The Community Dashboard

Janesville is the largest city in Rock County. It is also the county seat and a commercial center for surrounding communities. Compared to 2017, Janesville has seen population growth of 2.8%, far outpacing the state’s average population growth of 0.3% per year between 2010 and 2022.

County GDP is the market value of goods and services produced within a county during one year. While other measures of county economies rely mainly on labor market data, GDP is a more comprehensive figure because it captures trends in labor, revenue, and value of production.

Part 1 Crimes include all violent crimes as well as property crimes and are measured per 100,000 residents. The slight increase in Part 1 Crimes in 2022 was concentrated among property crimes and followed national trends. Overall, Part 1 Crimes have decreased 36% since 2017.

In 2021, 76% of respondents agreed with the statement “Janesville is a good place to live” in the Community Survey. In 2024, 76% of respondents to the 2024 Strategic Plan Community Survey conducted by BerryDunn ranked the “Overall Quality of Life in Janesville” as “Good.”

The percentage of 3rd grade students reading at or above grade level has declined to 51% from its 2018 (56%) and 2019 (58%) percentages. The school district’s goal is for 90% of 3rd grade students to read at or above grade level. 2020 data was not available for many educational metrics due to the pandemic.

To meet this criteria, a student must have A.) an identified career cluster and B.) two or more of the following: a 90% attendance rate, an industry credential, a workplace learning experience, dual credit in a career pathway, participation in co-curricular activities, and/or 25 hours of community service.

Janesville’s graduation rate has steadily increased since 2017 and grew by 2% in 2023, exceeding the district’s goal to increase graduation rates by 1% per year. Wisconsin’s state average graduation rate is 90.5%. Higher graduation rates indicate student commitment to education.

Department of Public Instruction (DPI) scores publicly funded school districts as: Significantly Exceeds Expectations (100 to 83), Exceeds Expectations (82.9 to 70), Meets Expectations (69.9 to 58), Meets Few Expectations (57.9 to 48), and Fails to Meet Expectations (47.9 and below).

The 2023 unemployment rate in the Janesville-Beloit MSA was slightly lower than the national rate of 3.6% and slightly higher than the Wisconsin rate of 3%. Compared to historical data, the local unemployment rate is trending downward, signaling strength in the labor market.

The Civilian Labor Force is the number of people who are either working or actively looking for work. There was a slight dip in workforce in 2022, but gains were made in 2023. The labor force includes all people aged 16 and older who are classified as either employed or unemployed.

The decrease in unique job postings follows national trends and was mainly caused by a cooling labor market. To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates high. Amid high inflation and interest rates, businesses curtailed expansion and did not post as many open positions.

This metric represents the average monthly number of unemployed people in the Janesville-Beloit MSA. The drop in the monthly average number of unemployed people is highlighted in green because fewer unemployed people signals strength in employment and is better for Rock County.

The percentage of net new construction (NNC) is a valuation factor in determining the allowable tax levy. To determine the allowable tax levy increase, a city divides net new construction dollars by equalized assessed value (EAV) to calculate the percentage the levy may increase.

This number continues to trend in the right direction, rising by $15,857 since 2016. Median Household Income is the middle income of all households and a more accurate measurement of financial health than average income, which can be skewed by high-income earners.

Since 2016, the number of new business applications has increased year-over-year and is an indicator of the entrepreneurial ecosystem Rock County is building. The U.S. Census Bureau measures business initiation activity by applications for an Employer Identification Number.

There was a 9.3% decrease in the number of commercial permits issued in 2022. This metric represents a combination of two types of commercial permits: addition/remodel permits issued for improvements to existing properties, and commercial permits issued for new construction projects.

Rock County’s overall health outcomes is an area that needs focused attention at the individual and community levels. This metric takes dozens of factors into account, including length and quality of life, health behaviors, clinical care, and physical environment.

Rock County’s adult obesity percentage decreased 2% in 2023. That is trending in the right direction and highlighted in green. These figures represent the percentage of the adult population (age 20 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.

Life expectancy in Rock County remained unchanged between 2023 and 2022. It is slightly below Wisconsin’s life expectancy (77.8 years) but slightly above national life expectancy (77.5 years). This metric provides a snapshot of population health and mortality.

The percentage of Rock County residents who self-report being in poor or fair health dropped by 4% in 2023. Self-reported health status is a widely used measure of people’s health-related quality of life. This drop is a positive signal and highlighted in green.

