Racine County, Wisconsin
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Racine County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a county in southeastern Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 197,727,<ref name="2020-census-55101" /> making it Wisconsin's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Racine.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was founded in 1836, then a part of the Wisconsin Territory. The Root River is the county's namesake.
Racine County comprises the Racine metropolitan statistical area. This area is part of the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha combined statistical area.<ref name="MKECSA">Template:Cite web</ref> According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (58%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The county's unemployment rate was 5.6% in June 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
The Potawatomi people occupied the area of Racine County until European settlement. The Wisconsin Territory legislature established Racine County in 1836, separating it from Milwaukee County. Racine County originally extended to Wisconsin's southern border and encompassed the land that is now Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Kenosha County was created as a separate entity in 1850.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Adjacent counties
- Milwaukee County (north)
- Ottawa County, Michigan (northeast across Lake Michigan)
- Allegan County, Michigan (southeast across Lake Michigan)
- Kenosha County (south)
- Walworth County (west)
- Waukesha County (northwest)
Demographics
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 150,238 | 145,414 | 135,333 | 79.56% | 74.42% | 68.44% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 19,441 | 21,212 | 22,531 | 10.30% | 10.86% | 11.40% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 541 | 614 | 538 | 0.29% | 0.31% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,331 | 2,081 | 2,261 | 0.70% | 1.06% | 1.14% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 54 | 40 | 47 | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 156 | 228 | 792 | 0.08% | 0.12% | 0.40% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,080 | 3,273 | 8,314 | 1.10% | 1.67% | 4.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14,990 | 22,546 | 27,911 | 7.94% | 11.54% | 14.12% |
| Total | 188,831 | 195,408 | 197,727 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the census of 2020,<ref name="2020-census-55101">Template:Cite web</ref> the population was 197,727. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 84,490 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 72.0% White, 11.8% Black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 5.4% from other races, and 9.0% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 14.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 188,831 people, 70,819 households, and 49,856 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 74,718 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 83.04% White, 10.47% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.69% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 7.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.9% were of German, 7.4% Polish and 5.5% Irish ancestry.
There were 70,819 households, of which 34.5% had children under 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. Template:Clear left
Transportation
Major highways
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Railroads
Buses
Airports
- John H. Batten Airport (KRAC) serves the county and surrounding communities.
- Burlington Municipal Airport (KBUU) enhances county service.
- Cindy Guntly Memorial Airport (62C) enhances county service.
- Fox River Airport (96C) enhances county service.
- Sylvania Airport (C89) enhances county service.
Communities
Cities
- Burlington (partly in Walworth County)
- Racine (county seat)
Villages
- Caledonia
- Elmwood Park
- Mount Pleasant
- North Bay
- Raymond
- Rochester
- Sturtevant
- Union Grove
- Waterford
- Wind Point
- Yorkville
Towns
Census-designated places
- Bohners Lake (Town of Burlington)
- Browns Lake (Town of Burlington)
- Eagle Lake (Town of Dover)
- Tichigan (Town of Waterford)
- Wind Lake (Town of Norway)
Unincorporated communities
- Beaumont
- Buena Park
- Caldwell
- Cedar Park
- Eagle Lake Manor
- Eagle Lake Terrace
- Franksville
- Honey Creek (partial)
- Honey Lake (partial)
- Husher
- Ives Grove
- Kansasville
- Kneeland
- North Cape
- Raymond
- Rosewood
- Sylvania
- Union Church
- Yorkville
Ghost towns/neighborhoods
Government
The County Board has 21 members, each elected from single-member districts in nonpartisan elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1974, county voters voted in favor of a referendum to replace the appointed county administrator with an elected county executive,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the first election taking place in 1975. The County Executive is elected in nonpartisan elections taking place in the spring. The current County Executive is Ralph Malicki,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> who was elected in a 2024 special election following the death of County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.<ref name="newly elected">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Name | Term start | Term end | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Berthelsen | May 5, 1975<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | March 3, 1982<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | 1975, 1979 |
| John Neis (interim) | March 12, 1982<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | May 7, 1982<ref name="inauguration"/> | Appointed as acting and then interim County Executive following Berthelsen's resignation. |
| Leonard Ziolkowski | May 7, 1982<ref name="inauguration">Template:Cite news</ref> | April 21, 1987<ref name="Kornwolf"/> | 1982 (special), 1983 |
| Dennis Kornwolf | April 21, 1987<ref name="Kornwolf">Template:Cite news</ref> | April 18, 1995<ref name="Jacobson"/> | 1987, 1991 |
| Jean Jacobson | April 18, 1995<ref name="Jacobson">Template:Cite news</ref> | April 15, 2003<ref name="retired">Template:Cite news</ref> | 1995, 1999 |
| William McReynolds | April 15, 2003<ref name="retired"/> | April 19, 2011<ref name="Ladwig wins"/> | 2003, 2007 |
| Jim Ladwig | April 19, 2011<ref name="Ladwig wins">Template:Cite news</ref> | December 30, 2014<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | 2011 |
| Peter Hansen (interim) | December 30, 2014<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | April 21, 2015 | Appointed acting and then interim County Executive following Ladwig's resignation. |
| Jonathan Delagrave | April 21, 2015 | June 28, 2024<ref name="acting executive"/> | 2015, 2019, 2023 |
| Thomas Kramer (acting) | June 28, 2024<ref name="acting executive">Template:Cite web</ref> | July 23, 2024 | Became acting County Executive following Delagrave's death. |
| Thomas Roanhouse (interim) | July 23, 2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | December 30, 2024 | Appointed interim County Executive. |
| Ralph Malicki | December 30, 2024<ref name="newly elected"/> | incumbent | 2024 (special) |
Politics
Racine County has been a bellwether county, having voted for the winning presidential candidate in 28 of the last 33 elections since 1896 despite its solidly Democratic county seat, Racine, Wisconsin. The only exceptions to this were when it voted for Charles Evans Hughes in 1916, Gerald Ford in 1976, Michael Dukakis in 1988, and Donald Trump in 2020. No presidential candidate has won over 60 percent of the vote in Racine County since 1964.
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See also
- Peggy Johnson, a young woman whose body was discovered in 1999 in Raymond
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Racine County, Wisconsin
References
Further reading
- Commemorative Biographical Record of Prominent and Representative Men of Racine and Kenosha Counties Wisconsin. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1906.
External links
- Template:Official website
- Racine County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
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