Walworth County, Wisconsin

Last updated

Walworth County, Wisconsin
County
Walworth County Courthouse - panoramio.jpg
Walworth County Courthouse
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Walworth County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Coordinates: 42°40′N88°32′W / 42.67°N 88.54°W / 42.67; -88.54
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Wisconsin.svg Wisconsin
Founded1839
Named after Reuben H. Walworth [1]
Seat Elkhorn
Largest city Whitewater
Area
 • Total
577 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land555 sq mi (1,440 km2)
 • Water21 sq mi (54 km2)  3.7%
Population
 (2020) [2]
 • Total
106,478
 • Estimate 
(2025)
106,127 Decrease2.svg
 • Density191.7/sq mi (74.0/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 1st, 5th
Website www.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. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is located in Walworth County.

Contents

Walworth County features several major tourist destinations: Lake Geneva, Alpine Valley Resort, and Alpine Valley Music Theatre. Tourism is a large contributor to Walworth County's economy. It is Wisconsin's fifteenth largest county in population, but it is the sixth largest in terms of economic impact from tourism (nearly $1 billion in 2023). [6]

Geography

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. [7]

Transportation

Major highways

Railroads

Buses

Airport

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

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1840 2,611—
1850 17,862584.1%
1860 26,49648.3%
1870 25,972−2.0%
1880 26,2491.1%
1890 27,8606.1%
1900 29,2595.0%
1910 29,6141.2%
1920 29,327−1.0%
1930 31,0585.9%
1940 33,1036.6%
1950 41,58425.6%
1960 52,36825.9%
1970 63,44421.2%
1980 71,50712.7%
1990 75,0004.9%
2000 93,75925.0%
2010 102,2289.0%
2020 106,4784.2%
2025 (est.)106,127 [8] Decrease2.svg−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]
1790–1960 [10] 1900–1990 [11]
1990–2000 [12] 2010 [13] 2020 [2]

Racial and ethnic composition

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 1980 [14] Pop 1990 [15] Pop 2000 [16] Pop 2010 [17] Pop 2020 [18] % 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)69,09071,83485,42888,69088,10496.62%95.78%91.11%86.76%82.74%
Black or African American alone (NH)4164437479041,1660.58%0.59%0.80%0.88%1.10%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1141931771962290.16%0.26%0.19%0.19%0.22%
Asian alone (NH)3124835928191,0020.44%0.64%0.63%0.80%0.94%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [19] x [20] 163310xx0.02%0.03%0.01%
Other race alone (NH)2453046672680.34%0.04%0.05%0.07%0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [21] x [22] 6179413,149xx0.66%0.92%2.96%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,3302,0176,13610,57812,5501.86%2.69%6.54%10.35%11.79%
Total71,50775,00093,759102,228106,478 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,478. [2] 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, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.6% from some other race, and 7.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.8% of the population. [23]

The median age was 41.0 years, with 20.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.7 males age 18 and over. [24]

63.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.9% lived in rural areas. [25]

There were 42,378 households in the county, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.8% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [24]

There were 53,146 housing units, of which 20.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.9% were owner-occupied and 31.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. [24]

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

2000 census

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. [26] 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. [27]

Communities

Walworth County sign Walworth County Wisconsin Sign Cty H.jpg
Walworth County sign

Cities

Delavan Wisconsin 9 Delavan Wisconsin 9.jpg
Delavan Wisconsin 9

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

Turtle Lake floating Turtle Lake floating.jpg
Turtle Lake floating

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

United States presidential election results for Walworth County, Wisconsin [28]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1892 3,87158.52%2,15332.55%5918.93%
1896 5,34770.41%1,89424.94%3534.65%
1900 5,10271.41%1,74224.38%3014.21%
1904 4,89273.42%1,37020.56%4016.02%
1908 4,15162.21%1,96029.37%5628.42%
1912 2,09635.88%2,12536.38%1,62027.73%
1916 3,98859.66%2,44036.50%2573.84%
1920 8,43780.68%1,63115.60%3903.73%
1924 7,48457.22%1,1628.88%4,43433.90%
1928 9,84669.36%4,25329.96%970.68%
1932 7,85852.91%6,79045.72%2041.37%
1936 8,46252.67%7,09344.15%5113.18%
1940 11,59467.59%5,44931.77%1110.65%
1944 10,90165.34%5,69634.14%860.52%
1948 10,50965.07%5,37733.29%2651.64%
1952 16,90675.57%5,41724.21%490.22%
1956 16,69676.62%4,92222.59%1720.79%
1960 16,39567.19%7,98632.73%200.08%
1964 12,22550.92%11,74648.92%380.16%
1968 15,04061.85%7,50530.87%1,7707.28%
1972 17,82366.09%8,59831.88%5462.02%
1976 18,09157.79%12,41839.67%7982.55%
1980 19,19456.90%11,34433.63%3,1929.46%
1984 20,59567.06%9,87732.16%2380.77%
1988 18,25959.50%12,20339.77%2230.73%
1992 15,72742.74%11,82532.14%9,24425.12%
1996 15,09945.81%13,28340.30%4,57913.89%
2000 22,98256.80%15,49238.29%1,9844.90%
2004 28,75459.35%19,17739.58%5151.06%
2008 25,48550.54%24,17747.95%7601.51%
2012 29,00655.46%22,55243.12%7451.42%
2016 28,86356.16%18,71036.41%3,8187.43%
2020 33,85158.77%22,78939.56%9601.67%
2024 36,60360.40%23,16138.22%8331.37%

Owing to its Yankee heritage, [29] 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. [30] It voted for Martin van Buren and John P. Hale in Wisconsin's first two presidential elections, [31] and its opposition to the spread of slavery led to its population voting Republican in subsequent elections, [31] even resisting the appeal of Wisconsin native Robert La Follette when he carried the state in 1924 as a Progressive. [32]

Walworth County remains strongly Republican. [32] [33] 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.

Education

School districts include: [34]

K-12:

Secondary:

Elementary:

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ "County Directory - Walworth County". Wisconsin Counties Association. Retrieved May 13, 2007.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 4 "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 logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. ↑ "Economic Impact". Travel Wisconsin.
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 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 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  14. ↑ "1980 General Population Characteristics - Wisconsin - Table 15: Persons by Race and Table 16: Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race". United States Census Bureau – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Wisconsin - Table 3: Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990" (PDF). United States Census Bureau . p. 23-111. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Walworth County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau .
  17. ↑ "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 .
  18. ↑ "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 .
  19. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  20. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  21. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  22. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  23. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  25. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  27. ↑ "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.
  28. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  29. ↑ Fowler, Robert Booth; Wisconsin Vites: An Electoral History, p. 14 ISBN   0299227448
  30. ↑ Fowler, Robert Booth; Wisconsin Votes: An Electoral History, Volume 3, p. 11 ISBN   0299227405
  31. 1 2 Beckwith, Albert Clayton; History of Walworth County, Wisconsin pp. 98-99 Published 1912 by B.F. Bowen and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
  32. 1 2 See Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 441-442 ISBN   978-0-691-16324-6
  33. ↑ See McDade, Philip J.; 'Congressional Restricting in Wisconsin' Archived January 20, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  34. ↑ "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

42°40′N88°32′W / 42.67°N 88.54°W / 42.67; -88.54

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