Waushara County, Wisconsin | |
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 Location within the U.S. state ofWisconsin | |
| Coordinates:44°07′N89°14′W / 44.11°N 89.24°W /44.11; -89.24 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1852 |
| Named after | Ho-Chunk term meaning "good earth" |
| Seat | Wautoma |
| Largest city | Berlin |
| Area | |
• Total | 637 sq mi (1,650 km2) |
| • Land | 626 sq mi (1,620 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2) 1.8% |
| Population | |
• Total | 24,520 |
• Estimate (2024) | 25,079 |
| • Density | 39.2/sq mi (15.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | www |
Waushara County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofWisconsin. As of the2020 census, the population was 24,520.[1] Itscounty seat isWautoma.[2]
Waushara County is located in central Wisconsin, about 80 miles (130 km) north ofMadison.
Waushara County was established by an act of theWisconsin Legislature on February 15, 1851. It originally consisted of a single organizedTown of Waushara. In 1852, the county achieved full organization.[3] The county seat was first located atSacramento and was relocated to Wautoma in 1854 after a bitter fight between proponents of the two places. The name is ofHo-Chunk origin and is believed to mean "good land".[4][5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 637 square miles (1,650 km2), of which 626 square miles (1,620 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.8%) is water.[6]
Interstate 39
U.S. Highway 51
Highway 21 (Wisconsin)
Highway 22 (Wisconsin)
Highway 49 (Wisconsin)
Highway 73 (Wisconsin)
Highway 152 (Wisconsin)
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 8,770 | — | |
| 1870 | 11,279 | 28.6% | |
| 1880 | 12,687 | 12.5% | |
| 1890 | 13,507 | 6.5% | |
| 1900 | 15,972 | 18.2% | |
| 1910 | 18,886 | 18.2% | |
| 1920 | 16,712 | −11.5% | |
| 1930 | 14,427 | −13.7% | |
| 1940 | 14,268 | −1.1% | |
| 1950 | 13,920 | −2.4% | |
| 1960 | 13,497 | −3.0% | |
| 1970 | 14,795 | 9.6% | |
| 1980 | 18,526 | 25.2% | |
| 1990 | 19,385 | 4.6% | |
| 2000 | 23,154 | 19.4% | |
| 2010 | 24,496 | 5.8% | |
| 2020 | 24,520 | 0.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 25,079 | [8] | 2.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010[13] 2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 24,520 and a population density of 39.2 people per square mile (15.1 people/km2). The median age was 49.9 years, with 18.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 25.0% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 111.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 114.0 males age 18 and over.[14]
The racial makeup of the county was 89.9%White, 1.6%Black or African American, 0.6%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 4.6% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.9% of the population.[15]
0.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 99.6% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 10,173 households in the county, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 20.3% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 20.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
There were 14,710 housing units at an average density of 23.5 units per square mile (9.1 units/km2), of which 30.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.7% were owner-occupied and 17.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.[14]
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 23,154 people, 9,336 households, and 6,581 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 37 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 13,667 housing units at an average density of 22 units per square mile (8.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.80%White, 0.27%Black orAfrican American, 0.31%Native American, 0.35%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 1.36% fromother races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 3.66% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 47.5% were ofGerman, 9.1%Polish, 5.9%Irish, 5.7%American and 5.6%English ancestry. 94.5% spokeEnglish, 3.4%Spanish and 1.4%German as their first language.
There were 9,336 households, out of which 27.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% weremarried couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males.
