Jobs and earnings in Johnson, and the trip to work
There are 216 jobs in Johnson for 353 working residents. Only 6% stay in Johnson for work; outside it, Wausau is the main destination (17%, 24 miles). Working residents average 18 minutes each way, against 22 across Wisconsin and 26 nationally.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Getting to work from Johnson, in brief
Miles to work from Johnson
About 22% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Who commutes out of Johnson, and who commutes in
On a workday 333 residents head out to work, 20 work right here, and 196 people come in from elsewhere.
About 720 people are in Johnson on a workday afternoon, 16% fewer than live here.
0.61 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Commuting out of Johnson: the destinations
Where Johnson clocks in
17% of workers
13% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
A place that makes things: 49% of Johnson’s jobs are in goods
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Johnson, 2013 → 2023: 156 → 216. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Johnson’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Johnson’s commute takes about 18 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 5.7 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Johnson workers work from home, vs 13% across Wisconsin. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 431 commuters (the 14% who work from home are left out). Across Wisconsin: 86% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
13% of Johnson works in a bordering town
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Johnson workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson | – | — | — | 18 min | $74,800 |
| Holton | under 2% | — | — | 16 min | — |
| Frankfort | under 2% | — | — | 20 min | — |
| Athens | 13% | C− | B− | 26 min | $52,750 |
| Bern | under 2% | — | — | 22 min | — |
| Rietbrock | under 2% | — | — | 20 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Holton, Frankfort, Bern and Rietbrock: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Athens. Darker towns draw more of Johnson’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Johnson: questions
What is the median household income in Johnson?
$74,800 (±$7,499) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $77,485 across Wisconsin and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Johnson?
6.2%, against 10.6% across Wisconsin and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Johnson?
18 minutes each way on average, against 22 across Wisconsin and 26 nationally. 14% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Johnson work?
6% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Wausau (17%, 24 mi), Athens (13%, 4 mi), Marathon City (6%, 14 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Johnson without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 1% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Johnson, from the people who make the trip.
More of Johnson
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.