clark county - West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

CLARK COUNTY 

CONDITIONS AND TRENDS REPORT 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING 

JANUARY 2009 

PREPARED BY WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

Clark County 

Conditions and Trends Report 

Presented to: 

Clark County and its Communities 

By: 

West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission 

Mail Box 9 

800 Wisconsin Street, Bldg D2-401 

Clark, WI 54703-3606 

715.836.2918 

With financial assistance from: 

Wisconsin Department of Administration 

Division of Intergovernmental Relations 

January 2009

Forward 

The Clark County Conditions and Trends Report, in conjunction with the Inventory and 

Trends Report for the Development of Local Comprehensive Plans and the Clark County 

Comprehensive Plan prepared by Foth & Van Dyke in November 2003, provides the majority 

of background information and existing resource maps as required for comprehensive 

planning efforts under the Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Law (Wis. Act 9). 

There are two companion documents to this report: 

Clark County Resource and Land Use Map Atlas DVD-ROM: This is a compilation 

of existing resource and land use maps for the County and its municipalities in digital 

form. Land use data in these maps may need to be updated at the local level. West 

Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission will provide the geographic 

information system files for these maps upon request. 

Inventory of Existing Plans, Programs, and Land Use Policies in West Central 

Wisconsin: As its title relates, this special addendum provides a summary of the 

primary programs, plans, and land use policies being implemented within the seven 

counties of west central Wisconsin. 

This report was also intended to supplement, and in some cases update, the inventory report 

prepared in 2003 by Foth & Van Dyke, so readers should also refer to this original report 

available through the Clark County Planning & Zoning Department for information not found 

here. 

This report, combined with the 2003 inventory, should be considered a starting point for local 

planning efforts. Certain data and maps will need to be provided at a local level (e.g., maps 

and details on municipal utilities, special or regulatory districts, park systems, mining 

interests). Communities may also identify special issues or unique circumstances for which 

additional data may be collected locally. For the most part, this report merely presents the 

data; the county and each community will need to analyze the data to determine local needs, 

issues, and important trends. 

West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (WCWRPC) compiled this report in 

2008 as part of its regional comprehensive planning effort. Data sources used represent the 

best available data as of the summer and fall of 2008. A similar report was compiled for each 

of the other six counties in our region. Once complete, a regional level analysis will be 

undertaken based on the data in the individual county reports. The regional analysis may 

incorporate additional or updated information not available during the preparation of this 

report. 

WCWRPC would like to thank everyone who provided input and data for this document, 

including: various Clark County departments, Clark County Economic Development 

Corporation, the regional comprehensive planning effort’s Technical Advisory Group, and 

various State agencies.

CLARK COUNTY 

CONDITIONS & TRENDS REPORT 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Forward 

1. Issues and Opportunities Information........................................................................ 1 

Element Context.................................................................................................................. 2 

Socio-Economic Profile...................................................................................................... 3 

Population .................................................................................................................. 3 

Educational Attainment ............................................................................................. 8 

Employment............................................................................................................... 9 

Income...................................................................................................................... 10 

Population Projections ............................................................................................. 11 

Household Projections ............................................................................................. 13 

Employment Projections.......................................................................................... 13 

Summary ......................................................................................................................... 14 

Data Tables ....................................................................................................................... 15 

2. Housing Information .................................................................................................. 61 

Element Context................................................................................................................ 61 

Seasonal Units................................................................................................................... 62 

Occupancy and Structural Characteristics ........................................................................ 62 

Housing Affordability....................................................................................................... 62 

Housing Unit and Household Projections......................................................................... 63 

Housing Programs............................................................................................................. 63 

Summary ......................................................................................................................... 65 

Tables and Map................................................................................................................. 66 

3. Transportation Information ...................................................................................... 85 


Background Data/Existing Conditions ............................................................................. 86 

Highways ................................................................................................................. 86 

Highway Projections in the County ......................................................................... 87 

Bridges ..................................................................................................................... 89 

Access Management ................................................................................................ 90 

Bicycles.................................................................................................................... 92 

Safety ....................................................................................................................... 94 

Commuting Patterns.......................................................................................................... 96 

Summary........................................................................................................................... 98 

4. Utilities and Community Facilities Information ...................................................... 99 


Inventory of Utilities....................................................................................................... 100 

Inventory of Other Educational Facilities....................................................................... 100 

Clark County Conditions and Trends Report 

i

Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA) ............................................. 100 

Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education ......................................................... 100 

University of Wisconsin System............................................................................ 101 

Other Colleges and Universities ............................................................................ 102 

Inventory of Other Community Facilities and Services ................................................. 102 

Hazardous Materials Response.............................................................................. 102 

Child Care Services................................................................................................ 103 

Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes, and Senior Programs........................ 104 

Cemeteries.............................................................................................................. 106 

Dams ...................................................................................................................... 109 

Summary......................................................................................................................... 109 

5. Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources Information................................ 115 

Element Context.............................................................................................................. 115 

Agricultural Resources.................................................................................................... 116 

Local Agricultural Industry Trends .................................................................... 116 

Natural Resources – Sensitive Lands.............................................................................. 121 

Shorelands.............................................................................................................. 122 

Floodplains............................................................................................................. 123 

Wetlands ................................................................................................................ 125 

Steep Slopes........................................................................................................... 125 

Forests and Woodlands.......................................................................................... 126 

Grasslands and Prairie............................................................................................ 127 

Summary......................................................................................................................... 128 

Clark County Natural Resource Maps ............................................................................ 130 

6. Economic Development Information ...................................................................... 131 


The Wisconsin Economy ................................................................................................ 131 

Recent Economic Trends ....................................................................................... 132 

The Current Economic Slowdown......................................................................... 133 

Wisconsin’s Economic Outlook ............................................................................ 134 

Clark County Economic Profile...................................................................................... 135 

Economic Data....................................................................................................... 135 

Demographic Overview ............................................................................... 137 

Population and Labor Force ......................................................................... 137 

Housing Market............................................................................................ 138 

Income and Wages ....................................................................................... 139 

Employment Trends ..................................................................................... 140 

Commuting Patterns..................................................................................... 143 

Economic Base....................................................................................................... 144 

Industry Composition................................................................................... 144 

Employment by Industry.............................................................................. 145 

Employment by Occupation......................................................................... 146 

Employment Projections .............................................................................. 150 

Tourism.................................................................................................................. 154 

Environmentally Contaminated Sites ............................................................................. 156 

Summary......................................................................................................................... 157 

ii 

Table of Contents

7. Land Use Information .............................................................................................. 165 


Existing Land Use and Land Use Trends ....................................................................... 165 

Agricultural Land Use............................................................................................ 166 

Forest Land Use ..................................................................................................... 168 

Public Natural Resources Lands ............................................................................ 168 

Residential Land Use ............................................................................................. 169 

Commercial Land Use ........................................................................................... 169 

Industrial Land Use................................................................................................ 170 

Land Demand and Prices ....................................................................................... 171 

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 172 

Land Use Tables ............................................................................................................. 174 

Municipality Land Use Maps.......................................................................................... 185 

Limitations to Development Maps......................................................................... 185 

Existing Land Use Maps........................................................................................ 185 

List of Figures 

Figure 1.1 - Clark County Historical Population.................................................................3 

Figure 1.2 – County Population Distribution by Incorporated & Rural Residents..............6 

Figure 1.3 – County Components of Population Change ....................................................7 