The median home listing price (MHLP) rose by 11.1% between 2022 & 2023. It is 12.2% higher than the 2023 average Wisconsin MHLP ($285,000) and continues to outpace the 4.4% long-term average MHLP increase, signaling a challenging local housing market.

County households that are mortgage or rent burdened, defined as households that spend 30% or more of their income on housing, remained steady between 2021 & 2022. While this is good news because there was no increase, housing costs continue to be a struggle for many.

This metric represents residential building permits issued for new construction projects. It is typically a leading indicator of future housing construction activity & provides insight into the overall health of the housing market & potential economic growth.

When residents were asked “How would you rate your satisfaction with the performance of the Janesville Police Department?” as part of the 2021 Janesville Community Survey, 78% responded "satisfied,” indicating a good level of community trust.

This metric is calculated by dividing the total number of city park acres by the population and multiplying by 1,000. The average American city has 10.4 acres of park land for every 1,000 residents. Janesville’s average is 4 times the national average.

The number of trees planted by year demonstrates the city’s commitment to measurable environmental management activities. This number fluctuates year-to-year because of a variety of factors but it’s a key element of maintaining Wisconsin’s Park Place.

This metric measures the total number of people participating in the City of Janesville's recreation programs. Although the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted recreation programing, participation levels are rebounding and have almost reached average numbers.

Direct Visitor Spending (DVS) is the total amount of money tourists spend while visiting or passing through on food, lodging, attractions, transportation & other services. It’s a significant economic impact driver and has surpassed pre-pandemic levels since 2022.

Spring elections are for nonpartisan offices like municipal boards, school boards, and county boards. Spring voter participation is typically lower compared to Fall elections and fluctuates depending on what is on the ballot. Fall elections are for partisan offices, those offices affiliated with political parties.

Fall elections are for partisan offices. Janesville saw record-high turnout in the 2020 November election, in part because the presidency was on the ballot. 2022 was a midterm election. Voter participation is calculated by dividing votes cast by the number of eligible voters and multiplying by 100.

The city’s goal is to resurface or reconstruct 12 miles of roadway per year. In 2022, they exceeded that goal and rehabbed 13.7 miles. In 2023, they fell slightly short and rehabbed 10.9 miles. Taken together, the city averaged 12.3 miles of rehabbed roadway per year between 2022 and 2023.

The PASER (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating) scale is used to rate the condition of road pavement from 10 (excellent) to 1 (failed). PASER evaluations happen every other year and the next one is scheduled for 2025. In 2023, the statewide average PASER rating was 6.2 (reasonably good).

This metric contains 33 different jobs across the IT/Tech sector, with the largest portion concentrated in Transportation, Storage & Distribution Management. The IT/Tech sector is an important part of the overall economy that creates high-paying jobs and is a key driver of innovation.

This information is culled from earnings data from 24 IT/Tech job categories. The highest median earnings were for Web & Digital Interface Designers ($109,220), Computer Network Architects ($93,081), and Software Developers ($85,760). Software Developers is one of the top IT/Tech professions in Rock County.

The Index compiles 4 indicators: 1) % of adults becoming entrepreneurs in a given month; 2) % of new entrepreneurs driven by opportunity rather than necessity; 3) total # of jobs/capita created by startups in their 1st year; and 4) % of startups that remain in operation through their 1st year.

This figure measures the % of Wisconsin startups that are still active after one year. A higher survival rate indicates a more favorable business climate or ecosystem that enables new enterprises to thrive, adapt, and endure over time. This figure was stagnant from 2016-2020.

Blackhawk Technical College has seen 5% enrollment growth since 2018, and steady increases each year.

Blackhawk Technical College graduates have seen their starting average wages grow steadily each year since 2018. Graduate wages have risen over 16 percent since 2018 ($44,457 in 2021 vs. $38,219 in 2018).

UW-Whitewater at Rock County’s Fall Enrollment has rebounded from a dip in 2022 and has been trending upward the past two years. This is an important satellite campus for the UW system that provides degrees in critical fields like nursing and engineering.

The number of UW-Whitewater at Rock County’s degrees has been trending upward since 2019, when there was a significant drop. UW-W Rock County offers both Bachelor’s and Associates to provide pathways into higher education for many local students.