In 2017, there were 222 births, giving a general fertility rate of 67.3 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 22nd highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 19 of the births occurred at home.[18] Additionally, there were 10 reported induced abortions performed on women of Waushara County residence in 2017.[19]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,091 | 68.47% | 786 | 25.74% | 177 | 5.80% |
| 1896 | 3,210 | 84.36% | 456 | 11.98% | 139 | 3.65% |
| 1900 | 2,990 | 82.03% | 525 | 14.40% | 130 | 3.57% |
| 1904 | 3,140 | 87.34% | 325 | 9.04% | 130 | 3.62% |
| 1908 | 2,820 | 79.73% | 507 | 14.33% | 210 | 5.94% |
| 1912 | 1,343 | 44.43% | 772 | 25.54% | 908 | 30.04% |
| 1916 | 2,345 | 67.31% | 1,015 | 29.13% | 124 | 3.56% |
| 1920 | 4,176 | 85.17% | 482 | 9.83% | 245 | 5.00% |
| 1924 | 1,602 | 35.43% | 249 | 5.51% | 2,671 | 59.07% |
| 1928 | 4,068 | 75.42% | 1,260 | 23.36% | 66 | 1.22% |
| 1932 | 2,541 | 44.28% | 3,073 | 53.56% | 124 | 2.16% |
| 1936 | 3,302 | 51.43% | 2,636 | 41.05% | 483 | 7.52% |
| 1940 | 4,872 | 72.88% | 1,747 | 26.13% | 66 | 0.99% |
| 1944 | 4,675 | 75.54% | 1,485 | 23.99% | 29 | 0.47% |
| 1948 | 3,594 | 69.60% | 1,430 | 27.69% | 140 | 2.71% |
| 1952 | 5,447 | 81.14% | 1,242 | 18.50% | 24 | 0.36% |
| 1956 | 4,717 | 76.99% | 1,387 | 22.64% | 23 | 0.38% |
| 1960 | 4,906 | 72.16% | 1,888 | 27.77% | 5 | 0.07% |
| 1964 | 3,437 | 53.36% | 3,004 | 46.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 4,187 | 65.35% | 1,652 | 25.78% | 568 | 8.87% |
| 1972 | 4,466 | 66.27% | 2,094 | 31.07% | 179 | 2.66% |
| 1976 | 4,449 | 54.94% | 3,485 | 43.04% | 164 | 2.03% |
| 1980 | 5,576 | 61.43% | 2,987 | 32.91% | 514 | 5.66% |
| 1984 | 5,769 | 66.79% | 2,782 | 32.21% | 86 | 1.00% |
| 1988 | 4,953 | 57.91% | 3,535 | 41.33% | 65 | 0.76% |
| 1992 | 4,045 | 39.16% | 3,402 | 32.94% | 2,882 | 27.90% |
| 1996 | 3,573 | 40.46% | 3,824 | 43.31% | 1,433 | 16.23% |
| 2000 | 5,571 | 54.36% | 4,239 | 41.36% | 438 | 4.27% |
| 2004 | 6,888 | 56.25% | 5,257 | 42.93% | 101 | 0.82% |
| 2008 | 5,770 | 48.70% | 5,868 | 49.52% | 211 | 1.78% |
| 2012 | 6,562 | 54.47% | 5,335 | 44.28% | 151 | 1.25% |
| 2016 | 7,667 | 63.50% | 3,791 | 31.40% | 616 | 5.10% |
| 2020 | 9,016 | 66.45% | 4,388 | 32.34% | 164 | 1.21% |
| 2024 | 9,625 | 67.01% | 4,571 | 31.82% | 167 | 1.16% |
Waushara County has long been one of the most Republican counties in Wisconsin. Only three Democrats have carried the county at a presidential level since the formation of the Republican Party –Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932,Bill Clinton in 1996, andBarack Obama in 2008 – of whom only Roosevelt won an absolute majority; Obama only won the county by 98 votes in 2008. In 1936, when Roosevelt carried Wisconsin by a two-to-one majority,Alf Landon won Waushara County by double digits, while it was one of only three Wisconsin counties, alongsideWalworth andWaupaca, to vote forBarry Goldwater overLyndon Johnson in 1964. It has voted Republican since 2012. In 2024,Donald Trump received the highest percentage of the vote for a Republican since 1960.[21]
In other statewide races, the county is equally Republican. Waushara County has never backed a Democrat for Governor since before 1900.[22] SenatorsHerb Kohl in 2006 andWilliam Proxmire in 1976 and 1970 did carry Waushara County when they swept every county in the state, but no other Democratic senatorial candidate has won the county sincethe Seventeenth Amendment.
Places adjacent to Waushara County, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofWaushara County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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