Sheboygan County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named after the Sheboygan River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 118,034. Its county seat is Sheboygan. The county was created in 1836 and organized in 1846. 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 , of which is land and (60%) is water.

Major highways Interstate 43 Highway 23 (Wisconsin) Highway 28 (Wisconsin) Highway 32 (Wisconsin) Highway 42 (Wisconsin) Highway 57 (Wisconsin) Highway 67 (Wisconsin) Highway 144 (Wisconsin)

Railroads Union Pacific Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Buses Shoreline Metro (intracity, Sheboygan) Jefferson Lines (intercity, Sheboygan)

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

Adjacent counties Manitowoc County – north Ozaukee County – south Washington County – southwest Fond du Lac County – west Calumet County – northwest

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.National Marine Sanctuaries media document: Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Accessed 29 June 2021NOAA News "NOAA designates new national marine sanctuary in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan," June 22, 2021 Accessed 29 June 2021

Climate

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Sheboygan County, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)98,88299,447102,628100,52095,83797.97%95.74%91.11%87.03%81.19%Black or African American alone (NH)3024121,1891,6052,4340.30%0.40%1.06%1.39%2.06%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2643243543923620.26%0.31%0.31%0.34%0.31%Asian alone (NH)2191,9993,6695,2796,8750.22%1.92%3.26%4.57%5.82%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census132921xx0.01%0.03%0.02%Other race alone (NH)2212736643600.22%0.03%0.03%0.06%0.30%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census9681,2893,483xx0.86%1.12%2.95%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,0471,6683,7896,3298,6621.04%1.61%3.36%5.48%7.34%Total100,935103,877112,646115,507118,034 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%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.

The population density was . There were 52,303 housing units at an average density of .

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.

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.

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

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%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 112,646 people, 43,545 households, and 29,915 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 45,947 housing units at an average density of . 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. Additionally, there were 81 reported induced abortions performed on women of Sheboygan County residence in 2017.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

Communities

Cities Rank Community Population Year ZIP Code 1 Sheboygan 49,929 1846 53081 2 Plymouth 8,932 1880 53073 3 Sheboygan Falls 8,210 1835 53085

Villages

Adell Cascade Cedar Grove Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah Howards Grove Kohler Oostburg Random Lake Waldo

Towns

Greenbush Herman Holland Lima Lyndon Mitchell Mosel Plymouth Rhine Russell Scott Sheboygan Sheboygan Falls Sherman Wilson

Census-designated places Batavia Gibbsville Greenbush Hingham

Unincorporated communities

Ada Beechwood Cranberry Marsh Dacada Edwards Franklin German Corners Gooseville Haven Hayen Hulls Crossing Idlewood Beach Johnsonville Mosel New Paris Ourtown Parnell Rhine Center St. Anna (partial) Silver Creek Weedens Winooski

Ghost towns Kennedys Corners

Public high schools

Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah High School Étude High School Howards Grove High School Kohler High School North High School (Sheboygan) Oostburg High School Plymouth High School Random Lake High School Sheboygan Falls High School Sheboygan South High School

Law enforcement

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 National Register of Historic Places listings in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin

References

Further reading Buchen, Gustave W. Historic Sheboygan County. Sheboygan, Wis., 1944. Hildebrand, Janice. Sheboygan County, 150 Years of Progress: An Illustrated History. Northridge, Calif: Windsor Publications, 1988. Portrait and Biographical Record of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Excelsior Publishing Company, 1894. Zillier, Carl. History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin: Past and Present. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912.

External links Official website Sheboygan County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce