Polk County, Wisconsin

History

After the Wisconsin Territory was established in 1836, large amounts of American Indian territories were ceded to the United States via the White Pine Treaty, formally known as the treaty of St. Peters, much of the land was covered in vast pine forests, and logging activates began soon after.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 956 sqmi, of which 914 sqmi is land and 42 sqmi (4.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Burnett County - north
• Barron County - east
• Dunn County - southeast
• St. Croix County - south
• Washington County, Minnesota - southwest
• Chisago County, Minnesota - west

Major highways

• [[Image:US 8.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 8
• [[Image:US 63.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 63
• [[Image:WIS 35.svg|20px]] Highway 35 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 46.svg|20px]] Highway 46 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 48.svg|20px]] Highway 48 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 65.svg|20px]] Highway 65 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 87.svg|20px]] Highway 87 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 243.svg|20px]] Highway 243 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Canadian National
• Minnesota Transportation Museum

Buses

Airports

• Amery Municipal Airport (KAHH) serves the county and surrounding communities.
• L.O. Simenstad Municipal Airport (KOEO).

National protected area

• Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (part)

Interstate Park (Wisconsin)

Main article: Interstate Park

Established in 1900, the Interstate park is part of the Saint Croix National Scenic riverway, the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve and is the westernmost point of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. File:Interstate Park Sign Wisconsin.jpg File:St Croix Dalles.jpg File:Fall Colors, Interstate State Park (1502556726).jpg

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,977. The population density was 49.2 /mi2. There were 24,129 housing units at an average density of 26.4 /mi2.

The median age was 46.5 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian,

There were 18,959 households in the county, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.0% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Of the 24,129 housing units, 21.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.4% were owner-occupied and 20.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 41,319 people, 16,254 households, and 11,329 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 /mi2. There were 21,129 housing units at an average density of 23 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.64% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 1.06% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.4% were of German, 18.6% Norwegian, 11.3% Swedish, 5.5% Irish and 5.3% American ancestry.

There were 16,254 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.

2017 fertility

In 2017, there were 400 births, giving a general fertility rate of 56.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 14th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.

Education

• Amery School District
• Clayton School District
• Clear Lake School District
• Frederic School District
• Luck School District
• Osceola School District
• St. Croix Falls School District
• Unity School District

Communities

Cities

• Amery
• St. Croix Falls

Villages

• Balsam Lake (county seat)
• Centuria
• Clayton
• Clear Lake
• Dresser
• Frederic
• Luck
• Milltown
• Osceola
• Turtle Lake (mostly in Barron County)

Towns

• Alden
• Apple River
• Balsam Lake
• Beaver
• Black Brook
• Bone Lake
• Clam Falls
• Clayton
• Clear Lake
• Eureka
• Farmington
• Garfield
• Georgetown
• Johnstown
• Laketown
• Lincoln
• Lorain
• Luck
• McKinley
• Milltown
• Osceola
• St. Croix Falls
• Sterling
• West Sweden

Census-designated place

• Lewis

Unincorporated communities

• Atlas
• Bunyan
• Clam Falls
• Cushing
• Deronda
• East Farmington
• Eureka Center
• Fox Creek
• Horse Creek
• Indian Creek
• Joel
• Lamar
• Little Falls
• Lykens
• McKinley
• Nye
• Pole Cat Crossing (partial)
• Range
• Richardson
• Sand Lake
• Ubet
• Wanderoos
• West Denmark
• West Sweden
• Wolf Creek

Notable residents

• Arnold Franz Brasz (1888–1966), a prominent painter, sculptor, and printmaker was born in Polk County on July 19, 1888
• Dougald D. Kennedy (1879–1941) member of the Wisconsin Progressive Party and Wisconsin State Assembly. Represented Polk County from the 63rd Wisconsin Legislature to the 65th Wisconsin Legislature.
• George A. Nelson (1873–1962), the 1936 Socialist Party of America nominee for vice president of the United States, was born in rural Polk County and was a dairy farmer there.

Politics

From its founding in 1853 through 1928, Polk County was a strongly Republican county in presidential elections, never once backing the Democratic candidate. The only two times in that span it did not support the Republican candidate were in 1912 when former Republican Theodore Roosevelt won the county as the Progressive candidate and in 1924 when Progressive and native Wisconsinite Robert M. La Follette won the county. Then, between 1932 and 2012, Polk County was a very consistently competitive county that leaned slightly Republican. Only two candidates in that span won at least 60% of the county's vote, Dwight D. Eisenhower in his 1952 landslide and Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide. Polk County took a rightward turn in 2016, when Donald Trump won over 60% of the county's vote with a winning margin of over 27%, the best margin of victory in the county since 1928 with the exception of Johnson in 1964. Trump won in 2020 with the exact same margin of victory of over 27% while increasing his vote share to nearly 63%. In 2024, Trump once again improved on his previous performance, taking nearly 65% of Polk County's vote and defeating Kamala Harris by more than a 30% margin.

Election results

References

References

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2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (2007). "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
4. (2014-06-12). "Jams, Dams, Pines and Pigs: Reflections on the St. Croix Logging Era".
5. Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 61 – 64. {{ISBN. 978-0-615-50320-2.
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Interstate Park {{!}} Wisconsin DNR".
8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau.
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
11. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
12. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
13. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
14. "2020 Decennial Census: Polk County, Wisconsin". U.S. Census Bureau.
15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
16. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
17. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
18. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
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20. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".