Jackson County, Wisconsin
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,145.[1] Its county seat is Black River Falls.[2] Jackson County was formed from Crawford County in 1853. It was named for President Andrew Jackson.[3]
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2), of which 988 square miles (2,560 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (1.3%) is water.[4]
Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Clark County - north
- Wood County - east
- Juneau County - southeast
- Monroe County - south
- La Crosse County - southwest
- Trempealeau County - west
- Eau Claire County - northwest
Major highways
[edit | edit source]
Interstate 94- File:US 10.svg U.S. Highway 10
- File:US 12.svg U.S. Highway 12
- File:WIS 27.svg Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
- File:WIS 54.svg Highway 54 (Wisconsin)
- File:WIS 71.svg Highway 71 (Wisconsin)
- File:WIS 95.svg Highway 95 (Wisconsin)
- File:WIS 108.svg Highway 108 (Wisconsin)
- File:WIS 121.svg Highway 121 (Wisconsin)
Railroads
[edit | edit source]Buses
[edit | edit source]Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[5] | Pop 1990[6] | Pop 2000[7] | Pop 2010[8] | Pop 2020[9] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 16,232 | 15,704 | 16,990 | 17,987 | 17,939 | 96.44% | 94.67% | 88.95% | 87.96% | 84.84% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 34 | 44 | 428 | 390 | 440 | 0.20% | 0.27% | 2.24% | 1.91% | 2.08% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 494 | 665 | 1,151 | 1,211 | 1,319 | 2.94% | 4.01% | 6.03% | 5.92% | 6.24% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 13 | 30 | 26 | 51 | 73 | 0.08% | 0.18% | 0.14% | 0.25% | 0.35% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [10] | x [11] | 5 | 19 | 0 | x | x | 0.03% | 0.09% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 15 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 45 | 0.09% | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.21% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [12] | x [13] | 138 | 263 | 651 | x | x | 0.72% | 1.29% | 3.08% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 43 | 145 | 357 | 519 | 678 | 0.26% | 0.87% | 1.87% | 2.54% | 3.21% |
| Total | 16,831 | 16,588 | 19,100 | 20,449 | 21,145 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 21,145.[1] The population density was 21.4 people per square mile (8.3 people/km2). The median age was 42.5 years, 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 113.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 115.8 males age 18 and over.[14]
There were 8,136 households in the county, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.0% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
There were 9,613 housing units at an average density of 9.7 units per square mile (3.7 units/km2), of which 15.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.0% were owner-occupied and 25.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.[14]
The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 6.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population.[15]
20.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 79.1% lived in rural areas.[16]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]
As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 19,100 people, 7,070 households, and 4,835 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7.3 people/km2). There were 8,029 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.58% White, 2.27% Black or African American, 6.16% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.4% were of German, 30.2% Norwegian and 5.2% Irish ancestry. 94.7% spoke English, 2.2% Spanish and 1.5% Winnebago as their first language.
There were 7,070 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% 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 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 114.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.30 males.
In 2017, there were 227 births, giving a general fertility rate of 74.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 10th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 14 of the births occurred at home.[18] Additionally, there were 7 reported induced abortions performed on women of Jackson County residence in 2017.[19]
Communities
[edit | edit source]
City
[edit | edit source]- Black River Falls (county seat)
Villages
[edit | edit source]Towns
[edit | edit source]Census-designated places
[edit | edit source]Other unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Ghost towns/neighborhoods
