Richland County, Wisconsin

Richland County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,304.<ref name="2020-census-55103" /> Its county seat is Richland Center.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1842 and organized in 1850.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for the high quality of its soil.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 14
• Highway 56 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 58 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 60 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 80 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 130 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 131 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 133 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 154 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 171 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 193 (Wisconsin)

Airport

Richland Airport (93C) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Adjacent counties

• Vernon County – north
• Sauk County – east
• Iowa County – southeast
• Grant County – southwest
• Crawford County – west

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census,<ref name="2020-census-55103">Template:Cite web</ref> the population was 17,304. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 8,475 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 1.2% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

Farm along Highway 58 in rural Richland County near Cazenovia

Sign marking entrance into Richland County, with countryside in background

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 17,924 people, 7,118 households, and 4,833 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 8,164 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 98.39% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.7% were of German, 12.5% Norwegian, 10.3% Irish, 9.5% English and 8.8% American ancestry. 97.1% spoke English, 1.1% German, and 1.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 7,118 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. Template:Clear left

Communities

City

• Richland Center (county seat)

Villages

• Boaz
• Cazenovia (partly in Sauk County)
• Lone Rock
• Viola (partly in Vernon County)
• Yuba

Towns

• Akan
• Bloom
• Buena Vista
• Dayton
• Eagle
• Forest
• Henrietta
• Ithaca
• Marshall
• Orion
• Richland
• Richwood
• Rockbridge
• Sylvan
• Westford
• Willow

Census-designated places

• Gotham
• Sextonville

Unincorporated communities

• Ash Ridge
• Aubrey
• Balmoral
• Basswood
• Bear Valley
• Bloom City
• Bosstown
• Buck Creek
• Bunker Hill
• Byrds Creek
• Eagle Corners
• Excelsior
• Five Points
• Germantown
• Gillingham
• Hub City
• Ithaca
• Jimtown
• Keyesville
• Loyd
• Neptune
• Nevels Corners
• Orion
• Port Andrew
• Rockbridge
• Sabin
• Sand Prairie
• Sylvan
• Tavera
• Tunnelville (partial)
• Twin Bluffs
• West Lima
• Westport
• Wild Rose
• Woodstock

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

• Ashford
• Corwin
• Henrietta
• McGrew
• Mill Creek

Politics

Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot Richland County has been a Republican-leaning county for most of its existence, only backing Democratic candidates six times and never giving them a vote share of more than 60%.

See also

• COVID-19 trends for Richland County
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Richland County, Wisconsin

Further reading

• History of Crawford and Richland Counties, Wisconsin. Springfield, Ill.: Union Publishing, 1884.
• Miner, James H. (ed.) History of Richland County, Wisconsin. Madison, Wis.: Western Historical Association, 1906.

External links

• Richland County website
• Richland County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Richland County Health and Demographic Data