93.6% 94.2% 94.7% 93.5%
Trempealeau 94.5%
Vernon 92.2% 92.6% 93.3% 93.3% 93.9%
Houston 94.0%
Wisconsin 92.3% 92.9% 93.8% 94.6% 94.7%
Minnesota 94.7%
U.S. 92.1% 92.2% 93.2% 93.7% 63.0%

91.8% 92.1% 92.8% 93.8%

92.9% 92.3% 93.2% 94.3%

92.5% 92.3% 93.2% 94.3%

65.7% 64.8% 64.2% 63.7%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
All percentages are quarterly averages

Household Income

Household income (Table 13) is a good measure of community’s economic well-being. Household income is
affected by geographic location, education level, number of employed members of the household, type of
employment, and unemployment compensation. The median household income includes the income of the
householder and all other individuals over the age of 15, whether or not they are related to the householder.
Comparing median household incomes as opposed to average household income is generally considered
more accurate, as median figures are less affected by outliers on the wage scale. Median household income
for the Great Rivers Region has been consistently lower than that at the state and national level. Houston
County comes closest to the national average, yet is still about 10% lower than the Minnesota median
household income.

Table 13: Median Household Income

INCOME/ECONOMIC County/Region 2009 Median 2012 Median % Change
Household Income Household Income

La Crosse $49,505 $50,771 +2.56%

Monroe $49,473 $48,768 -1.43%

Trempealeau $44,997 $48,624 +8.06%

Vernon $40,644 $44,676 +9.87%

Houston $49,269 $53,453 +8.49%

Wisconsin $49,994 $52,627 +5.27%

Minnesota $55,621 $59,126 +6.30%

U.S. $50,221 $53,046 +5.63%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2009-2013 5-Year American Community Survey
Adjusted for inflation

74 COMPASS NOW 2015