Capital: Madison
Population: 5,363,675
Governor: Jim Doyle (D, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: May 29, 1848 as the 30th state
Motto: Forward
Nickname: Badger state
Flower: Wood violet
Bird: Robin
Song: On Wisconsin
Sports Teams: Milwaukee Brewers (Baseball); Milwaukee Bucks (Basketball); Green Bay Packers (Football)
Origin of Name: From a Native American word for the principal river of the region, which French explorers spelled Miscous, Miskonsing, Mesconsin, and then finally Ouisconsin. It means "gathering of the waters."
Major Industries: Dairy Farming, Paper Production, Nonelectric Machinery Manufacturing (Engines, Turbines, Farm Machinery, etc.)
Historical Sites: The Circus World Museum at Baraboo
Points of Interest: The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; Ice Age National Scientific Reserve; the Wolf, St. Croix, and Lower St. Croix national scenic riverways; and the Wisconsin Dells
Bordering States: Wisconsin borders Minnesots, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.
Source: State of Wisconsin
Population, 2006 estimate: 5,556,506
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 3.6%
Population, 2000: 5,363,675
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006: 6.3%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006: 23.6%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006: 13.0%
Female persons, percent, 2006: 50.3%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a): 90.0%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a): 6.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a): 0.9%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a): 2.0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a): NA
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006: 1.1%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b): 4.7%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006: 85.7%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 56.5%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 3.6%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 7.3%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 85.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 22.4%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 790,917
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 20.8
Housing units, 2006: 2,534,075
Homeownership rate, 2000: 68.4%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 200: 26.2%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $112,200
Households, 2000: 2,084,544
Persons per household, 2000: 2.50
Median household income, 2004: $46,142
Per capita money income, 1999: $21,271
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 10.9%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 216,985
Private industries: 192,732
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 3,076
Crop and animal production (Farms): 2,711
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 365
Mining: 311
Oil and gas extraction: 4
Mining, except oil and gas: 306
Support activities for mining: 2
Utilities: 3,698
Construction: 10,261
Manufacturing: 45,007
Durable goods: 26,594
Wood product manufacturing: 1,551
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 1,381
Primary metal manufacturing: 1,770
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 5,649
Machinery manufacturing: 5,516
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 2,486
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 2,727
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 1,683
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 1,283
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 1,260
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 1,288
Nondurable goods: 18,413
Food product manufacturing: 4,565
Textile and textile product mills: 242
Apparel manufacturing: 126
Paper manufacturing: 4,832
Printing and related support activities: 2,407
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 36
Chemical manufacturing: 3,472
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 2,732
Wholesale trade: 12,697
Retail trade: 13,853
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 6,932
Air transportation: 290
Rail transportation: 635
Water transportation: 9
Truck transportation: 3,936
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 512
Pipeline transportation: 38
Other transportation and support activities: 925
Warehousing and storage:587
Information: 6,426
Publishing including software: 1,891
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 157
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 3,469
Information and data processing services: 909
Finance and insurance: 15,991
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 6,015
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 1,403
Insurance carriers and related activities: 8,442
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 131
Real estate and rental and leasing: 25,482
Real estate: 24,426
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 1,056
Professional and technical services: 8,991
Legal services: 1,948
Computer systems design and related services: 1,324
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 5,718
Management of companies and enterprises: 4,847
Administrative and waste services: 4,663
Administrative and support services: 4,250
Waste management and remediation services: 414
Educational services: 1,724
Health care and social assistance: 17,768
Ambulatory health care services: 9,073
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 7,080
Social assistance: 1,615
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 1,473
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 656
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 816
Accommodation and food services: 4,729
Accommodation: 1,122
Food services and drinking places: 3,607
Other services, except government: 4,804
Government: 24,253
Federal civilian: 3,709
Federal military: 897
State and local: 19,647
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 86° 49'W to 92° 54'W
Latitude: 42° 30'N to 47° 3'N
Length / Width: Wisconsin is about 310 miles long and 260 miles wide.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Wisconsin is located in Wood County, 9 miles SE of Marshfield.
Borders: Wisconsin is bordered by Minnesota and Michigan on the north and by Illinois on the south. On the east, Wisconsin is bordered by Lake Michigan. On the west, Wisconsin is bordered by Minnesota and Iowa.
Total Area: Wisconsin covers 65,503 square miles, making it the 23rd largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 54,314 square miles of Wisconsin are land areas.
Water Area: 11,190 square miles of Wisconsin are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in Wisconsin is Timms Hill at 1,951 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Wisconsin is Lake Michigan at 581 feet above sea level.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Wisconsin is 1,050 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Wisconsin River, Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Chippewa River
Major Lakes: Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Winnebago
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Interactive
Campaign 2008A glimpse at presidential hopefuls and a fund-raising overview as the campaign gears up.
Interactive
America On GuardThe Homeland Security Department, the terror alert system, preparedness quiz and more.
More In-depth
