Monroe County, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Monroe County
U.S. county
Monroe County Courthouse in Sparta
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1854 DT Moseley was the first white child born to settlers in Monroe County.
Named for	James Monroe
Seat	Sparta
Largest city	Sparta
Area
• Total	908 sq mi (2,350 km²)
• Land	901 sq mi (2,330 km²)
• Water	7.4 sq mi (19 km²) 0.8%%
Population (2020)
• Total	46,274
• Estimate (2023)	46,151
• Density	51.4/sq mi (19.8/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	3rd, 7th

Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,274. Its county seat is Sparta.

Geography
- United States Army posts
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
- 2020 census
Transportation
Communities
Economy
- Largest employers
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 908 square miles (2,350 km²), of which 901 square miles (2,330 km²) is land and 7.4 square miles (19 km²) (0.8%) is water.

United States Army posts

Fort McCoy, Wisconsin

Adjacent counties

Jackson County – north
Juneau County – east
Vernon County – south
La Crosse County – west

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	8,410	—
1870	16,550	96.8%
1880	21,607	30.6%
1890	23,211	7.4%
1900	28,103	21.1%
1910	28,881	2.8%
1920	28,666	−0.7%
1930	28,739	0.3%
1940	30,080	4.7%
1950	31,378	4.3%
1960	31,241	−0.4%
1970	31,610	1.2%
1980	35,074	11.0%
1990	36,633	4.4%
2000	40,899	11.6%
2010	44,673	9.2%
2020	46,274	3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 46,274. The population density was 51.4 people per square mile (19.8 people/km²). There were 19,769 housing units at an average density of 21.9 units per square mile (8.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.2% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 5.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.