Figure 1.4 – County Racial Population Characteristics.......................................................8 

Figure 3.1 – Crashes by Highway Type ............................................................................94 

Figure 5.1 – Number and Average Size of Farms ...........................................................117 

Figure 5.2 – Number of Farms and Dairy Farms.............................................................120 

Figure 6.1 – Composite Index of Leading Indicators for Wisconsin...............................132 

Figure 6.2 – Gasoline & Medical Costs Compared to Consumer Price Index ................133 

Figure 6.3 – Clark County Age/Labor Force Projection..................................................138 

Figure 6.4 – Clark County vs. State Per Capita Personal Income ...................................139 

Figure 6.5 – Clark County & Wisconsin Monthly Unemployment Rate .............................141 

Figure 6.6 – Clark County Monthly Total Potential Labor Force ...................................142 

Figure 6.7 – Clark County Travel Time to Work ............................................................143 

Figure 6.8 – Clark County Employment by Industry ......................................................146 

Figure 6.9 – West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Area.............................148 

Figure 6.10 – Traveler Expenditures in Clark County.....................................................155 

Figure 6.11 – Seasonality of Traveler Expenditures in Clark County.............................156 

List of Tables 

Table 1.1 – County Population Distribution by Incorporated & Rural Communities.........6 

Table 1.2 – County Historical Population..........................................................................15 

Table 1.3 – County Historical Population Change by Municpality...................................16 

Table 1.4 – County Historical Population by Age and Sex ...............................................17 

Table 1.5 – County Components of Population Change ...................................................17 

Table 1.6 – County Change in Age-Sex Structure.............................................................18 

Table 1.7 – Population by Age and Sex by Municipality (2000) ......................................19 

Table 1.8 – Population by Age by Municipality (1990) ....................................................23 

Table 1.9 – Percent Change in Age Structure by Municipality .........................................27 

Table 1.10 – Population Projections, County and Municpality.........................................31 

Table 1.11 – Household Projections, County and Municpality.........................................32 


iii

Table 1.12 –West Central Wisconsin Region Occupation Projections..............................33 

Table 1.13 – West Central Wisconsin Region Industry Projections..................................33 

Table 1.14 – Race Characteristics, County and Municipality ...........................................34 

Table 1.15 – Educational Attainment Levels, County and Municipality ..........................35 

Table 1.16 – Labor Force (2000), County and Municipality.............................................45 

Table 1.17 – Labor Force (1990), County and Municipality.............................................47 

Table 1.18 – County Non-Farm Wage and Salary Employment .......................................49 

Table 1.19 – Employment by Industry (2000), County and Municipality.........................50 

Table 1.20 – Employment by Industry (1990), County and Municipality.........................52 

Table 1.21 – Employment by Occupation (2000), County and Municipality ...................54 

Table 1.22 – Employment by Occupation (1990), County and Municipality ...................56 

Table 1.23 – Travel Time to Work by Municipality..........................................................58 

Table 1.24 – Place of Work, County and Municipality .....................................................58 

Table 1.25 – Households by Household Income by Municipality.....................................59 

Table 1.26 – Median Household Income (comparison of counties)..................................59 

Table 1.27 – Median Household Income (municipalities).................................................60 

Table 2.1 – Seasonal Units, County and Municipality ......................................................65 

Table 2.2 – Units in Structure, County and Municipality..................................................66 

Table 2.3 – Contract Rent (Renter-Occupied Units), County and Municipality ...............67 

Table 2.4 – Owner-Occupied Housing Costs as Percentage of Household Income 

County and Municipality.................................................................................68 

Table 2.5 – Renter-Occupied Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income 

County and Municipality.................................................................................69 

Table 2.6 – Housing Unit Projections, County and Municipality......................................70 

Table 2.7 – Housing Characteristics by Municipality .......................................................71 

Table 3.1 – Road Mileage by Jurisdiction .........................................................................86 

Table 3.2 – WisDOT 6-year Plan project for Clark County..............................................87 

Table 3.3 – Ownership of Bridges in Clark County ..........................................................89 

Table 3.4 – Functionally Obsolete/Structurally Deficient Bridges, Clark County............90 

Table 3.5 – Clark County Crash History ...........................................................................93 

Table 3.6 – Highway Crashes by Municipality .................................................................95 

Table 3.7 – Commuting Patterns of Clark County Residents by Municipality .................97 

Table 4.1 – Enrollment of UW-Campuses in West Central Wisconsin...........................101 

Table 4.2 – Licensed Child Care Facilities in Clark County ...........................................103 

Table 4.3 – Assisted Living Facilities in Clark County...................................................105 

Table 4.4 – Clark County Cemeteries..............................................................................107 

Table 5.1 – Acres in Farmland.........................................................................................117 

Table 5.2 – Number of Farms by Ownership ..................................................................117 

Table 5.3 – Assessed Agricultural Parcels & Acreage by Municipality..........................118 

Table 5.4 – Potential 100-Year Floodplain Improvements by Town ..............................124 

Table 5.5 – Assessed Forest & Ag Forest Parcels & Acreage by Town .........................127 

Table 6.1 – Clark County Educational Attainment..........................................................139 

Table 6.2 – Clark County Average Annual Wages by Industry ......................................140 

Table 6.3 – Clark County Number of Establishments by Industry..................................144 

Table 6.4 – Clark County Employment by Industry........................................................145 

Table 6.5 – Clark County Top Employers as of March 2007..........................................147 

Table 6.6 – West Central Wis. Estimated Employment and Salary by Occup................149 

Table 6.7 – West Central Wis. Industry Projections........................................................151 

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Table of Contents

Table 6.8 – West Central Wis. Occupation Projections and Est. Wages.........................152 

Table 6.9 – West Central Wis. Occupation Projections...................................................153 

Table 6.10 – Contaminated Sites in Clark County ..........................................................160 

Table 7.1 – County Land Use ..........................................................................................166 

Table 7.2 – Acreage Loss of Land Assessed Agricultural by Municipality ....................166 

Table 7.3 – Percentage Loss of Land Assessed Agricultural by Municipality................167 

Table 7.4 – Most Agricultural Acres by Municipality.....................................................167 

Table 7.5 – Public Natural Resource Lands.....................................................................169 

Table 7.6 – Assessed Residential Acres, County and Municipality ................................174 

Table 7.7 – Assessed Commercial Acres, County and Municipality ..............................175 

Table 7.8 – Assessed Industrial Acres, County and Municipality...................................176 

Table 7.9 – Assessed Agricultural Parcels and Acreage, County and Municipality .......177 

Table 7.10 – Assessed Forest Parcels and Acreage by Town..........................................178 

Table 7.11 – Land Use Acreage, County and Municipality, 1987 ..................................179 



Table 7.14 – Agricultural Land Sales ..............................................................................182 

Table 7.15 – Forested Land Sales....................................................................................183 

Table 7.16 – Land Value Per Acre by Town ...................................................................183 

Table 7.17 – Land Value Per Acre by City or Village.....................................................184 

List of Maps 

1.1 – Clark County Locational Map ....................................................................................1 

1.2 – Clark County Population Change ...............................................................................5 

1.3 – Clark County Population Projections........................................................................12 

2.1 – Clark County Housing Unit Change.........................................................................83 

3.1 – Clark County Rural Functional Classification..........................................................88 

3.2 – Clark County Bicycling Conditions Assessment .....................................................92 

4.1 – Vocational Districts in the Region .........................................................................100 

4.2 – Electric Service in West Central Wisconsin ...........................................................111 

4.3 – Natural Gas Service in West Central Wisconsin ....................................................112 

4.4 – Clark County School Districts ................................................................................113 


v

Appendix A: Clark County Resource and Development Limitations Maps 

5.1 – Agricultural Lands (Cultivated Fields) 

5.2 – Soil Capability for Agricultural Crops (Prime Farmland) 

5.3 - Elevation 

5.4 – Potential Sand & Gravel Deposits 

5.5 – Flooding (Frequently Flooded Soils) 

5.6 – Wetlands and Water Resources 

5.7 – Steep Slopes 

5.8 – Forested Areas 

5.9 – Grasslands 

5.10 – Endangered Species & Natural Communities 

7.1 – Shallow Depth to Bedrock 

7.2 – Shallow Depth to Groundwater 

7.3 – Limitations for Septic Systems 

7.4 – Limitations for Residential Basements 

7.5 – Limitations for Small Commercial Buildings 

Clark County Resource and Land Use Atlas DVD 

Base Maps........................................................... for cities, villages, and towns in the Atlas 

Agricultural Lands (cultivated fields)............................. for County and towns in the Atlas 

Prime Farmland............................................................... for County and towns in the Atlas 

Elevation .............................................................................for all communities in the Atlas 

General Soil Associations............................................... for County and towns in the Atlas 

Potential Sand & Gravel Deposits .................................. for County and towns in the Atlas 

Surface Water Resources ....................................................for all communities in the Atlas 

Watersheds........................................................................................for County in the Atlas 

Floodplains (100-year) & Frequently Flooded Soils ..........for all communities in the Atlas 

Wetlands .............................................................................for all communities in the Atlas 

Steep Slopes........................................................................for all communities in the Atlas 

Forested Areas ................................................................ for County and towns in the Atlas 

Shallow Depth to Bedrock..................................................for all communities in the Atlas 

Shallow Depth to Groundwater ..........................................for all communities in the Atlas 

Limitations for Septic Systems ...........................................for all communities in the Atlas 

Limitations for Residential Basements ...............................for all communities in the Atlas 

Limitations for Small Commercial Buildings.....................for all communities in the Atlas 

Endangered Species and Natural Communities................................for County in the Atlas 

Town Land Use & Land Cover (2000) ..............................................for towns in the Atlas 

Village & City Land Use (2000)......................................for villages and cities in the Atlas 

vi 

Table of Contents

1. ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES INFORMATION 

Introduction 

The County Setting 

Clark County is located in central Wisconsin (see Map 1.1 below). With 1,215 square 

miles of surface area, Clark County is the seventh largest county in the State of 

Wisconsin. The County is bordered to the west by Chippewa and Eau Claire counties, to 

the south and west by Jackson County, to the east by Wood and Marathon counties, and 

to the north by Taylor County. 

Clark County had a 2008 population estimate of 34,589 which is a 3.1 percent increase 

since 2000. Clark County is comprised of all or parts of 46 civil divisions, consisting of 

33 towns, five villages and eight cities. The City of Neillsville, with an estimated 

population of 2,648, is the 

Map 1.1 - Clark County Locational Map 

largest community is Clark 

County and also the county 

seat. Three villages 

(Dorchester, Granton and 

Unity) and three cities 

(Abbotsford, Colby, and 

Stanley) have portions of 

their municipality within 

an adjacent county. 

Generally, the topography 

of Clark County is gently 

rolling, becoming 

increasingly more rugged 

and hilly in the 

southwestern portion of the 

County where the most 

recent glacial activity had 

not eroded away the 

sandstone. Prime farm 

soils dominate the 

northeast and east central 

portions of Clark County, 

while forest, wetlands, and 

other undeveloped uses 

dominate the more poorly 

drained soils in the western 

and southern parts of the 

County. 

Clark County Conditions and Trends Report 1

While Clark County has a total surface water area of 1,865 acres in 19 lakes, none of 

these lakes are natural. In most cases, water levels on these man-made flowages are 

controlled, which reduces the potential of flooding. The County also has numerous 

streams which flow into one of three major waterways—Eau Claire River to north and 

west, Yellow River to the east, and Black River which runs directly through the center of 

the County. Clark County is comprised of all or parts of sixteen watersheds which drain 

into one of three river basins in the County—the Upper Wisconsin River Basin in the 

east, the Black River Basin in the central portion, and the Lower Chippewa River Basin 

in the west. 

Approximately 34 percent of the County’s land base in 2000 was in agricultural 

croplands (excluding pasture). Large portions of the County, especially to the west and 

south, are forested, including over 130,000 acres of County forest lands. While the 

County has few lakes, almost 13% of the total acreage of Clark County is wetlands. 

The climate of Clark County is classified as mid-latitude continental. Warm, humid 

summers and cold, snowy winters are the main characteristics. The average monthly 

temperature ranges from 11 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 68.6 degrees Fahrenheit in 

July, though a low of –48 degrees was recorded for January 30, 1951, and a high of 99 

degrees recorded for June 6, 1968. Annual precipitation averages 31 inches, with 

approximately 74% of this precipitation occurring as rain during the months of April 

through September. Seasonal snowfall averages 40.6 inches, but can vary dramatically 

from year to year, with a 44-inch snow depth being the deepest ever recorded. On 

average, at least one inch of snow is on the ground for 66 days of the year. The 

prevailing winds are from the west or northwest, with the average highest wind speed of 

11 miles per hour occurring in the spring months. 

An interstate highway does not intersect Clark County. Only 202 miles of federal and 

state highways existing in the County, including U.S. Highway 10 and State Highways 

13, 29, 73, 95, and 98. The rural nature and low development density of Clark County 

have had two unique impacts on local road systems: (1) there are approximately 1,457 

miles of unpaved local roads, compared to only 148 miles of paved roads; and (2) there is 

great dependence on the county highway system and Clark County maintains over 300 

miles of county trunk highways. 

Element Context 

This section is a primary source for the necessary background information for the Issues 

and Opportunities Element of a comprehensive plan for communities in Clark County. A 

socio-economic profile for all of Clark County is provided, which provides the 

demographic context for communities developing their individual plans. 

Overall comprehensive planning goals and objectives for the County are not provided in 

this section; instead, each community’s comprehensive plan will contain its own 

individual vision, goals, and objectives. Existing governmental programs and policies are 

also not provided here, but are reviewed in the Special Addendum: Inventory of Existing 

Plans, Programs, & Land Use Policies in West Central Wisconsin. 

2 Issues & Opportunities Information

Socio-Economic Profile 

Population 

Analyzing population size, growth, density, characteristics and distribution trends reveals 

important facts about the most important component of growth and development in Clark 

County ⎯ its residents. Reviewing population characteristics will reveal important 

indicators of change that must be recognized to effectively prepare for change. 

After two decades of significant growth in the early part of the 20 th Century, Clark 

County’s population decreased steadily until 1970 when it began to rise once again. 

Even with population growth in recent years, the 2008 population estimate of 34,589 is 

still below the County’s 1920 population of 35,120. Between 2000 and 2008, the 

County’s population increased by 1,032 people, or 3.1 percent. If such a rate of growth 

were continued throughout the decade it would result in a decennial rate of about 3.8 

percent, below the six percent growth rate of the 1990s. See Figure 1.1 below, and 

Tables 1.2 and 1.3 at the end of this section. 

Figure 1.1 - Clark County Historical Population (1900 to 2008) 

Population 

40,000 

38,000 

36,000 

34,000 

32,000 

30,000 

28,000 

26,000 

24,000 

22,000 

20,000 

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008 

Year 

source: U.S. Census Bureau; Wisconsin Department of Administration 2008 estimate 

From 1990 to 2000, the towns of Dewhurst, Sherwood, Fremont, and Beaver had the 

highest rates of growth as a percentage of its population in Clark County (see Table 1.3 at 

end of section). The following communities had the most significant population growth 

in Clark County between 1990 to 2000: 

Town of Dewhurst 62.9% 

Town of Sherwood 29.2% 

Town of Fremont 23.6% 

Town of Beaver 21.5% 

Town of Lynn 18.6% 


Village of Dorchester (part) 18.1% 

Town of Mead 16.5% 

In terms of actual population increases, the Town of Fremont had the largest number of 

new residents (+227) between 1990 and 2000. The following communities all increased 

in population by over 100 residents during the 1990s: towns of Beaver, Dewhurst, Lynn, 

and Withee, Village of Dorchester (part), and cities of Greenwood, and Loyal. Numerous 

communities decreased in population during this timeframe: towns of Butler, Hendren, 

Mayville, Weston, and York, Village of Unity (part), and City of Thorp. 

Map 1.2 shows the population change for Clark County communities between 1970 and 

2000. Overall, the villages of Clark County have had the highest rates of population 

growth since the 1970s, though the towns grew slightly faster during the 1990s. Many of 

the fastest growing communities from 1970 to 2000 were areas which offered attractive 

natural amenities (e.g., forests, lakes/rivers, hunting lands), such as the towns of Foster, 

Hewett, Dewhurst. 


Map 1.2 - Clark County Population Change (1970 to 2000) 


Like most of west central Wisconsin, with the exception of Eau Claire County to the 

west, the percentage of Clark County’s population in unincorporated areas has been 

increasing in recent years (see Table 1.1 and Figure 1.2). 

Table 1.1 

Clark County Population Distribution by Incorporated and Unincorporated Communities 

(1950 to 2008) 

Area 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008 

Incorporated 10,251 10,794 10,953 12,155 11,879 12,256 12,188 

Unincorporated 22,208 20,733 19,408 20,755 19,768 21,301 22,401 

% Incorporated 31.6 34.2 36.1 36.9 37.5 36.5 35.2 

source: U.S. Census Bureau, WisDOA Demographic Services 2008 

The most significant change since 1950 is the large reduction in the rural farm population 

from 19,791 in 1950 to 5,519 in 2000. Yet, even with this decrease, 16.5 percent of the 

County’s population in 2000 was rural-farm. This is the highest percentage of rural-farm 

population in the seven-county west central Wisconsin region, with Dunn County at 7.3 

percent having the next highest percentage. 

Figure 1.2 

Clark County Population Distribution by Incorporated & Rural Residents (1950 to 2000) 

Percent of Total Population 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 

Year 

source: U.S. Census Bureau 

City or Village Rural Farm Rural Non-Farm 

From 1950 to 2000, population increases in Clark County has been largely from natural 

increases (births) rather than the in-migration of new residents (see Table 1.5 and Figure 

1.3). In fact, only during the 1970s and 1990s has the County had a positive net 

migration, with more residents leaving the County than entering it during the 1950s, 

1960s, and 1980s. 


Figure 1.3 

Clark County Components of Population Change (1950 to 2000) 

6,000 

4,000 

2,000 

People 

0 

-2,000 

1950-60 1960-70 1970-80 1980-90 1990-00 

-4,000 

-6,000 

Year 

Natural Increase 

Net Migration 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 

The average age of Clark County residents increased 5.5 years from 1980 to 2000 to a 

median age of 35.9 years in 2000 (see Table 1.6), which just below the State of 

Wisconsin 2000 median age of 36.0. Population increased only in the 35-44, 45-54, and 

75+ age groups between 1990 and 2000, reflecting the County’s large baby boom of the 

1950s and 1960s shown in Figure 1.3. 

The 1990 and 2000 age-by-sex breakdowns and percentage change for each municipality 

in Clark County are included at the end of this section in Tables 1.7, 1.8., and 1.9, at the 

end of this section. 

Overall, Clark County’s population is relatively homogenous, with 97.5 percent of the 

population in the white, non-Hispanic racial group as of 2000. Figure 1.4 shows the 

distribution of the population by race for much of the remaining population 1 (representing 

about 612 persons in 2000) for 1990 and 2000. During the past decade, the population in 

all racial groups increased. The “other race” category grew most and more residents in 

Clark County reported their race as “other” in 2000 than any of the other racial groups 

shown in Figure 1.4. 

Table 1.14 shows the race characteristics of Clark County by municipality in 2000. 

Hispanic/Latino is not shown in Table 1.14 since this is considered an ethnicity by 

Census standards and not a race; individuals of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are included 

as part of the other race categories shown. In 2000, a total of 301 persons in Clark 

1 Due to differences between the 1990 and 2000 Censuses in the collection of data by race and ethnicity, 

Figure 1.4 does not include persons of two or more races and Pacific Islanders in the 2000 figures. 


County were identified as being of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, an increase of 242 

persons from 1990. 

Figure 1.4 

Clark County Racial/Ethnic Population Characteristics (1990 and 2000) 

180 

160 

140 

120 

People 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 

Black American Indian Asian White Hispanic Other 

Year 

Educational Attainment 

1990 2000 

The Decennial Census provides information on educational attainment levels, which are 

listed in Table 1.15. All but eight Clark County communities saw a greater percentage of 

residents, 25 years or older, with high school or higher education levels in 2000 than in 

1990. 

It should be no surprise with the large investments in education and the increasing 

requirement for technical or post-secondary degrees for job placement that larger 

numbers of people are pursuing higher education. Clark County communities have had a 

significant percentage of people who have attained high school or higher educational 

levels (75.4 percent in 2000), though these attainment numbers are the lowest of the 

seven-county west central Wisconsin region. Since 1990, more Clark County residents 

have pursued post-secondary education. In 2000, 32.7 percent of Clark County residents 

25 years or older had attended a post-secondary institution, with 16.5 percent achieving a 

degree. 


Employment 

The area’s current economic growth is a major contributor to the employment 

opportunities available to Clark County residents. The principal economic factors that 

influence an individual's quality of life and provide a choice of residential options are 

employment opportunities and income. A comparison of labor force and employment 

statistics for 1990 and 2000 provides some insight into the economic well-being of Clark 

County community residents. 

Personal income is derived primarily from employment wages. An individual's 

occupation determines the range of that wage scale and influences the personal standard 

of living. A comparison of the occupations of those employed in the labor force helps to 

determine the economic affect of the employment opportunities available to area 

residents, and the ability to increase their standard of living. 

While the segment of the population eligible for the labor force in Clark County grew by 

7.9 percent between 1990 and 2000 (see Table 1.16 and Table 1.17), the actual number in 

the labor force increased by 12.3 percent. The employed residents in the labor force 

increased by 13.7 percent over the same period, while the number of unemployed 

residents decreased by 11.3 percent. Based on these statistics, it appears that a growing 

number of County residents had been finding employment opportunities in the 1990s. 

Table 1.18 shows the employment trends between 1990 and 2006 for employers in Clark 

County based on tax and employee information. However, the Census Bureau collects 

place-of-residence employment data. This means these data can tell us in what industries 

or occupations the residents of Clark County communities work, but not where they 

work. Tables 1.20 and 1.21 at the end of this section compare the industries in which 

Clark County residents worked between 1990 and 2000. During this timeframe, the 

largest increases occurred in the manufacturing, education and health services, and arts, 

entertainment, accommodation, and food service industries. Perhaps surprising is the 

decrease in employment in the retail trade industry. 

Tables 1.22 and 1.23 show in what occupations Clark County residents were employed as 

opposed to the industries in which they work. The number of residents in managerial, 

professional, and technician occupations increased most, while the most significant 

decreases occurred in the farming, forestry, and fishing occupations. Production, 

transportation, and material moving occupations saw a very small decrease. No 1990 

data for construction occupations was available for comparison. 

The economic downturn early in the decade starting in 2000 makes it uncertain how the 

labor force and employment has been affected in Clark County. Tables 1.18 and 1.19 

may provide indicators in employment for Clark County that reflect the recent economic 

slowdown. Table 1.18 shows Clark County non-farm employment for 1990 through 

2006. Although one cannot see what is happening in each municipality, one could infer 

that the trend defined for Clark County is likely to show changes in employment 

opportunities for the residents of most Clark County communities. Table 1.18 shows that 

employment in the County has increased overall since 1990, with a slowdown in the early 


part of this decade reflecting the larger national economic slowdown at that time. 

Between 2002 and 2006, employment has been growing more slowly in Clark County 

compared to the growth rate of the 1990s. 

Although the Decennial Census’s standard available information limits employment 

information to place of residence, it also provides information that can indicate Clark 

County’s commuting characteristics. Table 1.23 shows how long it took Clark County 

residents to get to work in 1990 and 2000. During this period, the number of residents 

who worked at home or commuted less than 20 minutes to work increased by less than 

one percent between 1990 and 2000, while the number of residents who commuted 20 

minutes or more to work increased by 44.9 percent. In 1990, 28.4 percent of employed 

residents commuted 20 minutes or longer, which increased to 36.2 percent by 2000. In 

general, Clark County residents are travelling longer distances to work. 

Studying the distribution of workers and employment centers is helpful with economic 

development efforts and transportation infrastructure management. The Census 

information that reveals actual commuting patterns is called Place of Residence/Place of 

Work which is shown in Table 1.24. In 2000, about 66.6 percent of the workers living in 

the County worked within Clark County and 12.5 percent commuted to nearby Wood 

County. 

Income 

The combined effect of advanced education and increased employment opportunities, and 

evidence of well-paying occupations, is also reflected in the earning capability and 

increasing incomes of Clark County residents. Table 1.25 shows household income 

distribution for Clark County households in 1989 and 1999. Table 1.26 shows the 

changes in income of Clark County and surrounding county residents between 1990 and 

2000. Finally, Table 1.27 shows the median household income for all Clark County 

communities. 

Household income is the sum of money income received in the calendar year before the 

decennial census and is collected for all household members 15 years old and over, 

including household members not related to the householder, people living alone, and 

other non-family household members. Included in the total are amounts reported 

separately for wage or salary income; net self-employment income; interest, dividends, or 

net rental or royalty income or income from estates and trusts; Social Security or Railroad 

Retirement income; Supplemental Security Income (SSI); public assistance or welfare 

payments; retirement, survivor, or disability pensions; and all other income. The median 

is the mathematically derived middle value with 50 percent of households above and 50 

percent below that number. 

It can be seen from Table 1.26 that Clark County has a significantly lower median 

household income compared to the surrounding counties. Certainly counties with, or 

closer to, larger urban centers have a greater “economic engine” that provides 

employment opportunities and resultant higher income levels. Those counties with lower 


incomes all have smaller urban centers or are further away from significant employment 

centers. 

The data indicates that incomes for Clark County community residents increased faster 

than the State of Wisconsin average between 1990 and 2000, but remains well below the 

state median household income. It can also be seen that the median household income in 

many of the unincorporated towns are above the County median household income. 

Population Projections 

Population projections have long been used to assess development prospects and 

community facility needs created by population growth. Small area population forecasts 

can be used to evaluate potential residential development and economic conditions, and 

the level of demand for public facilities and services. Businesses, schools and 

government frequently use these forecasts to determine the future needs or design of 

public facilities or services. This estimate of future growth is also valuable information 

for establishing management techniques to guide orderly growth and development. 

Projecting population is not a science in which absolutes can be placed. Consequently, 

there are limitations that should be remembered when reviewing and evaluating these 

forecasts. These limitations include: 

 

 

 

 

Population projections are based on historical trends of population growth that are 

extended into the future, and the assumption that those trends, and the factors behind 

them, will continue to some point in time. 

Forecasts of large area populations (e.g., states or counties) are more reliable. The 

smaller the area for which a projection is produced, like an individual community, the 

greater the possibility for error. 

The closer the projection year is to the base year; the more likely the population for 

that projection will be close to the true population. 

Population projections are, at best, guides and their limitations must be considered. 

Intimate knowledge of local conditions can help build local variables into population 

projections to enhance their validity. 

The Wisconsin Department of Administration (WisDOA) population projections are, by 

state statute, the official population projections for Wisconsin. As shown in Table 1.10 

and Map 1.3, between 2000 and 2030, the WisDOA projections predict a 21.7 percent 

increase in the Clark County population (about 7,276 more residents). Like recent trends, 

the percentage increases are projected to be highest in many of the towns, with the 

villages and cities generally growing at a slower pace. 


Map 1.3 - Clark County Population Projections (2000 to 2030) 


Household Projections 

A household forecast is used to help develop housing and land-use forecasts. The 

Wisconsin Department of Administration, Demographic Services has prepared household 

projections for year 2000 to 2030 in five-year increments found in Table 1.11. 

Employment Projections 

In May 2008, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (WDWD) Office of 

Economic Advisors (OEA) released a series of publications entitled OEA 2006-2016 

Statewide Long-term Projections. In addition, a WDWD-OEA report entitled 

Occupation Projections for West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Area, 2004- 

2014 was also released in August of 2006. These reports make economic projections 

regarding the state’s labor force, industries and occupations. 

Municipal units within Clark County have employment patterns that are similar to the 

state. It is expected that during the next several years, Wisconsin’s population is 

projected to grow slower and older than the nation as a whole, therefore leading to lower 

workforce participation rates. Wisconsin is also having difficulty attracting domestic 

migrants and retaining its own citizens. However, the number of international 

immigrants is increasing significantly. Wisconsin will continue to face the challenge of 

filling job openings. The industries that are projected to add the most jobs from 2006- 

2016 are ambulatory health care services, administrative and support services, eating and 

drinking establishments, hospitals, social assistance, and professional, scientific and 

technical services. The top six occupations in Wisconsin with the greatest expected job 

growth for 2006-2016 are retail salespersons (32,400); cashiers (31,400); 

waiters/waitresses (30,900); registered nurses (21,800); customer service representatives 

(21,000); and combined food preparation/serving workers (20,800). For further labor 

force and economic base indicators refer to Section 6: Economic Development 

Information section. 

Table 1.12 presents employment and wage projections by the top 10 occupations for the 

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development-West Central Wisconsin Region. 

This represents the occupation opportunities available for Clark County residents. The 

greatest demand for workers is in the occupations on the ‘Most Openings’ list. This list 

includes many occupations considered as first-time, or temporary, jobs that workers often 

leave as other opportunities open up. Turnover is high and wages are low. There is one 

exception on the list: registered nurses which requires a greater degree of education or 

training and reflects a higher wage scale. 

The ‘Fastest Growth’ occupations are often referred to as hot jobs, with more training 

requirements and better wages. There are often fewer openings in these jobs since the list 

is based on the greatest percent change in employment; for example, an occupation that 

increases from 5 to 10 jobs increased 100 percent, whereas an occupation that increases 

from 2,000 to 2,200 jobs increased only 10 percent. 


Table 1.13 shows employment projections by industry for the West Central Wisconsin 

Region. The greatest potential growth for employment appears to be in health and 

education related fields, while computer and electronic product manufacturing appears to 

be at risk of losing employment. Information and professional services, and the leisure 

and hospitality industry have the potential to add significant employment by 2014. 

Summary 

Certain trends become apparent after reviewing the countywide demographic and 

economic information. Studying these trends and their implications on local quality of 

life will be useful in guiding public decision making. 

Clark County continues to slowly increase in population with the sixteenth slowest rate of 

growth in the State of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2008. While its growth rate was below 

the other six counties of west central Wisconsin, Clark County did grow at a rate above 

that of neighboring Wood and Taylor counties. Clark County’s population increase has 

been more from births, rather than the in-migration of new residents, over the past 50 

years. 

In 2000, 16.4 percent of the population was classified as “rural farm”, which is the 

highest percentage in west central Wisconsin. However, this was a tremendous decrease 

from 61 percent in 1950. The rural, non-farm population continues to climb while the 

percentage of the County’s population residing in the cities and villages has declined 

slightly in recent decades. 

It is clear that the national trend of an aging population is reflected in Clark County with 

the County’s median age about equal to the Wisconsin average. While the Clark County 

population will continue to age, it will also be changing its racial and ethnic 

characteristics. The County’s minority population can be expected to continue to 

increase. 

Clark County residents have become more educated over the past several decades, though 

educational attainment levels have lagged behind the other six west central Wisconsin 

counties. Without adequate employment opportunities, this can lead to the loss of 

increasingly well-qualified individuals moving to other areas offering those opportunities. 

Overall, residents have been increasingly willing to travel longer to places of 

employment though 67 percent of working residents still worked within Clark County in 

2000. 

Overall, the previously analyzed trends reveal that Clark County will continue to 

experience growth in population and employment and its communities will face several 

challenges as a result. Clark County is also more rural than many of the counties in the 

area, with a low population density. It also does not have a large commercial center like 

Eau Claire or Rice Lake within the County, and it is the farthest west central Wisconsin 

county from the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Based on place of work, Clark County 

likely has stronger economic ties to Wood County (Marshfield) and Marathon County 

(Wausau). Given the unique geography and circumstances of Clark County, the issues, 


goals, and policies of Clark County and its municipalities may be quite different than 

counties experiencing higher rates of growth and development. 

Over the next several sections of this Conditions and Trends Report, other factors that 

affect Clark County communities will be explored. With further analysis of these 

following sections it is hoped that a clear picture of where Clark County has been, and is 

now, will emerge. This will help communities frame the issues that face them, the 

changes that are likely to impact them and the ways they can address those changes to 

achieve the community character they desire. 

Data Tables 

Table 1.2 

Clark County Historical Population (1900 to 2008) 

Year 

Population 

Numerical 

Change 

Percent 

Change 

1900 25,848 -- -- 

1910 30,174 4,326 16.7 

1920 35,120 4,946 16.4 

1930 34,165 -955 -2.7 

1940 33,972 -193 -0.6 

1950 32,459 -1,513 -4.5 

1960 31,527 -932 -2.9 

1970 30,361 -1,166 -3.7 

1980 32,910 2,549 8.4 

1990 31,647 -1,263 -3.8 

2000 33,557 1,910 6.0 

2008 34,589 1,032 3.1 

source: U.S. Census Bureau, WisDOA 2008 preliminary estimate 


Table 1.3 

Clark County Historical Population and Population Change by MCD (1970 to 2008) 

1970 1980 1990 2000 2008 '70-'80 '80-'90 '90-'00 '00-'08 

Towns 

Beaver 718 777 703 854 915 8.2% -9.5% 21.5% 7.1% 

Butler 83 81 91 88 91 -2.4% 12.3% -3.3% 3.4% 

Colby 812 800 846 908 937 -1.5% 5.8% 7.3% 3.2% 

Dewhurst 99 132 197 321 386 33.3% 49.2% 62.9% 20.2% 

Eaton 572 663 640 665 697 15.9% -3.5% 3.9% 4.8% 

Foster 51 111 85 95 99 117.6% -23.4% 11.8% 4.2% 

Fremont 905 982 963 1,190 1,301 8.5% -1.9% 23.6% 9.3% 

Grant 736 882 890 920 977 19.8% 0.9% 3.4% 6.2% 

Green Grove 663 678 628 675 685 2.3% -7.4% 7.5% 1.5% 

Hendren 526 570 542 513 520 8.4% -4.9% -5.4% 1.4% 

Hewett 170 301 314 314 314 77.1% 4.3% 0.0% 0.0% 

Hixon 791 810 673 740 767 2.4% -16.9% 10.0% 3.6% 

Hoard 919 881 805 821 855 -4.1% -8.6% 2.0% 4.1% 

Levis 337 433 492 504 544 28.5% 13.6% 2.4% 7.9% 

Longwood 728 673 661 698 746 -7.6% -1.8% 5.6% 6.9% 

Loyal 819 882 757 787 801 7.7% -14.2% 4.0% 1.8% 

Lynn 555 587 703 834 841 5.8% 19.8% 18.6% 0.8% 

Mayville 957 962 932 919 951 0.5% -3.1% -1.4% 3.5% 

Mead 237 303 249 290 311 27.8% -17.8% 16.5% 7.2% 

Mentor 584 596 521 570 608 2.1% -12.6% 9.4% 6.7% 

Pine Valley 923 1,137 1,032 1,121 1,265 23.2% -9.2% 8.6% 12.8% 

Reseburg 742 761 687 740 742 2.6% -9.7% 7.7% 0.3% 

Seif 162 254 211 212 201 56.8% -16.9% 0.5% -5.2% 

Sherman 674 766 736 831 881 13.6% -3.9% 12.9% 6.0% 

Sherwood 199 173 195 252 262 -13.1% 12.7% 29.2% 4.0% 

Thorp 873 743 710 730 751 -14.9% -4.4% 2.8% 2.9% 

Unity 796 815 735 745 778 2.4% -9.8% 1.4% 4.4% 

Warner 607 668 599 627 668 10.0% -10.3% 4.7% 6.5% 

Washburn 325 276 310 304 301 -15.1% 12.3% -1.9% -1.0% 

Weston 602 646 662 638 674 7.3% 2.5% -3.6% 5.6% 

Withee 801 859 767 885 929 7.2% -10.7% 15.4% 5.0% 

Worden 595 650 575 657 718 9.2% -11.5% 14.3% 9.3% 

York 847 903 857 853 885 6.6% -5.1% -0.5% 3.8% 

sub-total 19,408 20,755 19,768 21,301 22,401 6.9% -4.8% 7.8% 5.2% 

Villages 

Curtiss 135 127 173 198 207 -5.9% 36.2% 14.5% 4.5% 

Dorchester* 491 613 697 823 854 24.8% 13.7% 18.1% 3.8% 

Granton* 288 399 379 406 396 38.5% -5.0% 7.1% -2.5% 

Unity* 154 166 196 163 161 7.8% 18.1% -16.8% -1.2% 

Withee 480 509 503 508 492 6.0% -1.2% 1.0% -3.1% 

sub-total 1,548 1,814 1,948 2,098 2,110 17.2% 7.4% 7.7% 0.6% 

Cities 

Year 

Percent Change 

Abbotsford* 1,108 1,401 1,409 1,412 1,377 26.4% 0.6% 0.2% -2.5% 

Colby* 885 1,151 1,116 1,156 1,238 30.1% -3.0% 3.6% 7.1% 

Greenwood 1,036 1,124 969 1,079 1,077 8.5% -13.8% 11.4% -0.2% 

Loyal 1,126 1,252 1,205 1,308 1,276 11.2% -3.8% 8.5% -2.4% 

Neillsville 2,750 2,780 2,680 2,731 2,648 1.1% -3.6% 1.9% -3.0% 

Owen 1,031 998 895 936 920 -3.2% -10.3% 4.6% -1.7% 

Stanley* 0 0 0 0 7 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 

Thorp 1,469 1,635 1,657 1,536 1,535 11.3% 1.3% -7.3% -0.1% 

sub-total 9,405 10,341 9,931 10,158 10,078 10.0% -4.0% 2.3% -0.8% 

Total 30,361 32,910 31,647 33,557 34,589 8.4% -3.8% 6.0% 3.1% 

source: U.S. Census Bureau; Wisconsin Department of Administration Estimate, 2008 

*Portion of these communities located in Clark County only. 


Table 1.4 

Clark County Historical Population by Age and Sex (1980 to 2000) 

Male Female Total 

Age 1980 2000 1980 2000 1980 2000 

0-4 1,426 1,293 1,279 1,262 2,705 2,555 

5-9 1,431 1,294 1,277 1,295 2,708 2,589 

10-14 1,592 1,525 1,458 1,424 3,050 2,949 

15-19 1,691 1,531 1,507 1,381 3,198 2,912 

20-24 1,229 894 1,098 718 2,327 1,612 

25-34 2,207 1,915 2,064 1,864 4,271 3,779 

35-44 1,559 2,605 1,634 2,412 3,193 5,017 

45-54 1,518 2,081 1,589 1,931 3,107 4,012 

55-64 1,640 1,334 1,587 1,425 3,227 2,759 

65-74 1,377 1,203 1,570 1,359 2,947 2,562 

75+ 921 1,144 1,256 1,667 2,177 2,811 

Median Age 30.4 35.9 

source: 

U.S. Census Bureau 

Table 1.5 

Clark County Components of Population Change (1950 to 2000) 

1950 to 

1960 

1960 to 

1970 

1970 to 

1980 

1980 to 

1990 

1990 to 

2000 

Births 7,321 6,023 5,002 5,340 4,599 

Deaths 3,075 3,231 3,309 3,367 3,275 

Total Natural Increase 4,246 2,792 1,693 1,973 1,324 

Natural Increase Rate 13.5% 9.2% 5.1% 6.2% 3.9% 

Net Migration -5,178 -3,958 856 -3,236 586 

Net Migration Rate -16.4% -13.0% 2.6% -10.2% 1.7% 

Total Population Change -932 -1,166 2549 -1,263 1,910 

Percent Population Change -2.9% -3.7% 8.4% -3.8% 6.0% 

*NOTE: Calculated as a percent of the County’s total population. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services 


Table 1.6 

Clark County Change in Age-Sex Structure (1980 to 2000) 

1980 to 2000 Total 

Age Male Female # Change Pct Change 

0-4 -133 -31 -150 -5.5 

5-9 -137 1 -119 -4.4 

10-14 -67 -101 -101 -3.3 

15-19 -160 -150 -286 -8.9 

20-24 -335 -176 -715 -30.7 

25-34 -292 -51 -492 -11.5 

35-44 1,046 -193 1,824 57.1 

45-54 563 -150 905 29.1 

55-64 -306 91 -468 -14.5 

65-74 -174 156 -385 -13.1 

75+ 223 523 634 29.1 

source: 

U.S. Census Bureau 


Table 1.7 

Population by Age and Sex by Municipality – 2000 Clark County 

Beaver (T) 

Butler (T) 

Colby (T) 

Dewhurst (T) 

Eaton (T) 

Foster (T) 

Total 854 88 908 321 665 95 1190 920 902 513 314 740 594 504 

Median Age 25.7 42.3 31.3 50 32.1 49.6 30.1 34.8 41.3 40.6 40.1 32.4 31.8 36.8 

Male 473 43 465 168 353 49 618 472 442 271 159 380 302 280 

Fremont (T) 

