| County: | Pierce County |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Founded Year: | 1853 |
| Seat Wl: | Ellsworth |
| Largest City Wl: | River Falls |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 592 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 574 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 18 |
| Area Percentage: | 3.1% |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 42212 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 73.5 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 43026 |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Web: | www.co.pierce.wi.us |
| Named For: | Franklin Pierce[1] |
| Ex Image: | Pierce County Courthouse.jpg |
| District: | 3rd |
Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,212. Its county seat is Ellsworth.[2]
Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Native American were the first to live in what became Pierce County, as evidenced in the burial mounds near Diamond Bluff. Evidence indicates that this area has been inhabited for 10,000 to 12,000 years. In 1840, St. Croix County covered a large portion of northwest Wisconsin Territory. In 1853, the Wisconsin State Legislature split St. Croix County into Pierce, Polk, and Saint Croix counties. Pierce County was named for Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth president of the United States.[3] [4]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (3.1%) is water.[5]
As of the census of 2020,[6] the population was 42,212. The population density was 73.5/mi2. There were 16,780 housing units at an average density of 29.2/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 92.3% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 1.1% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 36,804 people, 13,015 households, and 9,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 64/mi2. There were 13,493 housing units at an average density of 23/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.01% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 41.0% were of German, 16.2% Norwegian, 7.1% Swedish and 7.1% Irish ancestry.
There were 13,015 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 17.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
In 2017, there were 386 births, giving a general fertility rate of 43.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[8]
See also: Administrative divisions of Wisconsin.