Price County, Wisconsin

Price County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,054.^[1] Its county seat is Phillips.^[2]

Price County was created on March 3, 1879, when Wisconsin Governor William E. Smith signed legislation creating the county. The county was later organized in 1882.^[3] William T. Price (1824–1886), for whom Price County was named,^[4] was President of the Wisconsin Senate and an early logger in Price County; he later was elected to the U.S. Congress.^[5] The county was formed from portions of Chippewa and Lincoln counties.

The first white settler in what is now Price County was Major Isaac Stone, who located on the Spirit River in 1860 to engage in lumbering.^[6] Price County continues today to be a large producer of raw timber.^[7]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,278 square miles (3,310 km²), of which 1,254 square miles (3,250 km²) is land and 24 square miles (62 km²) (1.9%) is water.^[8] The highest natural point in Wisconsin, Timms Hill at 1,951 feet (595 m), is located in Price County.

• Watco

• Bay Area Rural Transit

• KPBH - Price County Airport
• KPKF - Park Falls Municipal Airport
• 5N2 - Prentice Airport

• Chequamegon National Forest (part)

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,054, which yielded a population density of 11.2 people per square mile (4.3 people/km²). There were 10,735 housing units at an average density of 8.6 units per square mile (3.3 units/km²).^[15]

The median age was 52.8 years, 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 27.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.7 males age 18 and over.^[15]

The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.9% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.^[16]

Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.^[17]

There were 6,446 households in the county, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 21.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[15]

There were 10,735 housing units, of which 40.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.6% were owner-occupied and 20.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.5%.^[15]

As of the census^[18] of 2000, there were 15,822 people, 6,564 households, and 4,417 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km²). There were 9,574 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.22% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.4% were of German, 6.5% Norwegian, 5.9% Swedish, 5.4% Polish, 5.2% Irish and 5% Czech ancestry.

There were 6,564 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99 males.

In 2017, there were 127 births, giving a general fertility rate of 71.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 13th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.^[19]

• Park Falls
• Phillips (county seat)

• Catawba
• Kennan
• Prentice

• Ogema

• Coolidge
• Kaiser
• Kennedy
• Knox Mills
• Sassen

Price County was originally a Republican stronghold which became a swing county and bellwether beginning in the Depression years, voting for the nationwide winner in every election from 1928 to 1984 except for the very closely contested 1960 election. Recently, starting in 1988 it saw a Democratic trend through 2012 (with the exception of 2000). Several of these elections were particularly close; in 2004, Democrat John Kerry won the county by a narrow plurality of 37 votes. While the county swung strongly Democratic in 2008 to support Barack Obama, the best such performance since 1964, in 2012 Obama lost ground and only carried the county by 3 votes. In 2016 the county swung hard to the right in support of Donald Trump, who became the first Republican to carry it by over 60% since Warren G. Harding in 1920. Trump improved his margins in both 2020 and 2024.^[20]

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

• Price County
• Old plat maps: 1873 1880 1888 1910 1920 ca. 1925
• Price County map at Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Price County Historical Society

45°41′N 90°22′W / 45.68°N 90.36°W / 45.68; -90.36