Founded 1850 Congressional district 1st Website www.co.kenosha.wi.us Unemployment rate 4.9% (Apr 2015) | Largest city Kenosha Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Population 167,757 (2013) County seat Kenosha | |
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Cities Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Twin Lakes, Somers, Salem Rivers Fox River, Pike River, Des Plaines River, Barnes Creek Colleges and Universities University of Wisconsin–Parkside, Carthage College, Gateway Technical College K, The Salon Professional Academy, Herzing University‑Kenosha Points of interest Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha Public Museum, Wilmot Mountain, Kenosha North Pier Light, Lake Michigan | ||
Kenosha County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 166,426. Its county seat is Kenosha. The county is named after the county seat.
Contents
- Map of Kenosha County WI USA
- Geography
- Airport
- Adjacent counties
- Demographics
- Government
- City
- Villages
- Towns
- Census designated places
- Ghost towns
- References
Map of Kenosha County, WI, USA
Kenosha County is included in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located on the west shore of Lake Michigan. The county has traditionally attracted newcomers from suburban Chicago, and in March 2008 the demographers of the Wisconsin Department of Administration reported that Kenosha County's improvements in roads, business's need for personnel and quality-of-life factors have contributed to a decades-long influx of Illinois transplants. Although commercial development has been greatly on the rise in the last decade, Kenosha County is very dependent on the economy of Chicago and has a direct rail link via Metra's Union Pacific / North Line.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 754 square miles (1,950 km2), of which 272 square miles (700 km2) is land and 482 square miles (1,250 km2) (64%) is water. Although the county contains much area from Lake Michigan, it is the fourth-smallest county in Wisconsin by land area.
Airport
Kenosha Regional Airport (KENW) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 149,577 people, 56,057 households, and 38,455 families residing in the county. The population density was 548 people per square mile (212/km²). There were 59,989 housing units at an average density of 220 per square mile (85/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.38% White, 5.08% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.29% from other races, and 1.91% from two or more races. 7.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.8% were of German, 10.4% Italian, 7.9% Irish, 7.6% Polish and 7.5% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 56,057 households out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the county, the population was spread out with 27.10% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 20.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
Government
Kenosha county has been a solidly Democratic county for the past fifty years. In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate in 44 years to win the county; the last time being when President Nixon carried it in his 1972 landslide.
The county legislature is known as the Board of Supervisors. It consists of 23 members each elected from single member districts. The county executive is elected in a spring countywide, non-partisan vote. The district attorney, treasurer, clerk and register of deeds are elected in fall countywide, partisan elections held in presidential years, while the sheriff and clerk of circuit court are elected in fall countywide, partisan elections held in gubernatorial years.