GREEN County, WI

Green County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,842. Its county seat is Monroe. Green County is included in the Madison, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was created in 1837 from the Wisconsin Territory. When in December 1837, a new county was to be split off from the over-large Iowa County, William Boyles of Monroe, as the Representative of the area, was allowed to choose a name. He chose Green County, after the verdant color of the vegetation there. Another member suggested that it be modified to "Greene" after General Nathanael Greene, who commanded the Southern Campaign in the American Revolutionary War but Boyles insisted on his original choice.The story that it was named for General Greene still persists in some circles.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.09%) is water.

Major highways

Airport

Monroe Municipal Airport (KEFT) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 33,647 people, 13,212 households, and 9,208 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 13,878 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.14% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.9% were of German, 20.3% Swiss, 14.9% Norwegian, 6.7% Irish, 5.7% English and 5.5% American ancestry. 96.5% spoke English, 2.0% German and 1.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 13,212 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

As late as the 1970 federal census, Green County was the only county in the United States in which the largest foreign-born population was people born in Switzerland.

Communities

thumb|250px|A farm in Green County, Wisconsin

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

Politics

Until the 1992 presidential election, Green County voters primarily backed the Republican Party candidate in national elections. Prior to that year, the only times they failed to win the county were in the midst of a divided party vote in 1912, the presence of Wisconsinite Robert La Follette on the ballot in 1924, & national Democratic Party landslides in 1932, 1936, & 1964. From 1992 onward, the county has backed the Democratic candidate in every presidential election, though their margins of victory have been often relatively narrow.