Rusk County, Wisconsin

Rusk County, Wisconsin
Rusk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,188. Its county seat is Ladysmith.
History
Founded in 1901, Rusk County was originally named Gates County after Milwaukee land speculator James L. Gates. It was renamed Rusk County in 1905 after Jeremiah M. Rusk, governor of Wisconsin and the first U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. It was formed out of the northern portion of Chippewa County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Washburn County - northwest
Sawyer County - north
Price County - east
Taylor County - southeast
Chippewa County - south
Barron County - west
Major highways
U.S. Highway 8
Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
Highway 40 (Wisconsin)
Highway 73 (Wisconsin)
Railroads
Canadian National
Watco
Buses
List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
Airport
KRCX - Rusk County Airport serves the county and surrounding communities.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 14,188. The population density was . There were 8,560 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.6% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,347 people, 6,095 households, and 4,156 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,609 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.69% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.7% were of German, 13.6% Polish, 9.0% Norwegian, 6.8% Irish, 6.2% American and 5.6% English ancestry.
There were 6,095 households, out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.
In 2017, there were 134 births, giving a general fertility rate of 66.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 25th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Rusk County residence in 2017.
Communities
City
Ladysmith (county seat)
Villages
Bruce
Conrath
Glen Flora
Hawkins
Ingram
Sheldon
Tony
Weyerhaeuser
Towns
Atlanta
Big Bend
Big Falls
Cedar Rapids
Dewey
Flambeau
Grant
Grow
Hawkins
Hubbard
Lawrence
Marshall
Murry
Richland
Rusk
South Fork
Strickland
Stubbs
Thornapple
True
Washington
Wilkinson
Willard
Wilson
Unincorporated communities
Apollonia
Bear Lake
Imalone
Island Lake
Murry
Port Arthur
South Fork
Strickland
Thornapple
Ghost towns
Atlanta
Big Bend
Crane
Egypt
Horseman (Varner)
Jerome
Kalish
Mandowish (Manedowish)
Poplar / Beldonville
Pre Bram
Shaws Farm
Teresita
Tibbets
Vallee View / Walrath
West Ingram
Wilson Center / Dogville (Starez)
Politics
See also
Flambeau Mine
National Register of Historic Places listings in Rusk County, Wisconsin
References
Further reading
Dresden, Katharine Woodrow. History of Rusk County, Wisconsin. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1931.
External links
Rusk County government website
Rusk County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Plat maps, 1915-1920
1901 establishments in Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1901