Vernon County, Wisconsin

Vernon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,773.[1] Its county seat is Viroqua.[2]

Vernon County
U.S. county
Vernon County Courthouse in October 2015
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°35′N 90°50′W
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Founded1851
Named forMount Vernon
SeatViroqua
Largest cityViroqua
Area
 • Total816 sq mi (2,110 km2)
 • Land792 sq mi (2,050 km2)
 • Water25 sq mi (60 km2)  3.0%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total29,773
 • Estimate 
(2019)
30,822
 • Density36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.vernoncounty.org

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.[3][4] The name Vernon was chosen to reflect the county's green fields of wheat and to evoke Mount Vernon.[5]

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.[6]

Major highways
  • U.S. Highway 14
  • U.S. Highway 61
  • Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 33 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 35 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 56 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 80 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 82 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 131 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 162 (Wisconsin)

Airports

Adjacent counties

Demographics and religion statistics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
186011,007—
187018,64569.4%
188023,23524.6%
189025,1118.1%
190028,35112.9%
191028,116−0.8%
192029,2524.0%
193028,537−2.4%
194029,9404.9%
195027,906−6.8%
196025,663−8.0%
197024,557−4.3%
198025,6424.4%
199025,617−0.1%
200028,0569.5%
201029,7736.1%
2019 (est.)30,822[7]3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2019[1]
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Vernon County

As of the census[12] 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/km2). There were 12,416 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/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.[13]

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.[14]

Economy

The county is home to the headquarters of Organic Valley, the world's largest cooperative of family farmers.[15][16]

Parks

Vernon County is home to multiple county and state parks.[17] 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
  • Blackhawk Park
  • Duck Egg County Forest
  • Esofea/Rentz Memorial Park
  • Jersey Valley Park
  • Kooyumjian - Lost Creek County Forest
  • Runge Hollow Recreation Area
  • Sidie Hollow Park
  • Wayside Park & Coon Prairie Trail

Communities

Cities

Villages

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics

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.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 51.6% 8,216 46.9% 7,457 1.5% 237
2016 49.1% 7,004 44.6% 6,371 6.3% 900
2012 41.6% 5,942 56.4% 8,044 2.0% 283
2008 38.1% 5,367 60.1% 8,463 1.7% 245
2004 45.6% 6,774 53.4% 7,924 1.0% 147
2000 43.6% 5,684 50.4% 6,577 6.0% 783
1996 33.8% 3,796 49.6% 5,572 16.6% 1,858
1992 32.0% 4,072 44.6% 5,673 23.4% 2,971
1988 47.2% 5,226 51.9% 5,754 0.9% 98
1984 55.8% 6,469 43.5% 5,051 0.7% 83
1980 51.1% 6,528 43.1% 5,501 5.8% 744
1976 51.6% 6,132 46.5% 5,534 1.9% 226
1972 65.8% 6,836 32.8% 3,407 1.4% 142
1968 55.2% 5,824 34.7% 3,666 10.1% 1,065
1964 42.6% 4,640 57.3% 6,242 0.2% 16
1960 58.8% 6,909 41.1% 4,836 0.1% 15
1956 55.7% 6,200 44.2% 4,923 0.2% 17
1952 65.3% 7,619 34.6% 4,032 0.1% 12
1948 43.7% 4,139 55.2% 5,226 1.1% 105
1944 51.0% 5,676 48.6% 5,409 0.3% 36
1940 53.0% 6,614 46.2% 5,776 0.8% 102
1936 42.4% 4,811 53.2% 6,044 4.4% 502
1932 32.9% 2,979 65.6% 5,939 1.5% 139
1928 71.3% 6,596 27.7% 2,559 1.1% 99
1924 30.4% 2,670 4.6% 406 65.0% 5,703
1920 86.0% 5,694 9.5% 627 4.5% 298
1916 58.6% 2,912 36.8% 1,830 4.5% 225
1912 57.7% 2,663 27.1% 1,253 15.2% 701
1908 69.7% 4,114 26.5% 1,561 3.9% 227
1904 82.4% 4,744 13.2% 762 4.4% 255
1900 75.6% 4,463 21.5% 1,268 2.9% 173
1896 71.4% 4,393 26.4% 1,627 2.2% 137
1892 60.0% 3,106 27.8% 1,440 12.3% 635

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. Bad Axe (county). Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
  4. Vernon County [origin of place name]. Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
  5. "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent. December 28, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  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. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables
  14. thearda.com County Membership Report for Vernon County
  15. "Food & Farming - Driftless Wisconsin Region Guide". Driftless Wisconsin Region Guide. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  16. "Why Organic Valley? | Leaders in Organic". www.organicvalley.coop. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  17. "Land and Water Resources". Vernon County. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.

Further reading

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