Price County, Wisconsin

Price County
County
Price County courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 45°41′N90°22′W / 45.68°N 90.36°W / 45.68; -90.36
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1882
Named for	William T. Price
Seat	Phillips
Largest city	Park Falls
Area
• Total	1,278 sq mi (3,310 km2)
• Land	1,254 sq mi (3,250 km2)
• Water	24 sq mi (60 km2)  1.9%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	14,054
• Estimate  (2023)	14,102
• Density	11.2/sq mi (4.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.price.wi.us

Timms Hill, the highest natural point in Wisconsin, at 1951.5 feet, is located in the Town of Hill, Price County.

Price County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,054. ^[1] Its county seat is Phillips. ^[2]

History

Price County was created on March 3, 1879, when Wisconsin Governor William E. Smith signed legislation creating the county. The county was later organized in 1882. ^[3] William T. Price (1824–1886), for whom Price County was named, ^[4] was President of the Wisconsin Senate and an early logger in Price County; he later was elected to the U.S. Congress. ^[5] The county was formed from portions of Chippewa and Lincoln counties.

The first white settler in what is now Price County was Major Isaac Stone, who located on the Spirit River in 1860 to engage in lumbering. ^[6] Price County continues today to be a large producer of raw timber. ^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,278 square miles (3,310 km²), of which 1,254 square miles (3,250 km²) is land and 24 square miles (62 km²) (1.9%) is water. ^[8] The highest natural point in Wisconsin, Timms Hill at 1,951 feet (595 m), is located in Price County.

Adjacent counties

• Ashland - northwest
• Iron - northeast
• Lincoln - southeast
• Oneida - east
• Rusk - west
• Sawyer - west
• Taylor - south
• Vilas - northeast

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 8
• Highway 13 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 70 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 86 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 102 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 111 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 182 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Watco

Buses

• Bay Area Rural Transit
• List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Airports

• KPBH - Price County Airport
• KPKF - Park Falls Municipal Airport
• 5N2 - Prentice Airport

National protected area

• Chequamegon National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	785		—
1890	5,258		569.8%
1900	9,106		73.2%
1910	13,795		51.5%
1920	18,517		34.2%
1930	17,284		−6.7%
1940	18,467		6.8%
1950	16,344		−11.5%
1960	14,370		−12.1%
1970	14,520		1.0%
1980	15,788		8.7%
1990	15,600		−1.2%
2000	15,822		1.4%
2010	14,159		−10.5%
2020	14,054		−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1790–1960 [10] 1900–1990 [11] 1990–2000 [12] 2010 [13] 2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, ^[1] the population was 14,054. The population density was 11.2 people per square mile (4.3 people/km²). There were 10,735 housing units at an average density of 8.6 units per square mile (3.3 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.9% Pacific Islander, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

2000 Census age pyramid for Price County

As of the census ^[14] of 2000, there were 15,822 people, 6,564 households, and 4,417 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km²). There were 9,574 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.22% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.4% were of German, 6.5% Norwegian, 5.9% Swedish, 5.4% Polish, 5.2% Irish and 5% Czech ancestry.

There were 6,564 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99 males.

In 2017, there were 127 births, giving a general fertility rate of 71.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 13th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. ^[15]

Communities

Phillips, Wisconsin is located in Price County.

Cities

• Park Falls
• Phillips (county seat)

Villages

• Catawba
• Kennan
• Prentice

Towns

• Catawba
• Eisenstein
• Elk
• Emery
• Fifield
• Flambeau
• Georgetown
• Hackett
• Harmony
• Hill
• Kennan
• Knox
• Lake
• Ogema
• Prentice
• Spirit
• Worcester

Census-designated place

• Ogema

Unincorporated communities

• Cranberry Lake
• Clifford (partial)
• Brantwood
• Dover
• Fifield
• Lugerville
• Pennington
• Spirit
• Worcester

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

• Coolidge
• Kaiser
• Kennedy
• Knox Mills
• Sassen

Politics

United States presidential election results for Price County, Wisconsin ^{[16] [17]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	5,394	63.12%	3,032	35.48%	120	1.40%
2016	4,559	60.24%	2,667	35.24%	342	4.52%
2012	3,884	49.16%	3,887	49.20%	130	1.65%
2008	3,461	42.24%	4,559	55.64%	174	2.12%
2004	4,312	49.21%	4,349	49.63%	102	1.16%
2000	4,136	52.16%	3,413	43.04%	381	4.80%
1996	2,545	34.44%	3,523	47.67%	1,322	17.89%
1992	2,654	31.04%	3,575	41.81%	2,321	27.15%
1988	3,450	46.02%	3,987	53.18%	60	0.80%
1984	4,289	54.62%	3,479	44.31%	84	1.07%
1980	4,028	49.30%	3,595	44.00%	548	6.71%
1976	3,204	43.30%	4,028	54.44%	167	2.26%
1972	3,694	54.39%	2,831	41.68%	267	3.93%
1968	3,096	47.44%	2,794	42.81%	636	9.75%
1964	2,406	35.88%	4,289	63.97%	10	0.15%
1960	3,555	51.10%	3,382	48.61%	20	0.29%
1956	4,028	58.82%	2,778	40.57%	42	0.61%
1952	4,376	58.42%	3,048	40.69%	67	0.89%
1948	2,952	43.51%	3,373	49.71%	460	6.78%
1944	3,258	47.78%	3,515	51.55%	46	0.67%
1940	3,879	47.93%	4,042	49.94%	172	2.13%
1936	2,215	28.95%	5,098	66.62%	339	4.43%
1932	2,023	31.32%	4,114	63.69%	322	4.99%
1928	3,210	57.92%	2,223	40.11%	109	1.97%
1924	1,754	32.81%	323	6.04%	3,269	61.15%
1920	2,990	74.23%	551	13.68%	487	12.09%
1916	1,620	56.39%	1,049	36.51%	204	7.10%
1912	708	29.50%	662	27.58%	1,030	42.92%
1908	1,735	65.23%	609	22.89%	316	11.88%
1904	2,202	80.10%	401	14.59%	146	5.31%
1900	1,725	74.16%	529	22.74%	72	3.10%
1896	1,448	70.22%	550	26.67%	64	3.10%
1892	1,099	52.53%	876	41.87%	117	5.59%

See also

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

References

1. "2020 Decennial Census: Price County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "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.
4. "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014– via Newspapers.com.
5. William Thompson Price, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
6. Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, A. Warner, 1891–1892, p. 353.
7. "Timber Sales | Price County, WI - Official Website".
8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
11. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
12. "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 8, 2015.
13. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
15. "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 20, 2019.
16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
17. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 662 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 290 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 75 votes, and Independent candidate Arthur Reimer received 3 votes.

External links

• Price County
• Old plat maps: 1873 1880 1888 1910 1920 ca. 1925
• Price County map at Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Price County Historical Society

45°41′N90°22′W / 45.68°N 90.36°W / 45.68; -90.36