Vernon County, Wisconsin

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. The name Vernon was chosen to reflect the county's green fields of wheat and to evoke Mount Vernon.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 816 sqmi, of which 792 sqmi is land and 25 sqmi (3.0%) is water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 14.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 14
• [[Image:US 61.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 61
• [[Image:WIS 27.svg|20px]] Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 33.svg|20px]] Highway 33 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 35.svg|20px]] Highway 35 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 56.svg|20px]] Highway 56 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 80.svg|20px]] Highway 80 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 82.svg|20px]] Highway 82 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 131.svg|20px]] Highway 131 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 162.svg|20px]] Highway 162 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• BNSF

Buses

• Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit

Airports

• Viroqua Municipal Airport (Y51) serves the county and surrounding communities.
• The Joshua Sanford Field airport (KHBW) closed on November 10, 2016.

Adjacent counties

• La Crosse Countynorthwest
• Monroe Countynorth
• Juneau Countynortheast
• Sauk Countyeast
• Richland Countysoutheast
• Crawford Countysouth
• Allamakee County, Iowasouthwest
• Houston County, Minnesotawest

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 2024

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 30,714, the population density was 38.8 /mi2, and there were 13,813 housing units at an average density of 17.5 /mi2.

The median age was 41.7 years. 26.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

13.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 86.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 12,082 households in the county, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.2% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,813 housing units, of which 12.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.3% were owner-occupied and 21.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 28,056 people, 10,825 households, and 7,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 /mi2. There were 12,416 housing units at an average density of 16 /mi2. 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.

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.

Religion

Economy

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

Parks

Vernon County is home to multiple county and state parks. 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

• Hillsboro
• Viroqua (county seat)
• Westby

Villages

• Chaseburg
• Coon Valley
• De Soto (partly in Crawford County)
• Genoa
• La Farge
• Ontario
• Readstown
• Stoddard
• Viola (mostly in Richland County)

Towns

• Bergen
• Christiana
• Clinton
• Coon
• Forest
• Franklin
• Genoa
• Greenwood
• Hamburg
• Harmony
• Hillsboro
• Jefferson
• Kickapoo
• Liberty
• Stark
• Sterling
• Union
• Viroqua
• Webster
• Wheatland
• Whitestown

Unincorporated communities

• Avalanche
• Bloomingdale
• Bud
• Dilly
• Esofea
• Fargo
• Folsom
• Greenwood
• Kickapoo Center
• Liberty
• Liberty Pole
• Mount Tabor
• Newry
• Newton
• Pleasant Valley
• Purdy
• Red Mound
• Retreat
• Rockton
• Romance
• Ross
• Springville
• Sugar Grove
• Trippville
• Tunnelville (partial)
• Valley
• Victory
• West Prairie
• White City

Gallery

Image:RoundBarnHillsboroWisconsin.jpg|Round barn near Hillsboro Image:VernonCountyWisconsinCountrysideWIS80.jpg|Farm and countryside near Hillsboro, along Wisconsin Highway 80 Image:Vernon County jail.jpg|Vernon County jail in Viroqua, Wisconsin

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 and a majority of the vote in 2020 and 2024.

References

References

1. "QuickFacts: Vernon County, Wisconsin".
2. "County Population Totals: 2010-2020".
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=Nrc:id-4-dynrank-disabled,N:1078-684-4294962559&dsNavOnly=N:1078-684 Bad Axe (county)]. Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
5. link. (June 11, 2011)
6. (December 28, 1963). "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent.
7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
11. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
15. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
16. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables".
18. [http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/rcms2010A.asp?U=55123&T=county&Y=2010&S=Name thearda.com County Membership Report for Vernon County]
19. "Vernon County, Ohio - County Membership Report (2020)". The Association of Religion Data Archives.
20. "Food & Farming - Driftless Wisconsin Region Guide". Driftless Wisconsin Region Guide.
21. "Why Organic Valley? {{!}} Leaders in Organic".
22. "Land and Water Resources". Vernon County.
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".