Portage County, Wisconsin
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Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the , the population was 70,377. Its county seat is Stevens Point.
Portage County comprises the Stevens Point, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Wausau-Stevens Point-Wisconsin Rapids, WI Combined Statistical Area.
History
Portage County was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844. Like the city of Portage, Portage County is named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers; Portage County originally included the city of Portage and the portage for which it was named, but boundary changes detached the county from its namesake.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 square miles (2,130 km2), of which 801 square miles (2,070 km2) is land and 22 square miles (57 km2) (2.7%) is water.
Major highways
Railroads
Buses
Airport
Adjacent counties
- Marathon County - north
- Shawano County - northeast
- Waupaca County - east
- Waushara County - southeast
- Adams County - southwest
- Wood County - west
Wildlife refuges
- Buena Vista Marsh
- Dewey Marsh
- Mead Wildlife Area
- Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 1,623 | — | |
| 1850 | 1,250 | −23.0% | |
| 1860 | 7,507 | 500.6% | |
| 1870 | 10,634 | 41.7% | |
| 1880 | 17,731 | 66.7% | |
| 1890 | 24,798 | 39.9% | |
| 1900 | 29,483 | 18.9% | |
| 1910 | 30,945 | 5.0% | |
| 1920 | 33,649 | 8.7% | |
| 1930 | 33,827 | 0.5% | |
| 1940 | 35,800 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 34,858 | −2.6% | |
| 1960 | 36,964 | 6.0% | |
| 1970 | 47,541 | 28.6% | |
| 1980 | 57,420 | 20.8% | |
| 1990 | 61,405 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 67,182 | 9.4% | |
| 2010 | 70,019 | 4.2% | |
| 2020 | 70,377 | 0.5% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 71,943 | 2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,377, the median age was 38.8 years, 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 18.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.7 males age 18 and over.
There were 29,138 households in the county, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.2% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The population density was 87.9 people per square mile (33.9 people/km2). There were 31,148 housing units at an average density of 38.9 units per square mile (15.0 units/km2); 6.5% were vacant, 68.4% of occupied units were owner-occupied, and 31.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%.
The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.7% of the population.
63.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.6% lived in rural areas.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 67,182 people, 25,040 households, and 16,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32 people/km2). There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.73% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.8% were of Polish, 31.6% German, 5.4% Norwegian and 5.0% Irish ancestry. 93.9% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, 1.6% Polish and 1.3% Hmong as their first language.
There were 25,040 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.
In 2017, there were 674 births, giving a general fertility rate of 46.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the third lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.
Communities
City
- Stevens Point (county seat)
Villages
- Almond
- Amherst
- Amherst Junction
- Junction City
- Milladore (mostly in Wood County)
- Nelsonville
- Park Ridge
- Plover
- Rosholt
