Jobs, pay and daily life in Superior, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Superior is a city in Wisconsin with 26,677 residents. The median household earns $64,216 a year and the median rent is $900 a month, which is 16.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 124,710 jobs.
How Superior compares. Among the 80 largest places in Wisconsin, Superior is #30 by population, #3 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #5 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #71 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Douglas County, is #28 of 72 counties for average pay ($52,809).
Superior has 26,677 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Wisconsin. It covers 37 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 728 people per square mile. The median age is 39.1, about the same as the state median (39.1 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $900 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($900 against $1,087). Over a year that is 16.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $180,400, which is 2.8 times the median household income ($64,216); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.6% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (60.6% against 67.8%).
The Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan area has 124,710 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,000 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,000 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (13,300 jobs, median $48,440); food preparation and serving related (13,260 jobs, median $30,470); sales and related (10,780 jobs, median $35,970). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (1.4 times) and construction and extraction (1.4 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($99,800) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($92,650). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Douglas County was 3.5%. 65.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Douglas County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 73.7% drive alone, 1.4% use public transit, 4.8% walk, 8.7% work from home. 3.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 64% below the state average (3.7% against 10.2%).
29.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 13% below the state share (29.1% against 33.4%). 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 54% below the state share (2.4% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 13.3%, 26% above the state rate (13.3% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 69°F (20.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 11°F (-11.4°C). About 796 mm (31 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (104 mm) and Jan the driest (20 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Duluth (6 miles, rent 21% higher); Hibbing (63 miles, rent 7% lower); Brainerd (103 miles, rent 8% lower); Forest Lake (108 miles, rent 58% higher). Rent differences are against Superior; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Wisconsin (285) →State guide: WisconsinCountry guideDouglas CountyWisconsin rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 285 federal postings open in Wisconsin (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Wisconsin →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 5,660 | 1.64 | $36,390 | $31,240 | $44,790 | +2% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,410 | 1.63 | $96,940 | $77,460 | $125,980 | -1% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,490 | 1.12 | $34,650 | $27,500 | $45,710 | -2% |
| Cashiers | 3,290 | 1.33 | $33,020 | $27,130 | $37,560 | +0% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,910 | 0.94 | $29,260 | $24,250 | $35,980 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,690 | 0.96 | $85,930 | $44,600 | $168,870 | -19% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,590 | 1.31 | $46,820 | $35,030 | $63,610 | +4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,100 | 1.15 | $23,150 | $23,150 | $39,570 | -34% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,050 | 1.24 | $60,970 | $46,510 | $81,430 | +4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,930 | 0.85 | $34,700 | $28,630 | $45,500 | -7% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,930 | 1.09 | $37,230 | $28,390 | $51,270 | +1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,820 | 1.48 | $58,900 | $37,650 | $83,990 | +19% |
| Bartenders | 1,630 | 2.70 | $23,540 | $21,740 | $37,340 | -31% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,610 | 1.38 | $44,250 | $36,180 | $48,760 | +5% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,590 | 1.40 | $39,510 | $30,380 | $47,570 | +7% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,560 | 0.66 | $44,080 | $33,890 | $60,540 | +10% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,500 | 0.72 | $44,940 | $30,280 | $62,910 | +0% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,460 | 1.29 | $36,680 | $29,100 | $45,390 | -2% |
| Construction Laborers | 1,390 | 1.58 | $61,340 | $43,620 | $89,430 | +30% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,380 | 1.23 | $46,510 | $38,690 | $60,260 | +4% |
These figures are for the whole Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,000 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.6% |
| Retail trade | 15.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.3% |
| Manufacturing | 8.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 8.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.9% |
| Construction | 5.8% |
| Public administration | 4.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Superior lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 44,229 | $2,402 million | $54,306 | 16,039 | 1,215 | $52,809 | +0.1% | 3.5% | 22,465 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 2,186 | 16.5% | $18,918 | 1.50 |
| Retail trade | 2,088 | 15.8% | $35,646 | 1.30 |
| Manufacturing | 1,756 | 13.3% | $77,570 | 1.33 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,728 | 13.0% | $46,109 | 0.75 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,414 | 10.7% | $76,998 | 2.08 |
| Construction | 980 | 7.4% | $82,431 | 1.16 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 578 | 4.4% | $32,882 | 1.20 |
| Wholesale trade | 565 | 4.3% | $70,515 | 0.89 |
| Finance and insurance | 333 | 2.5% | $73,131 | 0.51 |
| Professional and technical services | 319 | 2.4% | $72,300 | 0.29 |
| Administrative and waste services | 306 | 2.3% | $39,450 | 0.32 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 260 | 2.0% | $23,119 | 0.96 |
| Management of companies | 252 | 1.9% | $97,534 | 0.93 |
| Information | 163 | 1.2% | $38,735 | 0.54 |
| Real estate and rental | 142 | 1.1% | $37,735 | 0.57 |
| Utilities | 114 | 0.9% | $100,192 | 1.87 |
| Educational services | 59 | 0.4% | $18,103 | 0.18 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.7% |
| Public transit | 1.4% |
| Walk | 4.8% |
| Work from home | 8.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 3.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,216 |
| Income per person | $37,690 |
| Median gross rent per month | $900 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.8% |
| Median home value | $180,400 |
| Homeowners | 60.6% |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $50,000 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.65%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 39.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 29.1% |
| Born abroad | 2.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -11.4 | 11 | 20 |
| Feb | -10.0 | 14 | 26 |
| Mar | -2.5 | 28 | 41 |
| Apr | 4.6 | 40 | 76 |
| May | 11.1 | 52 | 94 |
| Jun | 16.7 | 62 | 104 |
| Jul | 20.5 | 69 | 94 |
| Aug | 19.6 | 67 | 96 |
| Sep | 15.2 | 59 | 85 |
| Oct | 6.9 | 44 | 82 |
| Nov | -0.4 | 31 | 38 |
| Dec | -7.6 | 18 | 40 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | MN | 6 mi | 87,093 | $68,807 | $1,087 |
| Hibbing | MN | 63 mi | 16,057 | $55,789 | $833 |
| Brainerd | MN | 103 mi | 14,468 | $56,111 | $827 |
| Forest Lake | MN | 108 mi | 20,729 | $92,944 | $1,421 |
| Ham Lake | MN | 113 mi | 16,702 | $120,135 | $1,173 |
| Hugo | MN | 114 mi | 16,340 | $116,228 | $1,891 |
| Andover | MN | 116 mi | 33,035 | $137,593 | $2,037 |
| Lino Lakes | MN | 117 mi | 22,113 | $127,181 | $1,874 |
| Elk River | MN | 118 mi | 26,793 | $108,741 | $1,283 |
| Blaine | MN | 118 mi | 72,488 | $106,801 | $1,705 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
26,677 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$900 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.8% of the median household income.
$64,216 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Douglas County (latest month 2026M09)).
Wisconsin. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.