Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,415.[1] Its county seat is Merrill.[2] The county was created in 1875[3] and named after President Abraham Lincoln.[4] Lincoln County comprises the Merrill, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Wausau-Stevens Point-Wisconsin Rapids, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Lincoln County | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin | |
 Wisconsin's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 45°20′N 89°44′W / 45.33°N 89.73°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Named for | Abraham Lincoln |
| Seat | Merrill |
| Largest city | Merrill |
| Area | |
• Total | 907 sq mi (2,350 km2) |
| • Land | 879 sq mi (2,280 km2) |
| • Water | 28 sq mi (70 km2) 3.1% |
| Population | |
• Total | 28,415 |
• Estimate (2023) | 28,405  |
| • Density | 31/sq mi (12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 879 square miles (2,280 km2) is land and 28 square miles (73 km2) (3.1%) is water.[5]
Adjacent counties
edit- Oneida County - north
- Langlade County - east
- Marathon County - south
- Taylor County - west
- Price County - northwest
Major highways
edit
U.S. Highway 8
U.S. Highway 51
Highway 17 (Wisconsin)
Highway 64 (Wisconsin)
Highway 86 (Wisconsin)
Highway 107 (Wisconsin)
Railroads
editBuses
editAirports
edit- KRRL - Merrill Municipal Airport
- KTKV - Tomahawk Regional Airport
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 2,011 | — | |
| 1890 | 12,008 | 497.1% | |
| 1900 | 16,269 | 35.5% | |
| 1910 | 19,064 | 17.2% | |
| 1920 | 21,084 | 10.6% | |
| 1930 | 21,072 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 22,536 | 6.9% | |
| 1950 | 22,235 | −1.3% | |
| 1960 | 22,338 | 0.5% | |
| 1970 | 23,499 | 5.2% | |
| 1980 | 26,555 | 13.0% | |
| 1990 | 26,993 | 1.6% | |
| 2000 | 29,641 | 9.8% | |
| 2010 | 28,743 | −3.0% | |
| 2020 | 28,415 | −1.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 28,405 | 0.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[1] | |||
2020 census
editAs of the census of 2020,[1] the population was 28,415. The population density was 32.3 people per square mile (12.5 people/km2). There were 16,034 housing units at an average density of 18.2 units per square mile (7.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.7% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
edit
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 29,641 people, 11,721 households, and 8,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile (13 people/km2). There were 14,681 housing units at an average density of 17 units per square mile (6.6 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.76% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 55.9% were of German, 5.7% Polish and 5.3% Norwegian ancestry. 96.9% spoke English, 1.3% German and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.
There were 11,721 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
In 2017, there were 270 births, giving a general fertility rate of 62.6 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 34th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[12]
Communities
editCities
editTowns
editUnincorporated communities
edit- Bloomville
- Bradley
- Bundy
- Clifford (partial)
- Doering
- Dudley
- Dutch Corners
- Gilbert
- Gleason
- Harrison
- Heafford Junction
- Irma
- Jeffris
- McCord (partial)
- Otis
- Pine River
- Spirit Falls
- Tripoli (partial)
- West Kraft
Politics
editBetween 1964 and 2016, Lincoln County supported the nationwide winner in every election except for 1988. In 2020, Donald Trump received the highest share of the vote for any candidate in the county since 1960 and won by an even bigger margin in 2024, possibly indicating that this bellwether has shifted to the right.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 10,633 | 61.79% | 6,306 | 36.64% | 270 | 1.57% |
| 2020 | 10,017 | 60.72% | 6,261 | 37.95% | 219 | 1.33% |
| 2016 | 8,401 | 57.10% | 5,371 | 36.51% | 940 | 6.39% |
| 2012 | 7,455 | 48.99% | 7,563 | 49.70% | 198 | 1.30% |
| 2008 | 6,519 | 42.70% | 8,424 | 55.17% | 325 | 2.13% |
| 2004 | 8,024 | 51.11% | 7,484 | 47.67% | 192 | 1.22% |
| 2000 | 6,727 | 47.24% | 6,664 | 46.80% | 848 | 5.96% |
| 1996 | 4,076 | 33.28% | 6,166 | 50.35% | 2,004 | 16.36% |
| 1992 | 4,321 | 32.48% | 5,297 | 39.82% | 3,686 | 27.71% |
| 1988 | 5,257 | 47.03% | 5,819 | 52.06% | 102 | 0.91% |
| 1984 | 6,682 | 55.08% | 5,353 | 44.12% | 97 | 0.80% |
| 1980 | 6,473 | 50.75% | 5,438 | 42.63% | 844 | 6.62% |
| 1976 | 5,672 | 48.38% | 5,800 | 49.48% | 251 | 2.14% |
| 1972 | 6,206 | 57.25% | 4,175 | 38.51% | 459 | 4.23% |
| 1968 | 4,793 | 51.37% | 3,858 | 41.35% | 679 | 7.28% |
| 1964 | 3,894 | 39.75% | 5,883 | 60.06% | 19 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 6,147 | 60.93% | 3,909 | 38.75% | 33 | 0.33% |
| 1956 | 6,329 | 67.74% | 2,880 | 30.83% | 134 | 1.43% |
| 1952 | 6,877 | 68.72% | 3,092 | 30.90% | 38 | 0.38% |
| 1948 | 4,339 | 54.97% | 3,368 | 42.67% | 187 | 2.37% |
| 1944 | 5,564 | 64.71% | 2,938 | 34.17% | 96 | 1.12% |
| 1940 | 5,812 | 58.21% | 3,951 | 39.57% | 221 | 2.21% |
| 1936 | 3,120 | 33.83% | 5,520 | 59.86% | 582 | 6.31% |
| 1932 | 2,958 | 35.76% | 5,093 | 61.57% | 221 | 2.67% |
| 1928 | 4,025 | 56.06% | 3,091 | 43.05% | 64 | 0.89% |
| 1924 | 1,857 | 26.84% | 503 | 7.27% | 4,558 | 65.89% |
| 1920 | 3,713 | 72.11% | 838 | 16.28% | 598 | 11.61% |
| 1916 | 2,189 | 60.69% | 1,282 | 35.54% | 136 | 3.77% |
| 1912 | 712 | 21.20% | 1,760 | 52.41% | 886 | 26.38% |
| 1908 | 2,308 | 53.89% | 1,813 | 42.33% | 162 | 3.78% |
| 1904 | 2,850 | 70.39% | 1,004 | 24.80% | 195 | 4.82% |
| 1900 | 2,147 | 56.71% | 1,552 | 40.99% | 87 | 2.30% |
| 1896 | 1,706 | 47.69% | 1,802 | 50.38% | 69 | 1.93% |
| 1892 | 997 | 34.17% | 1,443 | 49.45% | 478 | 16.38% |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census: Lincoln County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/media/89766
External links
editReferences
editThis digital collection contains historic images and texts that document central Wisconsin schools and libraries in Marathon and Lincoln Counties. Text-based materials include: Marchetti, Louis. History of the Public Library Building and Names of Donors, 1909, a record of the proceedings, leading up, and culminating in the erection and completion of the Library Building of the city of Wausau, with names of Donors attached thereto. Compiled and presented to the Library by Louis Marchetti, President of the Library Board from 1904 to 1908.