- Whiting
Towns
- Alban
- Almond
- Amherst
- Belmont
- Buena Vista
- Carson
- Dewey
- Eau Pleine
- Grant
- Hull
- Lanark
- Linwood
- New Hope
- Pine Grove
- Plover
- Sharon
- Stockton
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Alban
- Arnott
- Badger
- Blaine
- Casimir
- Coddington
- Custer
- Dopp
- Ellis
- Esker
- Fancher
- Garfield
- Heffron (partial)
- Keene
- Kellner (partial)
- Little Waupon
- Jordan
- Meehan
- Mill Creek Community
- New Hope
- North Star
- Peru
- Rocky Run
- Stockton
- Torun
- West Almond
- West Bancroft
Ghost town/neighborhood
Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,291 | 44.75% | 2,570 | 50.21% | 258 | 5.04% |
| 1896 | 3,537 | 53.81% | 2,890 | 43.97% | 146 | 2.22% |
| 1900 | 3,285 | 54.60% | 2,633 | 43.77% | 98 | 1.63% |
| 1904 | 3,633 | 61.09% | 2,168 | 36.46% | 146 | 2.46% |
| 1908 | 3,269 | 56.42% | 2,362 | 40.77% | 163 | 2.81% |
| 1912 | 1,932 | 36.37% | 2,301 | 43.32% | 1,079 | 20.31% |
| 1916 | 2,520 | 44.52% | 3,000 | 53.00% | 140 | 2.47% |
| 1920 | 5,527 | 65.39% | 2,656 | 31.42% | 269 | 3.18% |
| 1924 | 2,854 | 27.76% | 2,010 | 19.55% | 5,416 | 52.68% |
| 1928 | 5,161 | 43.03% | 6,764 | 56.39% | 70 | 0.58% |
| 1932 | 3,434 | 26.79% | 9,195 | 71.72% | 191 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | 3,969 | 26.74% | 10,576 | 71.25% | 299 | 2.01% |
| 1940 | 5,670 | 35.63% | 10,148 | 63.78% | 94 | 0.59% |
| 1944 | 5,405 | 38.27% | 8,678 | 61.44% | 42 | 0.30% |
| 1948 | 5,424 | 39.33% | 8,154 | 59.13% | 213 | 1.54% |
| 1952 | 8,499 | 52.83% | 7,537 | 46.85% | 51 | 0.32% |
| 1956 | 8,320 | 54.08% | 7,010 | 45.56% | 56 | 0.36% |
| 1960 | 6,436 | 37.92% | 10,516 | 61.96% | 20 | 0.12% |
| 1964 | 4,579 | 27.75% | 11,887 | 72.05% | 32 | 0.19% |
| 1968 | 6,180 | 36.10% | 10,014 | 58.49% | 927 | 5.41% |
| 1972 | 9,346 | 40.04% | 13,564 | 58.11% | 431 | 1.85% |
| 1976 | 9,520 | 36.28% | 15,912 | 60.65% | 805 | 3.07% |
| 1980 | 10,465 | 34.09% | 16,443 | 53.56% | 3,794 | 12.36% |
| 1984 | 13,605 | 48.28% | 14,399 | 51.10% | 175 | 0.62% |
| 1988 | 12,057 | 42.25% | 16,317 | 57.18% | 161 | 0.56% |
| 1992 | 10,914 | 32.37% | 15,553 | 46.13% | 7,249 | 21.50% |
| 1996 | 9,631 | 32.18% | 15,901 | 53.13% | 4,396 | 14.69% |
| 2000 | 13,214 | 39.14% | 17,942 | 53.15% | 2,604 | 7.71% |
| 2004 | 16,546 | 42.47% | 21,861 | 56.11% | 554 | 1.42% |
| 2008 | 13,810 | 35.03% | 24,817 | 62.95% | 795 | 2.02% |
| 2012 | 16,615 | 42.24% | 22,075 | 56.12% | 647 | 1.64% |
| 2016 | 17,305 | 44.84% | 18,529 | 48.02% | 2,755 | 7.14% |
| 2020 | 19,299 | 47.53% | 20,428 | 50.31% | 876 | 2.16% |
| 2024 | 20,987 | 48.52% | 21,503 | 49.71% | 768 | 1.78% |
Portage County had been reliably Democratic in presidential elections since Dwight Eisenhower's win in 1956. Donald Trump came within 517 votes of winning the county in 2024, and gained support in each election from 2016-2024. The county is a battleground county, that has moved to the right in the Trump-era.
See also
Further reading
- . Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1895.
- Rosholt, Malcolm. . Stevens Point: Portage County Board of Supervisors, 1959.
- . Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1919.
- Kisti's Royal Garden by Walther Lysne and Robin Lysne (Walther's granddaughter), (Santa Cruz, CA: , 2023) uses diaries and historical records to tell the true story of Kisti Lysne (1824-1890), her Norwegian family, and the native Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) people in the Portage County, WI area.
External links
- Old plat maps:
- from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
44°29′N 89°30′W/44.48°N 89.50°W/ 44.48; -89.50