Walworth County, Wisconsin

Walworth County
County
Walworth County Courthouse
Walworth County Courthouse
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Walworth County
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°40′N 88°32′W / 42.67°N 88.54°W / 42.67; -88.54
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Founded1839
Named forReuben H. Walworth[1]
SeatElkhorn
Largest cityWhitewater
Area
 • Total
577 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land555 sq mi (1,440 km2)
 • Water21 sq mi (50 km2)  3.7%
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total
106,478
 • Estimate 
(2023)
105,822 Decrease
 • Density191.7/sq mi (74.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts1st, 5th
Websitewww.co.walworth.wi.us

Walworth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,478.[2] Its county seat is Elkhorn.[3] The county was created in 1836 from Wisconsin Territory and organized in 1839.[4] It is named for Reuben H. Walworth.[5] Walworth County comprises the Whitewater-Elkhorn, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area. Lake Geneva, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Alpine Valley Resort, and Music Theatre are located in Walworth County.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 577 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 555 square miles (1,440 km2) is land and 21 square miles (54 km2) (3.7%) is water.[6]

Transportation

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Major highways

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Railroads

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Buses

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Airport

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East Troy Municipal Airport (FAA LID: 57C), serves the county and surrounding communities

Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18402,611—
185017,862584.1%
186026,49648.3%
187025,972−2.0%
188026,2491.1%
189027,8606.1%
190029,2595.0%
191029,6141.2%
192029,327−1.0%
193031,0585.9%
194033,1036.6%
195041,58425.6%
196052,36825.9%
197063,44421.2%
198071,50712.7%
199075,0004.9%
200093,75925.0%
2010102,2289.0%
2020106,4784.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[2]
Walworth County, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[13] Pop 2010[14] Pop 2020[15] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 85,428 88,690 88,104 91.11% 86.76% 82.74%
Black or African American alone (NH) 747 904 1,166 0.80% 0.88% 1.10%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 177 196 229 0.19% 0.19% 0.22%
Asian alone (NH) 592 819 1,002 0.63% 0.80% 0.94%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 16 33 10 0.02% 0.03% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 46 67 268 0.05% 0.07% 0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 617 941 3,149 0.66% 0.92% 2.96%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6,136 10,578 12,550 6.54% 10.35% 11.79%
Total 93,759 102,228 106,478 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

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As of the census of 2020,[2] the population was 106,478. The population density was 191.7 people per square mile (74.0 people/km2). There were 53,146 housing units at an average density of 95.7 units per square mile (36.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 85.4% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 4.6% from other races, and 7.4% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 11.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Walworth County

2000 census

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At the 2000 census there were 93,759 people, 34,522 households, and 23,267 families in the county. The population density was 169 people per square mile (65 people/km2). There were 43,783 housing units at an average density of 79 units per square mile (31 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.49% White, 0.84% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.62% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 6.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[16] Of the 34,522 households 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 24.70% of households were one person and 9.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.

The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.

In 2017, there were 918 births, giving a general fertility rate of 48.8 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the sixth lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[17]

Communities

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Walworth County sign

Cities

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Delavan Wisconsin 9

Villages

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Towns

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Census-designated places

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Turtle Lake floating

Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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Politics

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Owing to its Yankee heritage,[18] which contrasts with the German-American or Scandinavian-American character of most of Wisconsin, Walworth County was initially a stronghold of the Free Soil Party.[19] It voted for Martin van Buren and John P. Hale in Wisconsin's first two presidential elections,[20] and its opposition to the spread of slavery led to its population voting Republican in subsequent elections,[20] even resisting the appeal of Wisconsin native Robert La Follette when he carried the state in 1924 as a Progressive.[21]

Walworth[21] County remains strongly Republican.[22] The only Democrat to carry the county was Woodrow Wilson in 1912, who won 36 percent of the vote. Even with the GOP mortally divided between President William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, Wilson only won the county by 29 votes. The best Democratic showings since then have been by Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and Barack Obama in 2008, both of whom received around 48 percent. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Bill Clinton are the only other Democrats since Wilson to cross the 40 percent mark, though Joe Biden came very close in 2020.

United States presidential election results for Walworth County, Wisconsin[23][24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 36,574 60.54% 23,139 38.30% 701 1.16%
2020 33,851 58.77% 22,789 39.56% 960 1.67%
2016 28,863 56.16% 18,710 36.41% 3,818 7.43%
2012 29,006 55.46% 22,552 43.12% 745 1.42%
2008 25,485 50.54% 24,177 47.95% 760 1.51%
2004 28,754 59.35% 19,177 39.58% 515 1.06%
2000 22,982 56.80% 15,492 38.29% 1,984 4.90%
1996 15,099 45.81% 13,283 40.30% 4,579 13.89%
1992 15,727 42.74% 11,825 32.14% 9,244 25.12%
1988 18,259 59.50% 12,203 39.77% 223 0.73%
1984 20,595 67.06% 9,877 32.16% 238 0.77%
1980 19,194 56.90% 11,344 33.63% 3,192 9.46%
1976 18,091 57.79% 12,418 39.67% 798 2.55%
1972 17,823 66.09% 8,598 31.88% 546 2.02%
1968 15,040 61.85% 7,505 30.87% 1,770 7.28%
1964 12,225 50.92% 11,746 48.92% 38 0.16%
1960 16,395 67.19% 7,986 32.73% 20 0.08%
1956 16,696 76.62% 4,922 22.59% 172 0.79%
1952 16,906 75.57% 5,417 24.21% 49 0.22%
1948 10,509 65.07% 5,377 33.29% 265 1.64%
1944 10,901 65.34% 5,696 34.14% 86 0.52%
1940 11,594 67.59% 5,449 31.77% 111 0.65%
1936 8,462 52.67% 7,093 44.15% 511 3.18%
1932 7,858 52.91% 6,790 45.72% 204 1.37%
1928 9,846 69.36% 4,253 29.96% 97 0.68%
1924 7,484 57.22% 1,162 8.88% 4,434 33.90%
1920 8,437 80.68% 1,631 15.60% 390 3.73%
1916 3,988 59.66% 2,440 36.50% 257 3.84%
1912 2,096 35.88% 2,125 36.38% 1,620 27.73%
1908 4,151 62.21% 1,960 29.37% 562 8.42%
1904 4,892 73.42% 1,370 20.56% 401 6.02%
1900 5,102 71.41% 1,742 24.38% 301 4.21%
1896 5,347 70.41% 1,894 24.94% 353 4.65%
1892 3,871 58.52% 2,153 32.55% 591 8.93%

Education

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School districts include:[25]

K-12:

Secondary:

Elementary:

Wisconsin School for the Deaf, a state-operated school, is in the county.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "County Directory - Walworth County". Wisconsin Counties Association. Retrieved May 13, 2007. [dead link‍]
  2. ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census: Walworth County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  5. ^ "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent. December 28, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  9. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  11. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  12. ^ "County Population Totals: 2010-2020". Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  13. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Walworth County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Walworth County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Walworth County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  18. ^ Fowler, Robert Booth; Wisconsin Vites: An Electoral History, p. 14 ISBN 0299227448
  19. ^ Fowler, Robert Booth; Wisconsin Votes: An Electoral History, Volume 3, p. 11 ISBN 0299227405
  20. ^ a b Beckwith, Albert Clayton; History of Walworth County, Wisconsin pp. 98-99 Published 1912 by B.F. Bowen and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
  21. ^ a b See Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 441-442 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  22. ^ See McDade, Philip J.; 'Congressional Restricting in Wisconsin' Archived January 20, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  24. ^ https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/DocumentCenter/View/15916/11-05-24-General-Election-UNOFFICIAL-Complete-Election-Summary-Results-PDF
  25. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Walworth County, WI" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022. - [Text list]

Further reading

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42°40′N 88°32′W / 42.67°N 88.54°W / 42.67; -88.54

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