Vernon County, Wisconsin

Last updated

Vernon County
County
CourthouseVernonCountyWI.jpg
Vernon County Courthouse in October 2015
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Vernon County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin in United States.svg
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°35′N90°50′W / 43.59°N 90.83°W / 43.59; -90.83
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Wisconsin.svg  Wisconsin
Founded1851
Named for Mount Vernon
Seat Viroqua
Largest cityViroqua
Area
 • Total
816 sq mi (2,110 km2)
 • Land792 sq mi (2,050 km2)
 • Water25 sq mi (60 km2)  3.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
30,714
 • Estimate 
(2023) [1]
31,170 Increase2.svg
 • Density38/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd
Website www.vernoncounty.org

Vernon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,714. [2] Its county seat is Viroqua. [3]

Contents

History

Vernon County was renamed from Bad Ax County on March 22, 1862. Bad Ax County had been created on March 1, 1851, from territory that had been part of Richland and Crawford counties. [4] [5] The name Vernon was chosen to reflect the county's green fields of wheat and to evoke Mount Vernon. [6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 816 square miles (2,110 km2), of which 792 square miles (2,050 km2) is land and 25 square miles (65 km2) (3.0%) is water. [7]

Major highways

Railroads

Buses

Airports

Adjacent counties

Demographics and religion statistics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860 11,007—
1870 18,64569.4%
1880 23,23524.6%
1890 25,1118.1%
1900 28,35112.9%
1910 28,116−0.8%
1920 29,2524.0%
1930 28,537−2.4%
1940 29,9404.9%
1950 27,906−6.8%
1960 25,663−8.0%
1970 24,557−4.3%
1980 25,6424.4%
1990 25,617−0.1%
2000 28,0569.5%
2010 29,7736.1%
2020 30,7143.2%
2023 (est.)31,170 [1] 1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]
1790–1960 [9] 1900–1990 [10]
1990–2000 [11] 2010–2020 [12]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, [13] the population was 30,714. The population density was 38.8 people per square mile (15.0 people/km2). There were 13,813 housing units at an average density of 17.5 units per square mile (6.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Vernon County USA Vernon County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Vernon County

As of the census [14] of 2000, there were 28,056 people, 10,825 households, and 7,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 12,416 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.81% White, 0.06% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.3% were of Norwegian, 26.9% German, 6.4% Irish and 6.1% English ancestry. 90.9% spoke English, 3.5% German, 1.8% Norwegian, 1.2% Pennsylvania Dutch and 1.0% Spanish as their first language.

There were 10,825 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.

In 2017, there were 434 births, giving a general fertility rate of 90.5 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the fourth highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these births, 123 occurred at home, second only to Clark County which had 184 home births. [15]

In 2010, the largest religious groups by reported number of adherents were ELCA Lutheran at 6,735 adherents, Catholic at 3,060 adherents, Amish at 2,786 adherents, United Methodist at 1,533 adherents, Wisconsin Synod Lutheran at 1,402 adherents, and Non-denominational Christian at 766 adherents. [16]

Religion

Religion in Vernon County,according to ARDA (2020) [17]
  1. Mainline Protestant Churches (21%)
  2. Evangelical Churches (14.7%)
  3. Anabaptist Churches (Amish and Mennonite) (11.8%)
  4. Catholic Church (6.8%)
  5. 0.00%
  6. Others (1.1%)
  7. None (44.6%)

Economy

The county is home to the headquarters of Organic Valley, the world's largest cooperative of family farmers. [18] [19]

Parks

Vernon County is home to multiple county and state parks. [20] The Kickapoo Valley Reserve, an 8600-acre natural reserve, is between the villages of La Farge and Ontario. Wildcat Mountain State Park is also in the county.

County Parks and Forests

Communities

Cities

Villages

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics

United States presidential election results for Vernon County, Wisconsin [21]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 8,80753.03%7,51445.24%2881.73%
2020 8,21851.61%7,45746.83%2481.56%
2016 7,00449.06%6,37144.63%9006.30%
2012 5,94241.64%8,04456.37%2831.98%
2008 5,36738.13%8,46360.13%2451.74%
2004 6,77445.63%7,92453.38%1470.99%
2000 5,68443.58%6,57750.42%7836.00%
1996 3,79633.81%5,57249.63%1,85816.55%
1992 4,07232.02%5,67344.61%2,97123.36%
1988 5,22647.17%5,75451.94%980.88%
1984 6,46955.75%5,05143.53%830.72%
1980 6,52851.11%5,50143.07%7445.82%
1976 6,13251.56%5,53446.54%2261.90%
1972 6,83665.83%3,40732.81%1421.37%
1968 5,82455.18%3,66634.73%1,06510.09%
1964 4,64042.58%6,24257.28%160.15%
1960 6,90958.75%4,83641.12%150.13%
1956 6,20055.66%4,92344.19%170.15%
1952 7,61965.33%4,03234.57%120.10%
1948 4,13943.71%5,22655.18%1051.11%
1944 5,67651.04%5,40948.64%360.32%
1940 6,61452.95%5,77646.24%1020.82%
1936 4,81142.36%6,04453.22%5024.42%
1932 2,97932.89%5,93965.57%1391.53%
1928 6,59671.28%2,55927.65%991.07%
1924 2,67030.41%4064.62%5,70364.96%
1920 5,69486.03%6279.47%2984.50%
1916 2,91258.63%1,83036.84%2254.53%
1912 2,66357.68%1,25327.14%70115.18%
1908 4,11469.71%1,56126.45%2273.85%
1904 4,74482.35%76213.23%2554.43%
1900 4,46375.59%1,26821.48%1732.93%
1896 4,39371.35%1,62726.43%1372.23%
1892 3,10659.95%1,44027.79%63512.26%

Vernon County had been a Democratic-leaning county since the 1988 presidential election, but Republican Donald Trump won a plurality of the vote in 2016 and a majority of the vote in 2020 and 2024.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "QuickFacts: Vernon County, Wisconsin". Census.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ "County Population Totals: 2010-2020" . Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Bad Axe (county). Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ Vernon County [origin of place name]. Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ "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 logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 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 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  13. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census: Vernon County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  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 19, 2019.
  16. ↑ thearda.com County Membership Report for Vernon County
  17. ↑ "Vernon County, Ohio - County Membership Report (2020)". The Association of Religion Data Archives.
  18. ↑ "Food & Farming - Driftless Wisconsin Region Guide". Driftless Wisconsin Region Guide. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Why Organic Valley? | Leaders in Organic". www.organicvalley.coop. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Land and Water Resources". Vernon County. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  21. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.

Further reading

43°35′N90°50′W / 43.59°N 90.83°W / 43.59; -90.83

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.