INSIGHT Spotlight
Staying Home: How Accessory Dwelling Units Can Support Central Wisconsin’s Aging Population
Ryan Kernosky, MPA Principal Consultant for Municipal Group
Central Wisconsin is entering a period of significant demographic change as its population ages and overall growth slows. Marathon, Portage and Wood Counties are already experiencing shifts that will place increasing pressure on housing affordability, local government services, and community infrastructure, while challenging long-standing assumptions about residential development patterns. As older adults seek to remain independent and connected to their communities, local policies—particularly zoning and land-use regulations—will play a critical role in determining whether residents can successfully age in place. This article examines the implications of an aging population and explores how accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and related zoning reforms can provide flexible, cost-effective solutions to support older residents, strengthen families, and enhance long-term community resilience. An Aging Population The post-World War II baby boom (those born between 1946-1964) makes up the largest percentage of the regional population through 2040. By 2050, this age group will make up 4.68% of the overall population. In their post- workforce years, the baby boom generation will be drawing income from social security, retirement investments, and workplace pensions. This generation will also begin to rely more on public services like fire, emergency medical services (EMS), aging and disability resources, and on supplemental programs to keep housing costs affordable. These services will place an emerging burden on local governments with increasing fire and EMS calls, while balancing the need to collect new local property taxes. According to a 2022 University of Michigan survey, 88% of adults between ages 50-80 wish to remain living in their homes for as long as possible as they age 1 . Communities throughout the United States have been slowly embracing the construction and deregulation of accessory dwelling units for the last decade as the population ages to bring multi-generational living and care as part of a way to address aging. An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a
Graph Sources: WI Dept. of Administration State and County Population Projections, 2020-2050
stand-alone single-family home. ADUs go by many different names throughout the U.S., including accessory apartments, secondary suites, and granny flats. ADUs can be converted portions of existing homes, additions to new or existing homes, or new stand-alone accessory structures or converted portions of existing stand-alone accessory structures 2 .
Central Wisconsin Report - Spring 2026
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