Walworth County, Wisconsin

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 577 sqmi, of which 555 sqmi is land and 21 sqmi (3.7%) is water.

Transportation

Major highways

• [[Image:I-43.svg|20px]] Interstate 43
• [[Image:US 12.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 12
• [[Image:US 14.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 14
• [[Image:WIS 11.svg|20px]] Highway 11 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 20.svg|20px]] Highway 20 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 36.svg|20px]] Highway 36 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 50.svg|20px]] Highway 50 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 59.svg|20px]] Highway 59 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 67.svg|20px]] Highway 67 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 83.svg|20px]] Highway 83 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 89.svg|20px]] Highway 89 (Wisconsin)
• [[Image:WIS 120.svg|20px]] Highway 120 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Canadian National
• East Troy Electric Railroad
• Union Pacific
• Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Buses

Airport

East Troy Municipal Airport , serves the county and surrounding communities

Adjacent counties

• Waukesha County (northeast)
• Racine County (east)
• Kenosha County (east)
• McHenry County, Illinois (southeast)
• Boone County, Illinois (southwest)
• Rock County (west)
• Jefferson County (northwest)

Demographics

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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,478. The population density was 191.7 /mi2. There were 53,146 housing units at an average density of 95.7 /mi2.

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,

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.

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

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.

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%.

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 /mi2. There were 43,783 housing units at an average density of 79 /mi2. 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. 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.

Communities

Cities

• Burlington (mostly in Racine County)
• Delavan

• Elkhorn (county seat)
• Lake Geneva
• Whitewater (partly in Jefferson County)

Villages

• Bloomfield
• Darien
• East Troy
• Fontana-on-Geneva Lake
• Genoa City (partly in Kenosha County)
• Mukwonago (mostly in Waukesha County)
• Sharon
• Walworth
• Williams Bay

Towns

• Bloomfield
• Darien
• Delavan
• East Troy
• Geneva
• Lafayette
• La Grange
• Linn
• Lyons
• Richmond
• Sharon
• Spring Prairie
• Sugar Creek
• Troy
• Walworth
• Whitewater

Census-designated places

• Allen's Grove
• Big Foot Prairie
• Como
• Delavan Lake
• Lake Ivanhoe
• Lake Lorraine
• Lauderdale Lakes
• Lyons
• Potter Lake
• Springfield

• Turtle Lake

Unincorporated communities

• Abells Corners
• Adams
• Bardwell
• Bowers
• East Delavan
• Fairfield (partial)
• Inlet
• Heart Prairie
• Hilburn
• Honey Creek (partial)
• Honey Lake (partial)
• La Grange
• Lake Beulah
• Lake Como
• Lake Lawn
• Lauderdale
• Lauderdale Shores
• Linton
• Little Prairie
• Millard
• North Bloomfield
• Pell Lake
• Powers Lake
• Richmond
• Spring Prairie
• Tibbets
• Troy
• Troy Center
• Voree
• Zenda

Ghost towns

• Army Lake
• Mayhews

Politics

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

Walworth County remains strongly Republican. 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:

K-12:

• Burlington Area School District
• Clinton Community School District
• Delavan-Darien School District
• East Troy Community School District
• Elkhorn Area School District
• Mukwonago School District
• Palmyra-Eagle Area School District
• Whitewater School District
• Williams Bay School District

Secondary:

• Big Foot Union High School District
• Lake Geneva-Genoa City Union High School District

Elementary:

• Fontana Joint No. 8 School District
• Geneva Joint No. 4 School District
• Genoa City Joint No. 2 School District
• Lake Geneva Joint No. 1 School District
• Linn Joint No. 4 School District
• Linn Joint No. 6 School District
• Sharon Joint No. 11 School District
• Walworth Joint No. 1 School District

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

References

References

1. (September 2010). ["County Directory - Walworth County"](http://www.wicounties.org/WS_County_Detail.asp?countyid=65}} {{Dead link). Wisconsin Counties Association.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (2007). "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
4. (December 28, 1963). "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent.
5. "Economic Impact". Travel Wisconsin.
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". 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. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Walworth County, Wisconsin".
14. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Walworth County, Wisconsin".
15. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Walworth County, Wisconsin".
16. "2020 Decennial Census: Walworth County, Wisconsin". U.S. Census Bureau.
17. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
18. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
19. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
20. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
21. "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables".
22. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
23. Fowler, Robert Booth; ''Wisconsin Vites: An Electoral History'', p. 14 {{ISBN. 0299227448
24. Fowler, Robert Booth; ''Wisconsin Votes: An Electoral History, Volume 3'', p. 11 {{ISBN. 0299227405
25. Beckwith, Albert Clayton; ''History of Walworth County, Wisconsin'' pp. 98-99 Published 1912 by B.F. Bowen and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
26. See Phillips, Kevin P.; ''The Emerging Republican Majority'', pp. 441-442 {{ISBN. 978-0-691-16324-6
27. See McDade, Philip J.; [http://www.badgerinstitute.org/WIInterest/McDade11.2.pdf 'Congressional Restricting in Wisconsin'] {{Webarchive. link. (January 20, 2018)
28. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Walworth County, WI". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].