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,078 | 59.76% | 1,160 | 33.36% | 239 | 6.87% |
| 1896 | 2,710 | 74.57% | 778 | 21.41% | 146 | 4.02% |
| 1900 | 2,639 | 77.73% | 651 | 19.18% | 105 | 3.09% |
| 1904 | 2,746 | 82.76% | 479 | 14.44% | 93 | 2.80% |
| 1908 | 2,603 | 77.91% | 631 | 18.89% | 107 | 3.20% |
| 1912 | 1,398 | 52.77% | 606 | 22.88% | 645 | 24.35% |
| 1916 | 1,866 | 64.17% | 963 | 33.12% | 79 | 2.72% |
| 1920 | 3,652 | 85.93% | 410 | 9.65% | 188 | 4.42% |
| "text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Progressive (Wisconsin) |1924 | 1,662 | 32.24% | 255 | 4.95% | 3,238 | 62.81% |
| 1928 | 4,353 | 75.17% | 1,364 | 23.55% | 74 | 1.28% |
| 1932 | 1,983 | 33.50% | 3,813 | 64.42% | 123 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | 2,235 | 32.02% | 4,537 | 65.01% | 207 | 2.97% |
| 1940 | 3,741 | 48.08% | 3,975 | 51.09% | 64 | 0.82% |
| 1944 | 3,182 | 50.86% | 3,040 | 48.59% | 34 | 0.54% |
| 1948 | 2,553 | 45.89% | 2,921 | 52.51% | 89 | 1.60% |
| 1952 | 4,235 | 59.89% | 2,819 | 39.87% | 17 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 3,614 | 56.66% | 2,755 | 43.20% | 9 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 3,950 | 57.98% | 2,849 | 41.82% | 14 | 0.21% |
| 1964 | 2,532 | 39.83% | 3,818 | 60.06% | 7 | 0.11% |
| 1968 | 3,172 | 52.88% | 2,293 | 38.22% | 534 | 8.90% |
| 1972 | 3,937 | 60.79% | 2,445 | 37.75% | 94 | 1.45% |
| 1976 | 3,406 | 46.89% | 3,735 | 51.42% | 123 | 1.69% |
| 1980 | 4,327 | 50.80% | 3,629 | 42.61% | 561 | 6.59% |
| 1984 | 4,386 | 55.81% | 3,427 | 43.61% | 46 | 0.59% |
| 1988 | 3,555 | 47.29% | 3,924 | 52.20% | 38 | 0.51% |
| 1992 | 2,644 | 31.41% | 3,681 | 43.73% | 2,093 | 24.86% |
| 1996 | 2,262 | 31.08% | 3,705 | 50.90% | 1,312 | 18.02% |
| 2000 | 3,670 | 43.60% | 4,380 | 52.04% | 367 | 4.36% |
| 2004 | 4,387 | 45.11% | 5,249 | 53.97% | 90 | 0.93% |
| 2008 | 3,552 | 38.40% | 5,572 | 60.23% | 127 | 1.37% |
| 2012 | 3,900 | 41.88% | 5,298 | 56.89% | 115 | 1.23% |
| 2016 | 4,906 | 52.94% | 3,818 | 41.20% | 543 | 5.86% |
| 2020 | 5,791 | 56.86% | 4,256 | 41.79% | 137 | 1.35% |
| 2024 | 6,204 | 59.07% | 4,157 | 39.58% | 141 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Between 1928 and 1984, Jackson County voted for the nationwide winner in every election with the exception of 1944 (by less than 3%) and 1960 (one of the closest elections in American history). In the 1930s was the county was a stronghold for the Wisconsin Progressive Party - National Progressives. voting consistently for Philip La Follette during gubernatorial elections and Robert M. La Follette Jr. for senate. Then, from 1988 to 2012, like most of the rural counties in southwestern Wisconsin, it backed the Democratic candidate in each election, and did so by more than an 8% margin each time beginning in 1992. In 2016, once again like the rest of rural southwestern Wisconsin, Jackson County dramatically swung to the right, shifting from a 15% victory for Democrat Barack Obama in 2012 to a 12% victory for Republican Donald Trump in 2016. Trump further expanded his margin of victory to over 15% in 2020 and to nearly 20% in 2024, achieving the highest vote share for a Republican in the county since Richard Nixon in his 1972 landslide reelection.
Economy
[edit | edit source]The county's largest employer is the Ho-Chunk Nation, which employs roughly 3100 people combined in Jackson and Sauk counties.[21]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2020 Decennial Census: Jackson County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 167.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Jackson County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jackson County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jackson County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ↑ "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 23, 2019.
- ↑ "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
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Ho-Chunk Nation". Wisconsin State Tribal Initiative. November 2010. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023.
Ho-Chunk Nation is the largest employer in both Sauk and Jackson County employing roughly 3100 people.
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Biographical History of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1891.
External links
[edit | edit source]- Jackson County
- Jackson County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
- Jackson County Health and Demographic Data
Template:Jackson County, Wisconsin Template:Wisconsin Coordinates: 44°19′N 90°49′W / 44.32°N 90.81°W