"Sheboygan County" redirects here. Not to be confused with Cheboygan County, Michigan.
Sheboygan County, Wisconsin
County
StateWisconsin
Incorporated1846
Named forSheboygan River
County seatSheboygan
Largest citySheboygan
Incorporated municipalities28 (total)
Parts stylelist
P 13 cities
P 219 towns
P 311 villages
Governing bodyBoard of Supervisors
County Board25 commissioners
Unit prefUS
Area total1271 sq mi
Area land511 sq mi
Area water760 sq mi
Area rank56th largest county in Wisconsin
Population total118034
Population as of2020
Population est118047
Pop est as of2025
Population rank13th largest county in Wisconsin
Time zoneCentral (UTC−6)
Time zone (DST)Central (UTC−5)
ZIP Code53081, 53083, 53073, 53085, 53070, 53044, 53093, 53001, 53031, 53026, 53082
Area codes920
Congressional districts6th
Airports

Sheboygan County Memorial Airport

Waterways

Lake Michigan – Sheboygan River – North Branch Milwaukee River

Public transitShoreline Metro
Websitewww.sheboygancounty.com

Sheboygan County (/ʃɪˈbɔɪɡən/) is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named after the Sheboygan River.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population was 118,034.[2] Its county seat is Sheboygan.[3] The county was created in 1836 and organized in 1846.[4] At the time, it was located in the Wisconsin Territory. Sheboygan County comprises the Sheboygan, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Part of the Holyland region is located in northwestern Sheboygan County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,271 square miles (3,290 km2), of which 511 square miles (1,320 km2) is land and 760 square miles (2,000 km2) (60%) is water.[5]

Major highways

Railroads

Buses

Airport

Sheboygan County Memorial Airport (KSBM), serves the county and surrounding communities.

Adjacent counties

National marine sanctuary

The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2021 in the waters of Lake Michigan, with its south-central portion lying off Sheboygan County′s coast. The national marine sanctuary is the site of a large number of historically significant shipwrecks.[6][7][8]

Climate

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

Sheboygan County, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980[9]Pop 1990[10]Pop 2000[11]Pop 2010[12]Pop 2020[13]% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)98,88299,447102,628100,520style='background: #ffffe6; |95,83797.97%95.74%91.11%87.03%style='background: #ffffe6; |81.19%
Black or African American alone (NH)3024121,1891,605style='background: #ffffe6; |2,4340.30%0.40%1.06%1.39%style='background: #ffffe6; |2.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)264324354392style='background: #ffffe6; |3620.26%0.31%0.31%0.34%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.31%
Asian alone (NH)2191,9993,6695,279style='background: #ffffe6; |6,8750.22%1.92%3.26%4.57%style='background: #ffffe6; |5.82%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [14]x [15]1329style='background: #ffffe6; |21xx0.01%0.03%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
Other race alone (NH)221273664style='background: #ffffe6; |3600.22%0.03%0.03%0.06%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [16]x [17]9681,289style='background: #ffffe6; |3,483xx0.86%1.12%style='background: #ffffe6; |2.95%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,0471,6683,7896,329style='background: #ffffe6; |8,6621.04%1.61%3.36%5.48%style='background: #ffffe6; |7.34%
Total100,935103,877112,646115,507style='background: #ffffe6; |118,034 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 118,034. The median age was 41.9 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.8 males age 18 and over.[18]

The population density was 230.7 /mi2. There were 52,303 housing units at an average density of 102.2 /mi2.[19]

There were 48,702 households in the county, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.9% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[18]

The racial makeup of the county was 83.2% White, 2.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.3% of the population.[20]

70.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 29.4% lived in rural areas.[21]

6.9% of the county's housing units were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.5% were owner-occupied and 30.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.[18]

2000 census

As of the census[22] of 2000, there were 112,646 people, 43,545 households, and 29,915 families residing in the county. The population density was 219 /mi2. There were 45,947 housing units at an average density of 90 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 92.71% White, 1.09% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 3.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races.

3.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 54.9% were of German, 7.8% Dutch and 5.4% American ancestry. 91.9% spoke English, 3.0% Spanish, 2.5% Hmong and 1.7% German as their first language.

There were 43,545 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males.

In 2017, there were 1,204 births, giving a general fertility rate of 61.3 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 31st lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[23] Additionally, there were 81 reported induced abortions performed on women of Sheboygan County residence in 2017.[24]

Communities

Cities

RankCommunityPopulationYearZIP Code
1Sheboygan49,929184653081
2Plymouth8,932188053073
3Sheboygan Falls8,210183553085

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Public high schools

Law enforcement

Main article: Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office

Politics

Originally a longtime swing county, Sheboygan County has, since 2000, become consistently Republican-leaning. In 2024, Donald Trump won the highest percentage of the vote for any Republican since 1956.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent. December 28, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2014. – via Newspapers.com
  2. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Designation; Final Regulations". NOAA via Federal Register. June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  7. ^ National Marine Sanctuaries media document: Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Accessed 29 June 2021
  8. ^ NOAA News "NOAA designates new national marine sanctuary in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan," June 22, 2021 Accessed 29 June 2021
  9. ^ "1980 General Population Characteristics - Wisconsin - Table 15: Persons by Race and Table 16: Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race". United States Census Bureau. – via Internet Archive
  10. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Wisconsin - Table 3: Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990". United States Census Bureau. p. 23-111. Archived December 28, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. – via Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Sheboygan County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau
  12. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sheboygan County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau
  13. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sheboygan County, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau
  14. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  15. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  16. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  17. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  18. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  19. ^ "2020 Decennial Census: Sheboygan County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  20. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  21. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  22. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  23. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  24. ^ Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin, Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013–2017, Table 18, pages 17-18

Further reading