Dunn County, Wisconsin

This article is about the county in Wisconsin. For the county in North Dakota, see Dunn County, North Dakota.

Dunn County
County
Dunn County Government Center, Menomonie
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°57′N91°54′W / 44.95°N 91.9°W / 44.95; -91.9
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1857
Named for	Charles Dunn
Seat	Menomonie
Largest city	Menomonie
Area
• Total	864 sq mi (2,240 km2)
• Land	850 sq mi (2,200 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.6%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	45,440
• Estimate  (2023)	45,794
• Density	53.4/sq mi (20.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.dunn.wi.us

Dunn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 45,440. ^[1] Its county seat is Menomonie. ^[2] Dunn County comprises the Menomonie Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI Combined Statistical Area.

History

Dunn county was founded in 1854 from Chippewa County and organized in 1857. ^{[3] [4] [5]} It is named for Charles Dunn, the territory's first chief justice. ^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 864 square miles (2,240 km²), of which 850 square miles (2,200 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (1.6%) is water. ^[7]

Adjacent counties

• Barron County - north
• Chippewa County - east
• Eau Claire County - southeast
• Pepin County - south
• Pierce County - southwest
• Polk County - northwest
• Saint Croix County - west

Major highways

Interstate 94 U.S. Highway 12 Highway 25 (Wisconsin) Highway 29 (Wisconsin) Highway 40 (Wisconsin)

Highway 64 (Wisconsin) Highway 72 (Wisconsin) Highway 79 (Wisconsin) Highway 85 (Wisconsin) Highway 170 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Canadian National
• Union Pacific

Buses

• Dunn County Transit

Airports

• Menomonie Municipal Airport (KLUM) serves the county and surrounding communities.
• Boyceville Municipal Airport (3T3) enhances county service.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	2,704		—
1870	9,488		250.9%
1880	16,817		77.2%
1890	22,664		34.8%
1900	25,043		10.5%
1910	25,260		0.9%
1920	26,970		6.8%
1930	27,037		0.2%
1940	27,375		1.3%
1950	27,341		−0.1%
1960	26,156		−4.3%
1970	29,154		11.5%
1980	34,314		17.7%
1990	35,909		4.6%
2000	39,858		11.0%
2010	43,857		10.0%
2020	45,440		3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790–1960 [9] 1900–1990 [10] 1990–2000 [11] 2010 [12] 2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, ^[1] the population was 45,440. The population density was 53.4 people per square mile (20.6 people/km²). There were 18,693 housing units at an average density of 22.0 units per square mile (8.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.7% White, 3.2% Asian, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.0% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Dunn County

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 39,858 people, 14,337 households, and 9,261 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km²). There were 15,277 housing units at an average density of 18 units per square mile (6.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.08% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 2.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 39.3% were of German, 22.6% Norwegian and 5.1% Irish ancestry. 95.7% spoke English, 1.6% Spanish and 1.5% Hmong as their first language.

There were 14,337 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.40% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.30% under the age of 18, 19.80% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 101.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.20 males.

In 2017, there were 443 births, giving a general fertility rate of 47.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the fourth lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. ^[14]

Communities

Old farmhouse in Dunn County

Dunn County, WI, countryside, west of Menomonie

City

• Menomonie

Villages

• Boyceville
• Colfax
• Downing
• Elk Mound
• Knapp
• Ridgeland
• Wheeler

Towns

• Colfax
• Dunn
• Eau Galle
• Elk Mound
• Grant
• Hay River
• Lucas
• Menomonie
• New Haven
• Otter Creek
• Peru
• Red Cedar
• Rock Creek
• Sand Creek
• Sheridan
• Sherman
• Spring Brook
• Stanton
• Tainter
• Tiffany
• Weston
• Wilson

Census-designated places

• Downsville
• Tainter Lake

Unincorporated communities

Main article: List of unincorporated communities in Dunn County, Wisconsin

• Baxter
• Caryville
• Cedar Falls
• Comfort
• Connorsville
• Dunnville
• Eau Galle
• Falls City
• Graytown (partial)
• Hatchville (partial)
• Irvington
• Meridean
• Norton
• Red Cedar
• Rock Falls
• Rusk
• Sand Creek
• Weston

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

• Old Tyrone
• Welch Point

Politics

United States presidential election results for Dunn County, Wisconsin ^{[15] [16]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	14,726	57.35%	10,643	41.45%	309	1.20%
2020	13,173	56.00%	9,897	42.07%	454	1.93%
2016	11,486	51.96%	9,034	40.87%	1,586	7.17%
2012	10,224	46.49%	11,316	51.46%	452	2.06%
2008	9,566	41.61%	13,002	56.56%	421	1.83%
2004	10,879	46.95%	12,039	51.95%	254	1.10%
2000	8,911	46.10%	9,172	47.45%	1,247	6.45%
1996	4,917	31.90%	7,536	48.89%	2,962	19.22%
1992	5,283	29.00%	7,965	43.72%	4,970	27.28%
1988	7,273	43.83%	9,205	55.47%	116	0.70%
1984	8,473	51.80%	7,712	47.15%	173	1.06%
1980	7,428	43.47%	7,743	45.31%	1,917	11.22%
1976	6,751	44.99%	7,882	52.53%	371	2.47%
1972	6,660	53.04%	5,681	45.25%	215	1.71%
1968	5,415	51.44%	4,392	41.73%	719	6.83%
1964	3,964	37.90%	6,475	61.91%	19	0.18%
1960	6,723	59.82%	4,487	39.92%	29	0.26%
1956	6,401	60.36%	4,189	39.50%	14	0.13%
1952	7,475	67.38%	3,593	32.39%	26	0.23%
1948	4,319	46.03%	4,894	52.16%	169	1.80%
1944	5,980	60.37%	3,853	38.90%	72	0.73%
1940	6,968	59.87%	4,545	39.05%	126	1.08%
1936	4,570	41.64%	5,619	51.20%	786	7.16%
1932	3,898	42.80%	4,936	54.19%	274	3.01%
1928	7,096	76.51%	2,045	22.05%	133	1.43%
1924	3,177	40.13%	284	3.59%	4,455	56.28%
1920	5,596	87.85%	491	7.71%	283	4.44%
1916	2,556	60.04%	1,447	33.99%	254	5.97%
1912	1,403	37.45%	833	22.24%	1,510	40.31%
1908	3,297	74.39%	914	20.62%	221	4.99%
1904	3,303	81.25%	546	13.43%	216	5.31%
1900	3,046	70.79%	1,110	25.80%	147	3.42%
1896	3,370	67.94%	1,418	28.59%	172	3.47%
1892	2,169	50.93%	1,257	29.51%	833	19.56%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dunn County, Wisconsin

References

1. "2020 Decennial Census: Dunn County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Wisconsin Blue Book 1991-1992, p. 731; cited there as from "Wisconsin Historical Records, Origin and Legislative History of County Boundaries in Wisconsin, 1942."
4. When Counties Originated from rootsweb.com's Oconto County, Wisconsin webpage Archived March 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine .
5. "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
6. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  110.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
11. "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 4, 2015.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. "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.
15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
16. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,174 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 235 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 94 votes, and Independent candidate Arthur Reimer received 7 votes.

External links

• Dunn County, Wisconsin website
• Dunn County Historical Society
• Dunn County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

44°57′N91°54′W / 44.95°N 91.90°W / 44.95; -91.90