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| Polk County, Wisconsin | |
 Polk County Highway Department in Balsam Lake
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 Location in the state of Wisconsin | |
 Wisconsin's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | 1853 |
|---|---|
| Named for | James K. Polk[1] |
| Seat | Balsam Lake |
| Largest city | Amery |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
956 sq mi (2,476 km²) 914 sq mi (2,367 km²) 42 sq mi (109 km²), 4.4% |
| Population - (2020) - Density |
44,977 |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www.co.polk.wi.us |
Polk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,977.[2] Its county seat is Balsam Lake.[3] The county was created in 1853.[4]
Geography[]
| File:Polk Co WI Pie Chart No Text Version.pdf |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 956 square miles (2,480 km2), of which 914 square miles (2,370 km2) is land and 42 square miles (110 km2) (4.4%) is water.[6]
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[]
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Railroads[]
- Canadian National
- Minnesota Transportation Museum
Buses[]
- List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
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)
Demographics[]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,400 | ||
| 1870 | 3,422 | 144.4% | |
| 1880 | 10,018 | 192.8% | |
| 1890 | 12,968 | 29.4% | |
| 1900 | 17,801 | 37.3% | |
| 1910 | 21,367 | 20.0% | |
| 1920 | 26,870 | 25.8% | |
| 1930 | 26,567 | −1.1% | |
| 1940 | 26,197 | −1.4% | |
| 1950 | 24,944 | −4.8% | |
| 1960 | 24,968 | 0.1% | |
| 1970 | 26,666 | 6.8% | |
| 1980 | 32,351 | 21.3% | |
| 1990 | 34,773 | 7.5% | |
| 2000 | 41,319 | 18.8% | |
| 2010 | 44,205 | 7.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010–2020[2] | |||
  2000 Census Age Pyramid for Polk County |
As of the 2000 census,[11] there were 41,319 people, 16,254 households, and 11,329 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile (17/km2). There were 21,129 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile (9/km2). 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.
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.[12]
Education[]
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Communities[]
The sign for Polk County while entering Wisconsin on US8
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
- 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[]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 16,611 | 62.99% | 9,370 | 35.53% | 390 | 1.48% |
| 2016 | 13,810 | 60.72% | 7,565 | 33.26% | 1,370 | 6.02% |
| 2012 | 12,094 | 53.58% | 10,073 | 44.62% | 406 | 1.80% |
| 2008 | 11,282 | 49.83% | 10,876 | 48.03% | 485 | 2.14% |
| 2004 | 12,095 | 51.46% | 11,173 | 47.54% | 235 | 1.00% |
| 2000 | 9,557 | 48.36% | 8,961 | 45.34% | 1,244 | 6.29% |
| 1996 | 5,387 | 32.82% | 8,334 | 50.78% | 2,692 | 16.40% |
| 1992 | 5,446 | 30.14% | 7,746 | 42.86% | 4,879 | 27.00% |
| 1988 | 6,866 | 42.98% | 8,981 | 56.22% | 128 | 0.80% |
| 1984 | 8,106 | 49.82% | 8,034 | 49.38% | 129 | 0.79% |
| 1980 | 7,207 | 44.23% | 7,607 | 46.68% | 1,482 | 9.09% |
| 1976 | 6,159 | 41.27% | 8,485 | 56.85% | 280 | 1.88% |
| 1972 | 6,567 | 52.40% | 5,738 | 45.78% | 228 | 1.82% |
| 1968 | 5,583 | 48.83% | 5,179 | 45.30% | 671 | 5.87% |
| 1964 | 3,754 | 34.12% | 7,215 | 65.57% | 34 | 0.31% |
| 1960 | 6,387 | 55.23% | 5,148 | 44.51% | 30 | 0.26% |
| 1956 | 5,894 | 54.04% | 4,985 | 45.71% | 27 | 0.25% |
| 1952 | 6,966 | 61.74% | 4,274 | 37.88% | 42 | 0.37% |
| 1948 | 3,974 | 41.52% | 5,330 | 55.68% | 268 | 2.80% |
| 1944 | 5,329 | 53.58% | 4,489 | 45.14% | 127 | 1.28% |
| 1940 | 6,031 | 53.62% | 4,979 | 44.27% | 238 | 2.12% |
| 1936 | 3,596 | 34.25% | 5,618 | 53.51% | 1,285 | 12.24% |
| 1932 | 3,425 | 37.10% | 5,421 | 58.72% | 386 | 4.18% |
| 1928 | 6,905 | 75.14% | 2,177 | 23.69% | 108 | 1.18% |
| 1924 | 2,793 | 37.57% | 317 | 4.26% | 4,324 | 58.17% |
| 1920 | 4,796 | 80.47% | 752 | 12.62% | 412 | 6.91% |
| 1916 | 2,080 | 51.21% | 1,713 | 42.17% | 269 | 6.62% |
| 1912 | 848 | 27.14% | 830 | 26.56% | 1,447 | 46.30% |
| 1908 | 2,788 | 72.02% | 816 | 21.08% | 267 | 6.90% |
| 1904 | 2,985 | 85.55% | 296 | 8.48% | 208 | 5.96% |
| 1900 | 2,735 | 77.48% | 694 | 19.66% | 101 | 2.86% |
| 1896 | 2,861 | 74.56% | 891 | 23.22% | 85 | 2.22% |
| 1892 | 1,477 | 60.33% | 585 | 23.90% | 386 | 15.77% |
See also[]
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Polk County, Wisconsin
References[]
- ^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 163. https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA163.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55095.html.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
- ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". The Newberry Library. 2007. http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm.
- ^ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 61 - 64. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_55.txt.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wi190090.txt.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
- ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publication/p01161-2019-tb.xlsx.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
Further reading[]
- Prentice, Worthy A. Reminiscences of Early Pioneer Days in Polk County. Balsam Lake, Wis,: Polk County Ledger, n.d..
External links[]
- Polk County website
- Polk County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
- Polk County Economic Development Corporation
- Polk County Tourism
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Burnett County |
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| Chisago County, Minnesota | 
|
Barron County | ||
   Polk County, Wisconsin | ||||
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| Washington County, Minnesota | St. Croix County | Dunn County |
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Polk County, Wisconsin. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |