Columbia County, Wisconsin

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Template:Infobox U.S. county

Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,490.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Portage.[2] The county was created in 1846[3] as part of Wisconsin Territory. Columbia County is part of the Madison, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Madison-Janesville-Beloit, WI Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 796 square miles (2,060 km2), of which 766 square miles (1,980 km2) is land and 30 square miles (78 km2) (3.8%) is water.[4] The county's highest point is in the Baraboo Range, near Durward's Glen at 1,480 feet above sea level.[5]

Major highways

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Railroads

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Passenger

Freight

Buses

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Airports

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Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Template:US Census population

Racial and ethnic composition

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Columbia 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[6] Pop 1990[7] Pop 2000[8] Pop 2010[9] Pop 2020[10] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 42,755 44,234 50,476 53,628 53,037 98.92% 98.11% 96.20% 94.36% 90.68%
Black or African American alone (NH) 29 233 432 697 866 0.07% 0.52% 0.82% 1.23% 1.48%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 106 134 165 233 270 0.25% 0.30% 0.31% 0.41% 0.46%
Asian alone (NH) 83 126 173 298 376 0.19% 0.28% 0.33% 0.52% 0.64%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [11] x [12] 12 24 11 x x 0.02% 0.04% 0.02%
Other race alone (NH) 33 3 29 15 122 0.08% 0.01% 0.06% 0.03% 0.21%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [13] x [14] 354 494 1,669 x x 0.67% 0.87% 2.85%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 216 358 827 1,444 2,139 0.50% 0.79% 1.58% 2.54% 3.66%
Total 43,222 45,088 52,468 56,833 58,490 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,490. The population density was 76.4 people per square mile (29.5 people/km2). There were 26,565 housing units at an average density of 34.7 units per square mile (13.4 units/km2).[15]

The median age was 43.2 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.9 males age 18 and over.[16]

The racial makeup of the county was 91.9% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.7% of the population.[17]

33.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 66.2% lived in rural areas.[18]

There were 23,879 households in the county, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.5% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]

There were 26,565 housing units, of which 10.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.6% were owner-occupied and 25.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.[16]

2000 census

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File:USA Columbia County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Columbia County
File:ColumbiaCountyLawEnforcementCenterWIS33.jpg
Columbia County Law Enforcement Center
File:Columbus Wisconsin 11.jpg
Columbus, Wisconsin
File:Doylestown Wisconsin Municipal Building.jpg
Doylestown Wisconsin Municipal Building

As of the census[19] of 2000, there were 52,468 people, 20,439 households, and 14,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile (26 people/km2). There were 22,685 housing units at an average density of 29 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.18% White, 0.88% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 46.4% were of German, 10.2% Norwegian, 7.8% Irish, 6.4% English and 5.0% United States or American ancestry.

There were 20,439 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males.

In 2017, there were 602 births, giving a general fertility rate of 63.9 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 35th highest out of all 72 Wisconsin Counties.[20] Additionally, there were 63 reported induced abortions performed on women of Columbia County residence, with a rate of 6.7 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44, which is above the Wisconsin average rate of 5.2.[21]

Communities

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Cities

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Villages

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Towns

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File:Map of Columbia County, WI.png
Map of the towns of Columbia County

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost town/neighborhood

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Politics

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United States presidential election results for Columbia County, Wisconsin[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1892 3,314 49.26% 2,957 43.95% 457 6.79%
1896 4,845 63.57% 2,380 31.23% 397 5.21%
1900 4,763 65.71% 2,181 30.09% 305 4.21%
1904 4,730 67.53% 1,907 27.23% 367 5.24%
1908 4,072 60.12% 2,363 34.89% 338 4.99%
1912 2,463 42.55% 2,473 42.73% 852 14.72%
1916 3,395 57.52% 2,299 38.95% 208 3.52%
1920 7,394 83.25% 1,201 13.52% 287 3.23%
"text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Progressive (Wisconsin) |1924 4,724 40.41% 907 7.76% 6,059 51.83%
1928 7,615 60.70% 4,819 38.41% 111 0.88%
1932 4,970 36.43% 8,455 61.98% 216 1.58%
1936 5,607 37.25% 8,936 59.36% 511 3.39%
1940 8,260 53.68% 7,021 45.63% 106 0.69%
1944 7,867 56.50% 5,997 43.07% 60 0.43%
1948 6,406 52.64% 5,615 46.14% 148 1.22%
1952 11,133 67.78% 5,272 32.10% 20 0.12%
1956 10,120 66.01% 5,158 33.65% 52 0.34%
1960 10,282 60.94% 6,576 38.97% 15 0.09%
1964 6,253 38.20% 10,093 61.66% 24 0.15%
1968 8,633 52.60% 6,698 40.81% 1,083 6.60%
1972 10,122 58.02% 7,083 40.60% 242 1.39%
1976 10,075 50.63% 9,457 47.52% 368 1.85%
1980 10,478 49.90% 8,715 41.51% 1,803 8.59%
1984 11,662 58.52% 8,125 40.77% 140 0.70%
1988 10,475 53.09% 9,132 46.28% 123 0.62%
1992 9,099 37.94% 9,348 38.98% 5,537 23.09%
1996 8,377 38.92% 10,336 48.03% 2,808 13.05%
2000 11,987 46.85% 12,636 49.38% 964 3.77%
2004 14,956 50.60% 14,300 48.38% 299 1.01%
2008 12,193 41.65% 16,661 56.92% 418 1.43%
2012 13,026 42.64% 17,175 56.23% 345 1.13%
2016 14,163 47.69% 13,528 45.55% 2,007 6.76%
2020 16,927 49.98% 16,410 48.45% 532 1.57%
2024 17,988 51.52% 16,388 46.94% 538 1.54%
2016 1 33.33% 1 33.33% 1 33.33%


For most of its history, Columbia County voters have backed the Republican Party candidate in national elections. Prior to 1992, the only times Republicans failed to win the county in the preceding 100 years of presidential elections were in the midst of a divided party vote in 1912, in 1924 when Wisconsinite Robert La Follette was on the ballot, and in the national Democratic Party landslides of 1932, 1936, & 1964. From 1992 onward, the county has been a swing county, voting for the statewide winner in all presidential elections since then except in 2004 and 2020, and voting for the national winner in all except 2000 and 2020. Republican Donald Trump won narrow pluralities in the county in 2016 and 2020, although a majority of county residents supported Democrat Tammy Baldwin's re-election to the United States Senate in 2018. Trump went on to win an absolute majority in the county in 2024, the strongest Republican performance since 1988.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  5. ↑ Wisconsin High Points. Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Columbia County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Columbia County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Columbia County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  12. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  13. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  14. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  15. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census: Columbia County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  17. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  18. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  19. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  20. ↑ "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.
  21. ↑ Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin, Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18
  22. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

Further reading

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Template:Geographic Location

Template:Columbia County, Wisconsin Template:Wisconsin Coordinates: 43°28′N 89°20′W / 43.47°N 89.33°W / 43.47; -89.33

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