Oneida County is a county in the state of Wisconsin, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 37,845. Its county seat is Rhinelander.

History

Oneida County was formed in 1887 from sections of Lincoln County. It was named after the indigenous Oneida tribe, one of the five nations of the Iroquois.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1236 sqmi, of which 1113 sqmi are land and 123 sqmi (10%) are covered by water. Most people visit Oneida County to enjoy its lakes. In particular, tourists flock to Minocqua, a town of nearly 5,000 people with a summer population around 15,000.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Railroads

Airports

Oneida County is served by two public-use airports: Dolhun Field Airport is also located in the county, but it is for private use by the members of the Dolhun Field Airpark Owners Association.

National protected area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 37,845. The population density was 34.0 /mi2. There were 30,465 housing units at an average density of 27.3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% White, 1.2% Native American, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

At the census of 2000, 36,776 people, 15,333 households, and 10,487 families resided in the county. The population density was 33 /mi2. The 26,627 housing units averaged 24 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.71% White, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. About 0.66% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. The ancestry of the population was around 44.4% was of German, 8.8% Polish, 7.9% Irish, 5.2% Norwegian, and 5.2% English. Of the 15,333 households, 27.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were not families. About 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.82. In the county, the population was distributed as 22.30% under the age of 18, 5.70% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 18.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males. In 2017, there were 324 births, giving a general fertility rate of 66.2 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 24th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

Politics