Jackson County, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Jackson County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofWisconsin | |
| Coordinates:44°19′N90°49′W / 44.32°N 90.81°W /44.32; -90.81 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1853 |
| Named after | Andrew Jackson |
| Seat | Black River Falls |
| Largest city | Black River Falls |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,000 sq mi (2,600 km2) |
| • Land | 988 sq mi (2,560 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2) 1.3% |
| Population | |
• Total | 21,145 |
• Estimate (2024)[2] | 21,027 |
| • Density | 21.3/sq mi (8.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 3rd,7th |
| Website | www |
Jackson County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofWisconsin. As of the2020 census, the population was 21,145.[1] Itscounty seat isBlack River Falls.[3] Jackson County was formed from Crawford County in 1853. It was named for PresidentAndrew Jackson.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2), of which 988 square miles (2,560 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (1.3%) is water.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 4,170 | — | |
| 1870 | 7,687 | 84.3% | |
| 1880 | 13,285 | 72.8% | |
| 1890 | 15,797 | 18.9% | |
| 1900 | 17,466 | 10.6% | |
| 1910 | 17,075 | −2.2% | |
| 1920 | 17,746 | 3.9% | |
| 1930 | 16,468 | −7.2% | |
| 1940 | 16,599 | 0.8% | |
| 1950 | 16,073 | −3.2% | |
| 1960 | 15,151 | −5.7% | |
| 1970 | 15,325 | 1.1% | |
| 1980 | 16,831 | 9.8% | |
| 1990 | 16,588 | −1.4% | |
| 2000 | 19,100 | 15.1% | |
| 2010 | 20,449 | 7.1% | |
| 2020 | 21,145 | 3.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 21,027 | −0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[1] 2024[2] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 21,145.[1] The population density was 21.4 people per square mile (8.3 people/km2). The median age was 42.5 years, 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 113.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 115.8 males age 18 and over.[11]
There were 8,136 households in the county, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.0% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 9,613 housing units at an average density of 9.7 units per square mile (3.7 units/km2), of which 15.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.0% were owner-occupied and 25.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.[11]
The racial makeup of the county was 85.8%White, 2.1%Black or African American, 6.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 4.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population.[12]
20.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 79.1% lived in rural areas.[13]
As of thecensus[14] of 2000, there were 19,100 people, 7,070 households, and 4,835 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 19 people per square mile (7.3 people/km2). There were 8,029 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.58%White, 2.27%Black orAfrican American, 6.16%Native American, 0.16%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 1.01% fromother races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 31.4% were ofGerman, 30.2%Norwegian and 5.2%Irish ancestry. 94.7% spokeEnglish, 2.2%Spanish and 1.5%Winnebago as their first language.
There were 7,070 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% weremarried couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 114.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.30 males.
In 2017, there were 227 births, giving a general fertility rate of 74.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 10th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 14 of the births occurred at home.[15] Additionally, there were 7 reported induced abortions performed on women of Jackson County residence in 2017.[16]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,078 | 59.76% | 1,160 | 33.36% | 239 | 6.87% |
| 1896 | 2,710 | 74.57% | 778 | 21.41% | 146 | 4.02% |
| 1900 | 2,639 | 77.73% | 651 | 19.18% | 105 | 3.09% |
| 1904 | 2,746 | 82.76% | 479 | 14.44% | 93 | 2.80% |
| 1908 | 2,603 | 77.91% | 631 | 18.89% | 107 | 3.20% |
| 1912 | 1,398 | 52.77% | 606 | 22.88% | 645 | 24.35% |
| 1916 | 1,866 | 64.17% | 963 | 33.12% | 79 | 2.72% |
| 1920 | 3,652 | 85.93% | 410 | 9.65% | 188 | 4.42% |
| 1924 | 1,662 | 32.24% | 255 | 4.95% | 3,238 | 62.81% |
| 1928 | 4,353 | 75.17% | 1,364 | 23.55% | 74 | 1.28% |
| 1932 | 1,983 | 33.50% | 3,813 | 64.42% | 123 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | 2,235 | 32.02% | 4,537 | 65.01% | 207 | 2.97% |
| 1940 | 3,741 | 48.08% | 3,975 | 51.09% | 64 | 0.82% |
| 1944 | 3,182 | 50.86% | 3,040 | 48.59% | 34 | 0.54% |
| 1948 | 2,553 | 45.89% | 2,921 | 52.51% | 89 | 1.60% |
| 1952 | 4,235 | 59.89% | 2,819 | 39.87% | 17 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 3,614 | 56.66% | 2,755 | 43.20% | 9 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 3,950 | 57.98% | 2,849 | 41.82% | 14 | 0.21% |
| 1964 | 2,532 | 39.83% | 3,818 | 60.06% | 7 | 0.11% |
| 1968 | 3,172 | 52.88% | 2,293 | 38.22% | 534 | 8.90% |
| 1972 | 3,937 | 60.79% | 2,445 | 37.75% | 94 | 1.45% |
| 1976 | 3,406 | 46.89% | 3,735 | 51.42% | 123 | 1.69% |
| 1980 | 4,327 | 50.80% | 3,629 | 42.61% | 561 | 6.59% |
| 1984 | 4,386 | 55.81% | 3,427 | 43.61% | 46 | 0.59% |
| 1988 | 3,555 | 47.29% | 3,924 | 52.20% | 38 | 0.51% |
| 1992 | 2,644 | 31.41% | 3,681 | 43.73% | 2,093 | 24.86% |
| 1996 | 2,262 | 31.08% | 3,705 | 50.90% | 1,312 | 18.02% |
| 2000 | 3,670 | 43.60% | 4,380 | 52.04% | 367 | 4.36% |
| 2004 | 4,387 | 45.11% | 5,249 | 53.97% | 90 | 0.93% |
| 2008 | 3,552 | 38.40% | 5,572 | 60.23% | 127 | 1.37% |
| 2012 | 3,900 | 41.88% | 5,298 | 56.89% | 115 | 1.23% |
| 2016 | 4,906 | 52.94% | 3,818 | 41.20% | 543 | 5.86% |
| 2020 | 5,791 | 56.86% | 4,256 | 41.79% | 137 | 1.35% |
| 2024 | 6,204 | 59.07% | 4,157 | 39.58% | 141 | 1.34% |
Between 1928 and 1984, Jackson County voted for the nationwide winner in every election with the exception of 1944 (by less than 3%) and 1960 (one of the closest elections in American history). Then, from 1988 to 2012, like most of the rural counties in southwestern Wisconsin, it backed the Democratic candidate in each election, and did so by more than an 8% margin each time beginning in 1992. In 2016, once again like the rest of rural southwestern Wisconsin, Jackson County dramatically swung to the right, shifting from a 15% victory for DemocratBarack Obama in 2012 to a 12% victory for RepublicanDonald Trump in 2016. Trump further expanded his margin of victory to over 15% in 2020 and to nearly 20% in 2024, achieving the highest vote share for a Republican in the county sinceRichard Nixon in his 1972 landslide reelection.
The county's largest employer is theHo-Chunk Nation, which employs roughly 3100 people combined in Jackson andSauk counties.[18]
Ho-Chunk Nation is the largest employer in both Sauk and Jackson County employing roughly 3100 people.
Places adjacent to Jackson County, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofJackson County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
