Racine County, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofWisconsin | |
| Coordinates:42°47′N87°46′W / 42.78°N 87.76°W /42.78; -87.76 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | December 7, 1836 |
| Seat | Racine |
| Largest city | Racine |
| Area | |
• Total | 792 sq mi (2,050 km2) |
| • Land | 333 sq mi (860 km2) |
| • Water | 460 sq mi (1,200 km2) 58% |
| Population | |
• Total | 197,727 |
• Estimate (2024) | 198,651 |
| • Density | 594.4/sq mi (229.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Racine County (/rəˈsiːn,reɪ-/ ⓘrə-SEEN, ray-) is acounty in southeasternWisconsin. As of the2020 census, its population was 197,727,[1] making it Wisconsin's fifth-most populous county. Itscounty seat isRacine.[2] The county was founded in 1836, then a part of theWisconsin Territory. TheRoot River is the county's namesake, asracine is theFrench for "root".
Racine County comprises the Racinemetropolitan statistical area. This area is part of theMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha combined statistical area.[3] According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 792 square miles (2,050 km2), of which 333 square miles (860 km2) is land and 460 square miles (1,200 km2) (58%) is water.[4] The county's unemployment rate was 5.6% in June 2021.[5]
ThePotawatomi people occupied the area of Racine County until European settlement. TheWisconsin Territory legislature established Racine County in 1836, separating it from Milwaukee County. Racine County originally extended to Wisconsin's southern border and encompassed the land that is nowKenosha County, Wisconsin. Kenosha County was created as a separate entity in 1850.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 3,475 | — | |
| 1850 | 14,973 | 330.9% | |
| 1860 | 21,360 | 42.7% | |
| 1870 | 26,740 | 25.2% | |
| 1880 | 30,922 | 15.6% | |
| 1890 | 36,268 | 17.3% | |
| 1900 | 45,644 | 25.9% | |
| 1910 | 57,424 | 25.8% | |
| 1920 | 78,961 | 37.5% | |
| 1930 | 90,217 | 14.3% | |
| 1940 | 94,047 | 4.2% | |
| 1950 | 109,585 | 16.5% | |
| 1960 | 141,781 | 29.4% | |
| 1970 | 170,838 | 20.5% | |
| 1980 | 173,132 | 1.3% | |
| 1990 | 175,034 | 1.1% | |
| 2000 | 188,831 | 7.9% | |
| 2010 | 195,408 | 3.5% | |
| 2020 | 197,727 | 1.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 198,651 | [7] | 0.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010–2020[12]2020 census[13] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[14] | Pop 2010[15] | Pop 2020[16] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 150,238 | 145,414 | 135,333 | 79.56% | 74.42% | 68.44% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 19,441 | 21,212 | 22,531 | 10.30% | 10.86% | 11.40% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 541 | 614 | 538 | 0.29% | 0.31% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,331 | 2,081 | 2,261 | 0.70% | 1.06% | 1.14% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 54 | 40 | 47 | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 156 | 228 | 792 | 0.08% | 0.12% | 0.40% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,080 | 3,273 | 8,314 | 1.10% | 1.67% | 4.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14,990 | 22,546 | 27,911 | 7.94% | 11.54% | 14.12% |
| Total | 188,831 | 195,408 | 197,727 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, the population was 197,727. Thepopulation density was 594.4 people per square mile (229.5 people/km2). There were 84,490 housing units at an average density of 254.0 units per square mile (98.1 units/km2).[17]
The median age was 41.1 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older.[17]
For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.9 males age 18 and over.[17]
The racial makeup of the county was 72.0%White, 11.8%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 5.4% from some other race, and 9.0% fromtwo or more races.[18]
Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 14.1% of the population.[18]
85.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.3% lived in rural areas.[19]
There were 78,959 households in the county, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.0% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
Of those housing units, 6.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.7% were owner-occupied and 32.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.[17]
As of thecensus[20] of 2000, there were 188,831 people, 70,819 households, and 49,856 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 567 people per square mile (219 people/km2). There were 74,718 housing units at an average density of 224 units per square mile (86 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.04%White, 10.47%Black orAfrican American, 0.36%Native American, 0.72%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 3.69% fromother races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 7.94% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 32.9% were ofGerman, 7.4%Polish and 5.5%Irish ancestry.
There were 70,819 households, of which 34.5% had children under 18 living with them, 54.0% weremarried couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The County Board has 21 members, each elected from single-member districts in nonpartisan elections.[21] In 1974, county voters voted in favor of a referendum to replace the appointed county administrator with an elected county executive,[22] with the first election taking place in 1975. The County Executive is elected in nonpartisan elections taking place in the spring. The current County Executive is Ralph Malicki,[23] who was elected in a 2024 special election following the death of County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.[24]
| Name | Term start | Term end | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Berthelsen | May 5, 1975[25] | March 3, 1982[26] | 1975, 1979 |
| John Neis (interim) | March 12, 1982[27] | May 7, 1982[28] | Appointed as acting and then interim County Executive following Berthelsen's resignation. |
| Leonard Ziolkowski | May 7, 1982[28] | April 21, 1987[29] | 1982 (special), 1983 |
| Dennis Kornwolf | April 21, 1987[29] | April 18, 1995[30] | 1987, 1991 |
| Jean Jacobson | April 18, 1995[30] | April 15, 2003[31] | 1995, 1999 |
| William McReynolds | April 15, 2003[31] | April 19, 2011[32] | 2003, 2007 |
| Jim Ladwig | April 19, 2011[32] | December 30, 2014[33] | 2011 |
| Peter Hansen (interim) | December 30, 2014[34] | April 21, 2015 | Appointed acting and then interim County Executive following Ladwig's resignation. |
| Jonathan Delagrave | April 21, 2015 | June 28, 2024[35] | 2015, 2019, 2023 |
| Thomas Kramer (acting) | June 28, 2024[35] | July 23, 2024 | Became acting County Executive following Delagrave's death. |
| Thomas Roanhouse (interim) | July 23, 2024[36] | December 30, 2024 | Appointed interim County Executive. |
| Ralph Malicki | December 30, 2024[24] | incumbent | 2024 (special) |
Racine County has been abellwether county, having voted for the winning presidential candidate in 28 of the last 33 elections since 1896 despite its solidly Democratic county seat,Racine, Wisconsin. The only exceptions to this were when it voted forCharles Evans Hughes in1916,Gerald Ford in1976,Michael Dukakis in1988, andDonald Trump in2020. No presidential candidate has won over 60 percent of the vote in Racine County since 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 3,956 | 46.19% | 3,750 | 43.79% | 858 | 10.02% |
| 1896 | 5,849 | 57.61% | 3,975 | 39.15% | 329 | 3.24% |
| 1900 | 5,925 | 58.37% | 3,855 | 37.98% | 371 | 3.65% |
| 1904 | 5,573 | 55.61% | 2,584 | 25.79% | 1,864 | 18.60% |
| 1908 | 5,490 | 52.77% | 3,688 | 35.45% | 1,226 | 11.78% |
| 1912 | 2,606 | 29.42% | 3,909 | 44.13% | 2,343 | 26.45% |
| 1916 | 5,081 | 47.77% | 4,495 | 42.26% | 1,061 | 9.97% |
| 1920 | 14,406 | 71.95% | 3,650 | 18.23% | 1,965 | 9.81% |
| 1924 | 13,040 | 50.21% | 1,463 | 5.63% | 11,466 | 44.15% |
| 1928 | 17,423 | 56.56% | 13,021 | 42.27% | 362 | 1.18% |
| 1932 | 10,754 | 32.49% | 19,960 | 60.31% | 2,383 | 7.20% |
| 1936 | 10,850 | 28.73% | 24,474 | 64.80% | 2,447 | 6.48% |
| 1940 | 18,753 | 43.63% | 23,532 | 54.75% | 693 | 1.61% |
| 1944 | 18,220 | 41.11% | 25,697 | 57.97% | 408 | 0.92% |
| 1948 | 19,029 | 43.45% | 23,266 | 53.12% | 1,502 | 3.43% |
| 1952 | 30,628 | 54.65% | 25,241 | 45.03% | 180 | 0.32% |
| 1956 | 31,968 | 58.21% | 22,646 | 41.24% | 305 | 0.56% |
| 1960 | 29,562 | 49.03% | 30,596 | 50.74% | 136 | 0.23% |
| 1964 | 21,434 | 36.14% | 37,785 | 63.71% | 87 | 0.15% |
| 1968 | 28,028 | 44.78% | 27,045 | 43.21% | 7,513 | 12.00% |
| 1972 | 38,490 | 56.41% | 27,778 | 40.71% | 1,968 | 2.88% |
| 1976 | 37,088 | 49.00% | 36,740 | 48.54% | 1,858 | 2.45% |
| 1980 | 39,683 | 49.76% | 33,565 | 42.09% | 6,494 | 8.14% |
| 1984 | 42,092 | 52.84% | 36,955 | 46.39% | 616 | 0.77% |
| 1988 | 36,342 | 47.42% | 39,631 | 51.72% | 658 | 0.86% |
| 1992 | 32,310 | 36.79% | 34,875 | 39.71% | 20,634 | 23.50% |
| 1996 | 30,107 | 38.81% | 38,567 | 49.72% | 8,894 | 11.47% |
| 2000 | 44,014 | 49.53% | 41,563 | 46.77% | 3,288 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | 52,456 | 51.65% | 48,229 | 47.48% | 884 | 0.87% |
| 2008 | 45,954 | 45.66% | 53,408 | 53.07% | 1,280 | 1.27% |
| 2012 | 49,347 | 47.74% | 53,008 | 51.28% | 1,009 | 0.98% |
| 2016 | 46,681 | 49.50% | 42,641 | 45.22% | 4,980 | 5.28% |
| 2020 | 54,479 | 51.18% | 50,159 | 47.12% | 1,813 | 1.70% |
| 2024 | 56,347 | 52.33% | 49,721 | 46.17% | 1,618 | 1.50% |
Places adjacent to Racine County, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofRacine County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Former communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Central city |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Largest municipalities (over 25,000 in2010) | ||
| Municipalities (over 10,000 in2010) | ||
| Smaller municipalities (under 10,000 in2010) |
| |
| Counties | ||
| Other topics | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
