Washburn County, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Historical Museum inShell Lake, Wisconsin | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofWisconsin | |
| Coordinates:45°54′N91°47′W / 45.9°N 91.79°W /45.9; -91.79 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Named after | Cadwallader C. Washburn |
| Seat | Shell Lake |
| Largest city | Spooner |
| Area | |
• Total | 853 sq mi (2,210 km2) |
| • Land | 797 sq mi (2,060 km2) |
| • Water | 56 sq mi (150 km2) 6.6% |
| Population | |
• Total | 16,623 |
• Estimate (2024) | 16,982 |
| • Density | 20.9/sq mi (8.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Washburn County is acounty in theU.S. state ofWisconsin. It is named after GovernorCadwallader C. Washburn.[2] As of the2020 census, the population was 16,623.[1] Itscounty seat isShell Lake.[3] The county was created in 1883.[4] The county is considered a high-recreation retirement destination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 853 square miles (2,210 km2), of which 797 square miles (2,060 km2) is land and 56 square miles (150 km2) (6.6%) is water.[6]
U.S. Highway 53
U.S. Highway 63
Highway 48 (Wisconsin)
Highway 70 (Wisconsin)
Highway 77 (Wisconsin)
Highway 253 (Wisconsin)Shell Lake Municipal Airport (KSSQ) serves the county and surrounding communities.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 2,926 | — | |
| 1900 | 5,521 | 88.7% | |
| 1910 | 8,196 | 48.5% | |
| 1920 | 11,377 | 38.8% | |
| 1930 | 11,103 | −2.4% | |
| 1940 | 12,496 | 12.5% | |
| 1950 | 11,665 | −6.7% | |
| 1960 | 10,301 | −11.7% | |
| 1970 | 10,601 | 2.9% | |
| 1980 | 13,174 | 24.3% | |
| 1990 | 13,772 | 4.5% | |
| 2000 | 16,036 | 16.4% | |
| 2010 | 15,911 | −0.8% | |
| 2020 | 16,623 | 4.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 16,982 | [7] | 2.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 16,623. Thepopulation density was 20.9 people per square mile (8.1 people/km2). There were 12,708 housing units at an average density of 15.9 units per square mile (6.1 units/km2).[13][1]
The median age was 52.9 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 28.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.6 males age 18 and over.[13]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.9%White, 0.2%Black or African American, 1.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.[14]
There were 7,480 households in the county, of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.3% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 12,708 housing units, of which 41.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.7% were owner-occupied and 20.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.[13]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
As of the2000 census,[16] there were 16,036 people, 6,604 households, and 4,530 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km2). There were 10,814 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.27%White, 0.17%Black orAfrican American, 1.01%Native American, 0.19%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.12% fromother races, and 1.22% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 33.9% were ofGerman, 11.4%Norwegian, 7.0%Irish, 6.2%Swedish, 6.1%English and 5.6%American ancestry.
There were 6,604 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% weremarried couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.
In 2017, there were 153 births, giving a general fertility rate of 70.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 17th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[17] Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Washburn County residence in 2017.[18]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 488 | 57.82% | 305 | 36.14% | 51 | 6.04% |
| 1896 | 771 | 73.29% | 250 | 23.76% | 31 | 2.95% |
| 1900 | 808 | 73.99% | 253 | 23.17% | 31 | 2.84% |
| 1904 | 989 | 77.33% | 207 | 16.18% | 83 | 6.49% |
| 1908 | 1,114 | 69.02% | 396 | 24.54% | 104 | 6.44% |
| 1912 | 409 | 27.52% | 398 | 26.78% | 679 | 45.69% |
| 1916 | 938 | 55.37% | 644 | 38.02% | 112 | 6.61% |
| 1920 | 2,023 | 78.26% | 352 | 13.62% | 210 | 8.12% |
| 1924 | 1,422 | 38.91% | 158 | 4.32% | 2,075 | 56.77% |
| 1928 | 2,898 | 70.03% | 1,192 | 28.81% | 48 | 1.16% |
| 1932 | 1,501 | 34.68% | 2,619 | 60.51% | 208 | 4.81% |
| 1936 | 1,650 | 31.64% | 3,220 | 61.74% | 345 | 6.62% |
| 1940 | 2,805 | 48.68% | 2,901 | 50.35% | 56 | 0.97% |
| 1944 | 2,441 | 53.85% | 2,059 | 45.42% | 33 | 0.73% |
| 1948 | 2,059 | 41.81% | 2,708 | 54.98% | 158 | 3.21% |
| 1952 | 3,184 | 60.80% | 2,039 | 38.93% | 14 | 0.27% |
| 1956 | 2,798 | 58.88% | 1,935 | 40.72% | 19 | 0.40% |
| 1960 | 2,848 | 54.13% | 2,398 | 45.58% | 15 | 0.29% |
| 1964 | 1,865 | 36.84% | 3,181 | 62.84% | 16 | 0.32% |
| 1968 | 2,425 | 47.63% | 2,273 | 44.65% | 393 | 7.72% |
| 1972 | 3,220 | 56.84% | 2,336 | 41.24% | 109 | 1.92% |
| 1976 | 2,787 | 43.20% | 3,503 | 54.30% | 161 | 2.50% |
| 1980 | 3,193 | 46.41% | 3,172 | 46.10% | 515 | 7.49% |
| 1984 | 3,848 | 54.38% | 3,188 | 45.05% | 40 | 0.57% |
| 1988 | 3,074 | 47.25% | 3,393 | 52.15% | 39 | 0.60% |
| 1992 | 2,586 | 33.65% | 3,080 | 40.07% | 2,020 | 26.28% |
| 1996 | 2,703 | 38.64% | 3,231 | 46.18% | 1,062 | 15.18% |
| 2000 | 3,912 | 48.63% | 3,695 | 45.93% | 438 | 5.44% |
| 2004 | 4,762 | 49.78% | 4,705 | 49.18% | 100 | 1.05% |
| 2008 | 4,303 | 47.22% | 4,693 | 51.50% | 116 | 1.27% |
| 2012 | 4,699 | 50.60% | 4,447 | 47.88% | 141 | 1.52% |
| 2016 | 5,436 | 59.13% | 3,282 | 35.70% | 475 | 5.17% |
| 2020 | 6,334 | 61.03% | 3,867 | 37.26% | 177 | 1.71% |
| 2024 | 6,962 | 63.42% | 3,867 | 35.22% | 149 | 1.36% |
Between 1964 and 2008, Washburn County backed the nationwide winner in every election except for 1988. In 2012,Mitt Romney defeatedBarack Obama in the county by a margin of less than 3%, after Obama had won the county by more than 4% in 2008 overJohn McCain. Washburn County moved significantly to the right in 2016, asDonald Trump took over 59% of the county's vote and won by a margin of over 23%, the best margin of victory for any candidate in the county since 1964. He slightly increased his margin of victory to nearly 24% in 2020 and further increased it to more than 28% in 2024 while turning in the best vote share for a Republican in the county since 1928 at over 63%.
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School districts include:[20]
In 1918, the loss of theSSTuscania prompted the county to burn its German textbooks as part of anti-German sentiment inWorld War I.[21]
Places adjacent to Washburn County, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofWashburn County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
