Green County, Wisconsin | |
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 Location within the U.S. state ofWisconsin | |
| Coordinates:42°41′N89°36′W / 42.68°N 89.6°W /42.68; -89.6 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Named after | Nathanael Greene |
| Seat | Monroe |
| Largest city | Monroe |
| Area | |
• Total | 584 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
| • Land | 584 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) 0.09% |
| Population | |
• Total | 37,093 |
• Estimate (2023) | 37,183 |
| • Density | 63.5/sq mi (24.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Green County is acounty in theU.S. state ofWisconsin. As of the2020 census, the population was 37,093.[1] Itscounty seat isMonroe.[2] Green County is included in theMadison, WIMetropolitan Statistical Area.
Green County's land was long settled byNative Americans. In 1632,Samuel de Champlain included the area in the region belonging to theIllinois, and in the 18th century theSauk mined lead within the present county limits. By the time the first white settlers arrived, all of Green County was the property of theHo-Chunk, who called the mines the "Sac Diggings." The federal government recognized Indian title to frontier land, and generally forbade the private sale of Indian land to individuals, but as squatters continued to work the mines in southwestern Wisconsin, conflict arose between them and the Ho-Chunk, as well as the Sauk andMeskwaki, all of whom mined and sold lead. In 1832, whenBlack Hawk attempted to bring his people back to their formerIllinois lands, they were pursued into Wisconsin, then known as westernMichigan Territory. The Ho-Chunk were divided in theBlack Hawk War, with many warriors siding with the Sauk and others taking personal revenge on frontier settlers in the lead mining district. Although many other Ho-Chunk aided theUS army in pursuing the Sauk, they were coerced into selling their lands south of theWisconsin River in a treaty signed in September, one month after Black Hawk's surrender. Other towns had been founded in Wisconsin's lead region before the land cession, butMonroe, Wisconsin, was one of the many founded in the mid-1830s after this land legally opened to settlement.[3][4][5]
The county was created in 1837 from theWisconsin Territory.[6] In December 1837, when a new county was to be split off from the over-largeIowa County,William Boyles of Monroe, as the Representative of the area, was allowed to choose a name. He chose Green County after the verdant color of the vegetation there. Another member suggested that it be modified to "Greene" after GeneralNathanael Greene, who commanded theSouthern Campaign in theAmerican Revolutionary War, but Boyles insisted on his original choice.[7] The story that it was named for General Greene still persists in some circles.[8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 584 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 584 square miles (1,510 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (0.09%) is water.[9]
Monroe Municipal Airport (KEFT) serves the county and surrounding communities.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 933 | — | |
| 1850 | 8,566 | 818.1% | |
| 1860 | 19,808 | 131.2% | |
| 1870 | 23,611 | 19.2% | |
| 1880 | 21,729 | −8.0% | |
| 1890 | 22,732 | 4.6% | |
| 1900 | 22,719 | −0.1% | |
| 1910 | 21,641 | −4.7% | |
| 1920 | 21,568 | −0.3% | |
| 1930 | 21,870 | 1.4% | |
| 1940 | 23,146 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 24,172 | 4.4% | |
| 1960 | 25,851 | 6.9% | |
| 1970 | 26,714 | 3.3% | |
| 1980 | 30,012 | 12.3% | |
| 1990 | 30,339 | 1.1% | |
| 2000 | 33,647 | 10.9% | |
| 2010 | 36,842 | 9.5% | |
| 2020 | 37,093 | 0.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 37,183 | [10] | 0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the population was 37,093, which yielded a population density of 63.5 people per square mile (24.5 people/km2). There were 16,273 housing units at an average density of 27.9 units per square mile (10.8 units/km2).[16]
The median age was 43.7 years, with 22.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.1% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.9 males age 18 and over.[16]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.5%White, 0.6%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 4.3% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.0% of the population.[17]
28.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.1% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 15,404 households in the county, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.8% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 16,273 housing units, of which 5.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.7% were owner-occupied and 24.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%.[16]
As of the2000 census,[19] there were 33,647 people, 13,212 households, and 9,208 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 58 people per square mile (22 people/km2). There were 13,878 housing units at an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.14%White, 0.26%Black orAfrican American, 0.21%Native American, 0.29%Asian, 0.36% fromother races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 31.9% were ofGerman, 20.3%Swiss, 14.9%Norwegian, 6.7%Irish, 5.7%English and 5.5%American ancestry. 96.5% spokeEnglish, 2.0%German and 1.1%Spanish as their first language.
