Polk County, Wisconsin


Polk County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,977. Its county seat is Balsam Lake. The county was created in 1853 and named for United States President James K. Polk.

History

After the Wisconsin Territory was established in 1836, large amounts of American Indian territories were ceded to the United States via the White Pine Treaty, formally known as the treaty of St. Peters, much of the land was covered in vast pine forests, and logging activates began soon after.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Railroads

Airports

National protected area

Interstate Park (Wisconsin)

Established in 1900, the Interstate park is part of the Saint Croix National Scenic riverway, the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve and is the westernmost point of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,977. The population density was. There were 24,129 housing units at an average density of.
The median age was 46.5 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.5 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.
There were 18,959 households in the county, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.0% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Of the 24,129 housing units, 21.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.4% were owner-occupied and 20.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%.
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 41,319 people, 16,254 households, and 11,329 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 21,129 housing units at an average density of. 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.

2017 fertility

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.

Education

Communities

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Notable residents

Politics

From its founding in 1853 through 1928, Polk County was a strongly Republican county in presidential elections, never once backing the Democratic candidate. The only two times in that span it did not support the Republican candidate were in 1912 when former Republican Theodore Roosevelt won the county as the Progressive candidate and in 1924 when Progressive and native Wisconsinite Robert M. La Follette won the county. Then, between 1932 and 2012, Polk County was a very consistently competitive county that leaned slightly Republican. Only two candidates in that span won at least 60% of the county's vote, Dwight D. Eisenhower in his 1952 landslide and Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide. Polk County took a rightward turn in 2016, when Donald Trump won over 60% of the county's vote with a winning margin of over 27%, the best margin of victory in the county since 1928 with the exception of Johnson in 1964. Trump won in 2020 with the exact same margin of victory of over 27% while increasing his vote share to nearly 63%. In 2024, Trump once again improved on his previous performance, taking nearly 65% of Polk County's vote and defeating Kamala Harris by more than a 30% margin.