Florence County, Wisconsin

Florence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,558,^[2] making it the second-least populous county in Wisconsin after Menominee County. Its county seat is Florence.^[3] The county is considered a high-recreation retirement destination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.^[4]

Florence County
County
Florence County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 45°51′N 88°24′W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1882
Named after	Florence Terry Hulst
Seat	Florence
Largest town	Florence
Area
• Total	498 sq mi (1,290 km2)
• Land	488 sq mi (1,260 km2)
• Water	9.3 sq mi (24 km2)  1.9%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	4,558
• Estimate  (2023)	4,682
• Density	9.3/sq mi (3.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.florencecountywi.com

Florence County is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Florence County was created by the legislature of 1882 from portions of Marinette County and Oconto County. The first white man to document his journey through Florence County was Thomas J. Cram, who surveyed northeast Wisconsin in 1840 and 1841. The region belonged to the Menominee tribe, who mingled with the Chippewa there. Florence County continued to be a region for hunting and trapping until the 1870s when iron was discovered in the region. The Florence mine was discovered in 1874 by H. D. Fisher. In 1879, Fisher named the mine and town after the wife of Nelson Powell Hulst, Florence Terry Hulst, establishing the name for the county as well.^[5][6][7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 498 square miles (1,290 km²), of which 488 square miles (1,260 km²) is land and 9.3 square miles (24 km²) (1.9%) is water.^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Iron County, Michigan - north
• Dickinson County, Michigan - east
• Marinette County, Wisconsin - southeast
• Forest County, Wisconsin - southwest

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 141
• Highway 70
• Highway 101
• Highway 139

Buses

National protected area

• Nicolet National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	2,604		—
1900	3,197		22.8%
1910	3,381		5.8%
1920	3,602		6.5%
1930	3,768		4.6%
1940	4,177		10.9%
1950	3,756		−10.1%
1960	3,437		−8.5%
1970	3,298		−4.0%
1980	4,172		26.5%
1990	4,590		10.0%
2000	5,088		10.8%
2010	4,423		−13.1%
2020	4,558		3.1%
2021 (est.)	4,593		0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010–2020[2]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,^[1] the population was 4,558. The population density was 9.3 people per square mile (3.6 people/km²). There were 4,601 housing units at an average density of 9.4 units per square mile (3.6 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.6% White, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Florence County

At the 2000 census there were 5,088 people, 2,133 households, and 1,441 families in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km²). There were 4,239 housing units at an average density of 9 units per square mile (3.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.17% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 0.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.6% were of German, 11.6% Swedish, 8.4% Polish, 8.2% Italian, 6.6% French, 5.9% English, 5.4% French Canadian and 5.2% Irish ancestry.^[13] Of the 2,133 households 27.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 6.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 27.90% of households were one person and 12.50% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.

The age distribution was 22.90% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 27.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.50 males.

In 2017, there were 31 births, giving a general fertility rate of 57.9 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 21st lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. 10 of the births were to unmarried mothers, 21 were to married mothers.^[14] Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Florence County residence in 2017.^[15]

Communities

Fairgrounds

Florence County sign

Florence County is one of only two counties in Wisconsin with no incorporated communities, the other being Menominee County.

Towns

• Aurora
• Commonwealth
• Fence
• Fern
• Florence
• Homestead
• Long Lake
• Tipler

Census-designated places

• Florence
• Long Lake

Unincorporated communities

• Aurora
• Commonwealth
• Fence
• Fern
• Hematite
• Pulp
• Ridgetop
• Spread Eagle
• Tipler
• Tyran

Politics

Florence County has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1996.

United States presidential election results for Florence County, Wisconsin^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,356	74.60%	783	24.79%	19	0.60%
2020	2,133	72.55%	781	26.56%	26	0.88%
2016	1,898	71.46%	665	25.04%	93	3.50%
2012	1,645	62.67%	953	36.30%	27	1.03%
2008	1,512	56.31%	1,134	42.23%	39	1.45%
2004	1,703	62.52%	993	36.45%	28	1.03%
2000	1,528	63.53%	816	33.93%	61	2.54%
1996	927	43.28%	869	40.57%	346	16.15%
1992	942	35.60%	978	36.96%	726	27.44%
1988	1,106	51.63%	1,018	47.53%	18	0.84%
1984	1,227	58.01%	870	41.13%	18	0.85%
1980	1,187	52.52%	943	41.73%	130	5.75%
1976	922	48.00%	965	50.23%	34	1.77%
1972	971	54.06%	757	42.15%	68	3.79%
1968	821	48.32%	718	42.26%	160	9.42%
1964	596	36.63%	1,029	63.25%	2	0.12%
1960	928	51.81%	858	47.91%	5	0.28%
1956	1,003	57.94%	723	41.77%	5	0.29%
1952	1,147	58.43%	809	41.21%	7	0.36%
1948	756	43.00%	885	50.34%	117	6.66%
1944	765	45.59%	897	53.46%	16	0.95%
1940	1,008	50.12%	980	48.73%	23	1.14%
1936	800	41.41%	1,037	53.67%	95	4.92%
1932	714	40.94%	965	55.33%	65	3.73%
1928	993	64.27%	540	34.95%	12	0.78%
1924	594	50.21%	49	4.14%	540	45.65%
1920	912	86.94%	97	9.25%	40	3.81%
1916	412	69.36%	162	27.27%	20	3.37%
1912	262	43.67%	131	21.83%	207	34.50%
1908	541	81.11%	102	15.29%	24	3.60%
1904	562	85.41%	83	12.61%	13	1.98%
1900	514	79.57%	110	17.03%	22	3.41%
1896	488	78.08%	129	20.64%	8	1.28%
1892	449	67.93%	195	29.50%	17	2.57%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Florence County, Wisconsin