There were 13,212 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% weremarried couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
As late as the 1970 federal census, Green County was the only county in the United States in which the largest foreign-born population was people born in Switzerland.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,329 | 46.05% | 2,052 | 40.57% | 677 | 13.38% |
| 1896 | 3,093 | 54.72% | 2,339 | 41.38% | 220 | 3.89% |
| 1900 | 2,996 | 60.21% | 1,776 | 35.69% | 204 | 4.10% |
| 1904 | 2,992 | 62.05% | 1,466 | 30.40% | 364 | 7.55% |
| 1908 | 2,617 | 54.48% | 1,856 | 38.63% | 331 | 6.89% |
| 1912 | 1,601 | 38.82% | 1,716 | 41.61% | 807 | 19.57% |
| 1916 | 2,422 | 55.77% | 1,687 | 38.84% | 234 | 5.39% |
| 1920 | 5,466 | 84.68% | 633 | 9.81% | 356 | 5.52% |
| 1924 | 2,922 | 35.07% | 423 | 5.08% | 4,986 | 59.85% |
| 1928 | 5,152 | 64.18% | 2,812 | 35.03% | 63 | 0.78% |
| 1932 | 3,190 | 36.42% | 5,406 | 61.73% | 162 | 1.85% |
| 1936 | 3,700 | 37.53% | 5,941 | 60.26% | 218 | 2.21% |
| 1940 | 5,711 | 55.10% | 4,565 | 44.05% | 88 | 0.85% |
| 1944 | 5,556 | 57.28% | 4,101 | 42.28% | 42 | 0.43% |
| 1948 | 4,403 | 52.43% | 3,881 | 46.21% | 114 | 1.36% |
| 1952 | 7,949 | 70.46% | 3,326 | 29.48% | 6 | 0.05% |
| 1956 | 7,114 | 66.00% | 3,614 | 33.53% | 51 | 0.47% |
| 1960 | 7,939 | 67.79% | 3,766 | 32.16% | 6 | 0.05% |
| 1964 | 5,364 | 49.08% | 5,548 | 50.76% | 17 | 0.16% |
| 1968 | 6,502 | 61.03% | 3,501 | 32.86% | 651 | 6.11% |
| 1972 | 7,422 | 66.14% | 3,634 | 32.38% | 166 | 1.48% |
| 1976 | 7,085 | 54.31% | 5,632 | 43.17% | 329 | 2.52% |
| 1980 | 7,714 | 54.03% | 5,336 | 37.37% | 1,227 | 8.59% |
| 1984 | 7,827 | 63.65% | 4,367 | 35.52% | 102 | 0.83% |
| 1988 | 6,636 | 55.73% | 5,153 | 43.27% | 119 | 1.00% |
| 1992 | 4,887 | 34.46% | 5,467 | 38.55% | 3,829 | 27.00% |
| 1996 | 4,697 | 37.23% | 6,136 | 48.64% | 1,783 | 14.13% |
| 2000 | 6,790 | 44.45% | 7,863 | 51.47% | 623 | 4.08% |
| 2004 | 8,497 | 46.56% | 9,575 | 52.47% | 176 | 0.96% |
| 2008 | 6,730 | 36.31% | 11,502 | 62.06% | 302 | 1.63% |
| 2012 | 7,857 | 40.66% | 11,206 | 58.00% | 259 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 8,693 | 45.79% | 9,122 | 48.05% | 1,170 | 6.16% |
| 2020 | 10,169 | 47.51% | 10,851 | 50.69% | 386 | 1.80% |
| 2024 | 10,843 | 49.12% | 10,903 | 49.39% | 330 | 1.49% |
Until the 1992 presidential election, Green County voters primarily backed the Republican Party nominee in national elections. Before that, the only times they failed to win the county were in the midst of a divided party vote in 1912, the presence of Wisconsinite Robert La Follette on the ballot in 1924, and national Democratic Party landslides in 1932, 1936, and 1964. Since 1992, the county has backed the Democratic nominee in every presidential election, though their margins of victory have often been narrow. In 2024,Kamala Harris won the county by 60 votes, the closest presidential election there sinceGeorge H. W. Bush carried it in 1988.[21]
Places adjacent to Green County, Wisconsin | |
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Municipalities and communities ofGreen County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| Other | |
