Fond du Lac County

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 766 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 720 square miles (1,900 km2) is land and 46 square miles (120 km2) (6.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Winnebago County – north

Calumet County – northeast

Sheboygan County – east

Washington County – southeast

Dodge County – southwest

Green Lake County – west

National protected area

Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Transportation

Railroads

Canadian National

Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Buses

Fond du Lac Area Transit

Airport

Fond du Lac County Airport (IATA: FLD, ICAO: KFLD, FAA LID: FLD) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 104,154. The population density was 144.7 per square mile. The median age was 41.4 years, with 21.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 97.0 males and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.6 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 88.0% White, 2.3% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.0% from some other race, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.4% of the population.

63.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 42,824 households in the county, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.8% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 45,740 housing units at an average density of 63.6 per square mile, of which 6.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.5% were owner-occupied and 30.5% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 97,296 people, 36,931 households, and 25,482 families residing in the county. The population density was 135 people per square mile (52 people/km2). There were 39,271 housing units at an average density of 54 units per square mile (21 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.16% White, 0.90% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 57.7% were of German, 6.1% Irish and 5.3% American ancestry. 95.5% spoke English, 2.1% Spanish and 1.3% German as their first language.

There were 36,931 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

In 2017, there were 1,066 births, giving a general fertility rate of 57.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 20th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were 74 reported induced abortions performed on women of Fond du Lac County residence in 2017.

Communities

Cities

Fond du Lac (county seat)

Ripon

Waupun (mostly in Dodge County)

Census-designated places

Alto

St. Peter

Taycheedah

Van Dyne

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

Ceresco

New Cassel

Reeds Corners

Education

School districts include:

Public high schools within the county include:

Campbellsport High School

Fond Du Lac High School

Horace Mann High School

Ripon High School

Government and politics

Fond du Lac County is governed by a twenty-five-member Board of Supervisors and an elected County Executive, all of whom are elected in nonpartisan elections. The other countywide officials, including the Sheriff and District Attorney, run in partisan elections.

As Ripon's Little White Schoolhouse was the birthplace of the Republican Party in 1854, the GOP has long been the dominant party in Fond du Lac County. Since 1896 when the county broke a 20 year streak of voting Democratic, outside 1912 (when the Republican vote was split by Theodore Roosevelt's run as part of the Bull Moose Party), Franklin D. Roosevelt's first two terms, and Lyndon Johnson winning the county in 1964, along with state Progressive Robert M. La Follette's win in 1924, the majority of Fond du Lac County voters have chosen the Republican candidate.