Dane County, Wisconsin Explained

County:Dane County
State:Wisconsin
Seal:Dane County wi seal.png
Founded Year:1836
Seat Wl:Madison
Largest City Wl:Madison
Area Total Sq Mi:1238
Area Land Sq Mi:1197
Area Water Sq Mi:41
Area Percentage:3.3
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:561504
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Est:575347
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Time Zone:Central
Web:www.countyofdane.com
Ex Image:Madison August 2022 056 (Dane County Courthouse).jpg
Ex Image Size:250px
District:2nd
Leader Title:Executive
Leader Name:Jamie Kuhn (interim)

Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County.[1] The county seat is Madison,[2] which is also the state capital. Dane County is the central county of the Madison metropolitan area, as well as the Madison–JanesvilleBeloit combined statistical area.

History

Dane County was formed in 1836 as a territorial county and organized in 1839.[3] It was named after Nathan Dane, a Massachusetts delegate to the Congress of the Confederation who helped carve Wisconsin out of the Northwest Territory.[4] [5] Dane County was settled in the 1840s by settlers from New England.[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of, of which is land and (3.3%) is water.[7]

Major highways

Railroads

Freight

Buses

Public Transit

Intercity

Airports

Commercial

General Aviation

Adjacent counties

Demographics

In 2017, there were 5,891 births, giving a general fertility rate of 51.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the eighth lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 73 of the births occurred at home, the fifth highest number of home births for Wisconsin counties. 428 of the births were to mothers who held doctorate or professional degrees, more than any other Wisconsin county. These accounted for 7.3% of total births for the county, a higher percent than any other Wisconsin county and more than Ozaukee County which had 5.8% of births to mothers who held doctorate or professional degrees and ranked second.[8]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,[9] the population was 561,504. The population density was 469.3PD/sqmi. There were 248,795 housing units at an average density of 207.9/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 77.6% White, 6.4% Asian, 5.4% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.2% from other races, and 6.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 7.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 488,073 people, 203,750 households, and 116,752 families living in the county. The population density was 394/mi2. There were 216,022 housing units at an average density of 174/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 84.7% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.003% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 5.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[10] Of the 203,750 households 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 30.5% of households were one person and 7.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 21.7% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% 65 or older. The median age was 34.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families living in the county. The population density was 355/mi2. There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 88.96% White, 4.00% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 3.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. 3.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.4% were of German, 11.5% Norwegian, 8.9% Irish and 6.0% English ancestry.[10] Of the 173,484 households 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.10% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.90% were non-families. 29.40% of households were one person and 7.00% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 22.60% under the age of 18, 14.30% from 18 to 24, 32.50% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.30% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.

Religion

In 2010, the largest religious groups in Dane County by number of adherents were Catholic at 106,036 adherents, ELCA Lutheran at 48,620 adherents, United Methodist at 9,753 adherents, non-denominational Christian at 7,448 adherents, Evangelical Free at 6,075 adherents, United Church of Christ at 5,035 adherents, Wisconsin Synod Lutheran at 4,214 adherents, Missouri Synod Lutheran at 3,921 adherents, American Baptist at 3,755 adherents, and PC-USA Presbyterian at 3,664 adherents.[11]

Government

Dane County is governed by a county executive and a county board of supervisors. The county executive is elected in a countywide vote. The county executive is Joe Parisi. The board of supervisors consists of 37 members, each elected from single member districts. As the policy-making body of the county government, the board of supervisors enacts county ordinances, levies taxes, and appropriates money for services.

Politics

Like most other counties anchored by an urban population center and a large public university, Dane County is solidly Democratic, with a long history in the progressive movement. It has backed the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1932 with the exception of the two nationwide landslide victories of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, and even then, Eisenhower's margin of victory was under 3% both times. Since then, Republicans have only crossed the 35% mark six times. Within Wisconsin, only the predominantly Native American county of Menominee is more reliably Democratic.

At state level, the county is no less Democratic. The last Republicans the county supported at state level were Governor Tommy Thompson and Treasurer Jack Voight in 1994.[12] [13] The last Republican Senator to carry the county was Alexander Wiley in 1956 by less than one percent, 10 years earlier the county was the only one in the state to not vote for notorious Senator Joseph McCarthy.[14] [15] In the three-party era of 1930s-1940s, the county backed Progressive Party candidates, such as the La Follette brothers, Orland Steen Loomis and Herman Ekern.[16] [17]

Dane County is one of the only counties in the United States to have elected a member of the Green Party (Leland Pan) into county-level office.

County executives

Recreation

County parks

Communities

See main article: Administrative divisions of Wisconsin.

Cities

Cities are incorporated, generally have a mayor (or a administrator/manager), an elected council, and generally provide more services than smaller administrative divisions.

Villages

Villages are incorporated, are governed by a Village President and Board of Trustees, and provide residential services.

Towns

Towns may have the same name as a city or village associated with it, but it is a separate municipality. Towns are not incorporated, are governed by a town board, and only provide limited services to residents.

Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated communities are smaller communities that are governed by the town they are located in and often exist as nomenclature in vital records.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods exist mostly for nomenclature purposes; some may have administrative associations with powers that are defined in the property deed covenants of the neighborhood. This is a partial list that primarily consists of former unincorporated communities that are now within the boundaries of an incorporated city or village.

Native American community

Education

School districts (all K-12) include:[18]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dane County, Wisconsin Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census.
  2. Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 31, 2011.
  3. Web site: Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies. Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Newberry Library. 2007. August 13, 2015. April 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170414132220/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm. dead.
  4. "Early Wisconsin". The Milwaukee Journal, September 26, 1896.
  5. Book: Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. 1905. 99.
  6. Book: The Red Book of the Sun Prairie Methodist Episcopal Church. Charles Marcus. Starkweather. C. M. Starkweather. 1898.
  7. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. August 4, 2015. August 22, 2012.
  8. Web site: Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables . June 19, 2019 . June 19, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190619175940/https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publication/p01161-2019-tb.xlsx . dead .
  9. Web site: 2020 Decennial Census: Dane County, Wisconsin . data.census.gov . U.S. Census Bureau . July 2, 2022.
  10. Web site: U.S. Census website. Census Bureau. May 14, 2011.
  11. http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/rcms2010A.asp?U=55025&T=county&Y=2010&S=Name thearda.com County Membership Report: Dane County (Wisconsin)
  12. Web site: 1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Wisconsin .
  13. Web site: 1994 State Treasurer General Election Results - Wisconsin .
  14. Web site: 1956 Senatorial General Election Results - Wisconsin .
  15. Web site: 1946 Senatorial General Election Results - Wisconsin .
  16. Web site: Our Campaigns - WI US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1940 . May 11, 2022 . www.ourcampaigns.com.
  17. Web site: Our Campaigns - WI Governor Race - Nov 03, 1942 . May 11, 2022 . www.ourcampaigns.com.
  18. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Dane County, WI. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st55_wi/schooldistrict_maps/c55025_dane/DC20SD_C55025.pdf . October 9, 2022 . live. U.S. Census Bureau. July 22, 2022. - Text list