| County: | Racine County |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Founded Year: | 1836 |
| Founded Date: | December 7 |
| Seat Wl: | Racine |
| Largest City Wl: | Racine |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 792 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 333 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 460 |
| Area Percentage: | 58% |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 197727 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 196613 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 594.4 |
| Web: | www.racinecounty.com |
| Ex Image: | RacineCountyCourtHouse.jpg |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| District: | 1st |
| Coordinates: | 42.78°N -87.76°W |
Racine County is a county in southeastern Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 197,727, making it Wisconsin's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Racine.[1] The county was founded in 1836, then a part of the Wisconsin Territory. Racine County comprises the Racine metropolitan statistical area. This area is part of the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha combined statistical area.[2] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of, of which is land and (58%) is water.[3] The county's unemployment rate was 5.6% in June 2021.[4]
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.[5]
The Root River is the county's namesake.
As of the census of 2020,[6] the population was 197,727. The population density was 594.4/mi2. There were 84,490 housing units at an average density of 254/mi2. 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.
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 188,831 people, 70,819 households, and 49,856 families residing in the county. The population density was 567/mi2. There were 74,718 housing units at an average density of 224/mi2. 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.
The County Board has 21 members, each elected from single-member districts.[8] The county executive is elected in a countywide vote. The county executive is Jonathan Delagrave. The Circuit Court is made up of ten judges, elected in countywide elections to six-year terms.
Racine County has been a bellwether county, having voted for the winning presidential candidate in 29 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 Gerald Ford in 1976, Michael Dukakis in 1988, and Donald Trump in 2020.