Jackson County, Wisconsin

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,145. Its county seat is Black River Falls. Jackson County was formed from Crawford County in 1853. It was named for President Andrew Jackson.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1000 sqmi, of which 988 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (1.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Clark County - north
 * Wood County - east
 * Juneau County - southeast
 * Monroe County - south
 * La Crosse County - southwest
 * Trempealeau County - west
 * Eau Claire County - northwest

Railroads

 * Canadian National
 * Union Pacific

Buses

 * Black River Falls Public Transit
 * List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 21,145. The population density was 21.4 /mi2. There were 9,613 housing units at an average density of 9.7 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 6.5% Native American, 2.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.2% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,100 people, 7,070 households, and 4,835 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 /mi2. There were 8,029 housing units at an average density of 8 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 89.58% White, 2.27% Black or African American, 6.16% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.4% were of German, 30.2% Norwegian and 5.2% Irish ancestry. 94.7% spoke English, 2.2% Spanish and 1.5% Winnebago as their first language.

There were 7,070 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 114.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.30 males.

In 2017, there were 227 births, giving a general fertility rate of 74.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 10th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 14 of the births occurred at home. Additionally, there were 7 reported induced abortions performed on women of Jackson County residence in 2017.

City

 * Black River Falls (county seat)

Villages

 * Alma Center
 * Hixton
 * Melrose
 * Merrillan
 * Taylor

Towns

 * Adams
 * Albion
 * Alma
 * Bear Bluff
 * Brockway
 * City Point
 * Cleveland
 * Curran
 * Franklin
 * Garden Valley
 * Garfield
 * Hixton
 * Irving
 * Knapp
 * Komensky
 * Manchester
 * Melrose
 * Millston
 * North Bend
 * Northfield
 * Springfield

Census-designated places

 * Hatfield
 * Millston
 * Mission
 * Sand Pillow

Other unincorporated communities

 * Brockway
 * Buckholz Corners
 * City Point
 * Disco
 * Fall Hall Glen
 * Franklin
 * Irving
 * Levis
 * North Bend
 * North Branch
 * Northfield
 * Pray
 * Price
 * Requa
 * Sechlerville
 * Shamrock
 * Spaulding
 * Speck Oaks
 * Vaudreuil
 * Waterbury
 * Winnebago Mission
 * York

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

 * Charter Oak Mills
 * Clay
 * Rogneys
 * Wrightsville

Politics
Between 1928 and 1984, Jackson County voted for the nationwide winner in every election with the exception of 1944 (by less than 3%) and 1960 (one of the closest elections in American history). Then, from 1988 to 2012, like most of the rural counties in southwestern Wisconsin, it backed the Democratic candidate in each election, and did so by more than an 8% margin each time beginning in 1992. In 2016, once again like the rest of rural southwestern Wisconsin, Jackson County dramatically swung to the right, shifting from a 15% victory for Democrat Barack Obama in 2012 to a 12% victory for Republican Donald Trump in 2016. Trump further expanded his margin of victory to over 15% in 2020 and achieved the highest vote share for a Republican in the county since Richard Nixon in his 1972 landslide reelection.

Economy
The county's largest employer is the Ho-Chunk Nation, which employs roughly 3100 people combined in Jackson and Sauk counties.