Female 381 45 443 153 312 46 572 448 460 242 155 360 292 224 

Male 

Under 5 years 59 1 42 1 29 1 57 37 31 21 8 38 24 14 

5 to 9 years 53 0 35 9 37 0 54 34 27 17 8 49 25 21 

10 to 14 years 48 3 57 12 41 2 65 43 42 26 8 34 36 28 

15 to 17 years 35 2 32 3 32 2 43 31 20 18 10 24 19 19 

18 and 19 years 14 3 14 7 9 1 14 17 7 7 4 9 12 10 

20 years 8 4 5 1 2 0 11 3 2 1 0 4 4 4 

21 years 4 0 11 0 3 0 8 2 5 1 3 3 3 2 

22 to 24 years 19 0 8 5 11 0 27 17 11 2 3 6 11 14 

25 to 29 years 27 2 19 4 11 3 33 31 21 11 6 15 11 12 

30 to 34 years 27 4 26 5 15 4 37 25 22 6 16 21 23 14 

35 to 39 years 35 3 40 7 27 2 52 29 33 23 14 27 28 20 

40 to 44 years 39 4 46 15 28 3 46 46 28 28 18 28 24 20 

45 to 49 years 29 2 25 15 32 8 43 42 23 24 10 35 18 17 

50 to 54 years 19 5 26 14 20 4 30 23 24 21 18 17 11 23 

55 to 59 years 16 2 18 21 13 6 21 18 21 14 6 8 7 18 

60 and 61 years 4 1 7 6 4 0 9 4 9 4 0 4 5 8 

62 to 64 years 4 1 9 6 4 1 14 11 13 6 5 5 9 8 

65 to 69 years 6 2 16 17 7 1 16 24 17 7 9 15 6 6 

70 to 74 years 12 3 5 6 10 4 14 12 24 8 7 16 9 11 

75 to 79 years 11 1 15 9 9 5 15 13 19 13 4 8 8 4 

80 to 84 years 3 0 7 4 8 1 5 6 20 11 0 10 5 2 

85 years and over 1 0 2 1 1 1 4 4 23 2 2 4 4 5 

Female 

Under 5 years 51 4 43 4 33 1 52 35 35 15 7 27 25 12 

5 to 9 years 36 4 41 3 27 2 38 35 41 17 10 40 42 11 

10 to 14 years 43 1 42 8 30 0 59 43 35 21 11 34 36 24 

15 to 17 years 23 3 38 9 28 0 29 31 16 10 8 19 21 13 

18 and 19 years 11 0 15 0 7 0 29 14 9 7 2 11 4 8 

20 years 4 1 2 2 1 1 11 1 2 2 0 4 4 3 

21 years 5 0 3 1 1 2 7 5 4 0 1 3 1 2 

22 to 24 years 10 1 7 1 7 2 20 10 16 4 3 5 3 2 

25 to 29 years 22 2 22 4 10 1 37 25 19 9 10 21 8 10 

30 to 34 years 38 2 27 6 18 2 43 23 20 13 9 30 22 13 

35 to 39 years 29 2 40 13 33 3 44 33 23 18 15 26 28 18 

40 to 44 years 24 6 28 12 30 4 50 33 30 20 13 24 12 15 

45 to 49 years 21 5 29 13 19 5 40 37 21 15 8 29 19 15 

50 to 54 years 18 5 25 15 20 3 24 23 27 17 18 15 7 16 

55 to 59 years 12 0 14 18 6 5 24 18 14 8 9 12 11 16 

60 and 61 years 2 0 10 1 5 2 7 4 8 8 2 1 5 5 

62 to 64 years 6 2 9 6 5 2 10 12 9 5 5 11 6 6 

65 to 69 years 5 2 11 16 6 1 15 29 18 9 12 11 4 8 

70 to 74 years 14 0 11 8 14 2 15 16 21 13 6 17 13 10 

75 to 79 years 5 3 13 9 7 4 9 9 25 10 3 11 12 2 

80 to 84 years 2 1 5 3 4 3 5 8 25 12 2 6 5 8 

85 years and over 0 1 8 1 1 1 4 4 42 9 1 3 4 7 

Table 1.7 continued on next page 

Grant (T) 

Green Grove (T) 

Hendren (T) 

Hewett (T) 

Hixon (T) 

Hoard (T) 

Levis (T) 


Table 1.7 continued 


Longwood (T) 

Loyal (T) 

Lynn (T) 

Mayville (T) 

Mead (T) 

Mentor (T) 

Total 698 787 834 919 290 570 1121 740 212 831 252 730 745 627 

Median Age 34.4 26.6 29.2 33.2 39.3 39.1 39 25.2 43.8 29.9 39.8 34.8 32.1 34.6 

Male 361 408 415 469 156 293 564 367 110 423 127 396 391 316 

Female 337 379 419 450 134 277 557 373 102 408 125 334 354 311 

Male 

Under 5 years 27 36 38 33 16 23 19 31 11 40 10 34 34 26 

5 to 9 years 37 29 39 43 10 17 42 34 7 46 5 22 43 26 

10 to 14 years 35 46 42 40 11 19 40 34 5 41 10 46 33 30 

15 to 17 years 20 35 38 27 4 17 38 36 0 28 6 24 18 24 

18 and 19 years 15 17 9 22 4 11 15 12 1 9 3 12 11 5 

20 years 7 8 5 7 3 1 3 4 0 4 1 6 4 4 

21 years 4 5 7 10 0 3 8 6 1 5 2 3 3 3 

22 to 24 years 7 19 17 18 4 7 13 14 6 13 3 12 13 8 

25 to 29 years 15 28 17 22 14 15 26 21 4 28 4 16 21 13 

30 to 34 years 15 26 28 26 7 12 42 18 10 32 7 21 32 19 

35 to 39 years 27 23 28 31 10 26 43 17 6 37 12 29 39 15 

40 to 44 years 25 30 35 42 6 30 53 34 5 35 10 39 29 34 

45 to 49 years 29 21 23 36 11 20 50 24 10 25 12 32 24 18 

50 to 54 years 15 21 23 24 13 20 30 29 11 25 7 22 26 28 

55 to 59 years 22 19 20 15 11 11 34 10 6 14 5 14 13 19 

60 and 61 years 10 7 6 7 5 5 12 3 3 11 0 8 6 6 

62 to 64 years 8 7 7 11 5 11 18 0 6 3 2 7 6 7 

65 to 69 years 12 11 11 22 7 15 27 18 2 11 9 19 13 10 

70 to 74 years 14 9 11 10 5 10 21 8 6 4 8 11 10 9 

75 to 79 years 12 8 6 12 5 9 17 8 6 4 8 6 5 4 

80 to 84 years 3 2 4 4 2 9 7 2 2 1 0 7 4 3 

85 years and over 2 1 1 7 3 2 6 4 2 7 3 6 4 5 

Female 

Under 5 years 34 42 44 37 9 16 36 44 6 44 12 30 31 27 

5 to 9 years 38 35 40 34 14 23 50 36 7 42 7 22 35 33 

10 to 14 years 33 45 40 43 9 23 47 53 5 45 8 35 35 27 

15 to 17 years 14 31 27 32 6 12 32 27 5 19 7 22 12 27 

18 and 19 years 9 14 15 15 2 8 19 13 2 10 2 12 9 7 

20 years 2 4 5 5 0 1 3 5 1 3 0 1 2 2 

21 years 2 1 3 7 1 4 2 2 3 3 0 3 3 2 

22 to 24 years 10 12 16 12 0 10 9 17 0 8 3 9 17 5 

25 to 29 years 9 28 20 24 10 13 25 19 6 30 6 24 26 14 

30 to 34 years 21 18 20 24 6 14 29 14 6 34 5 12 20 14 

35 to 39 years 17 24 32 28 8 21 45 22 4 35 14 27 25 32 

40 to 44 years 18 23 34 46 6 24 43 25 11 29 11 31 30 24 

45 to 49 years 34 22 24 28 15 20 44 25 9 23 7 27 27 17 

50 to 54 years 16 20 23 28 5 21 39 22 6 19 6 13 14 20 

55 to 59 years 24 19 17 19 14 12 34 10 3 25 4 22 21 15 

60 and 61 years 4 1 5 7 3 7 9 7 3 5 2 6 7 5 

62 to 64 years 5 10 8 11 5 12 15 1 1 7 3 4 12 4 

65 to 69 years 14 9 20 16 3 10 29 8 4 7 10 12 7 12 

70 to 74 years 15 11 7 11 7 7 17 11 7 7 11 13 6 5 

75 to 79 years 9 5 5 12 3 7 10 7 5 6 4 3 8 10 

80 to 84 years 3 2 9 8 5 9 13 4 5 7 2 4 5 5 

85 years and over 6 3 5 3 3 3 7 1 3 0 1 2 2 4 


Pine Valley (T) 

Reseburg (T) 

Seif (T) 

Sherman (T) 

Sherwood (T) 

Thorp (T) 

Unity (T) 

Warner (T) 




Washburn (T) 

Weston (T) 

Withee (T) 

Worden (T) 

Total 304 638 885 657 853 198 823 406 163 508 

Median Age 38 37.7 27.5 29.4 34.3 29.1 35.3 33 32.8 39.6 

York (T) 

Male 161 336 448 339 440 103 408 210 87 247 

Female 143 302 437 318 413 95 415 196 76 261 

Male 

Under 5 years 15 20 41 28 25 14 40 20 6 17 

5 to 9 years 8 29 44 38 36 7 25 17 6 26 

10 to 14 years 12 26 46 32 39 10 30 21 7 16 

15 to 17 years 12 22 29 18 41 4 20 14 6 10 

18 and 19 years 3 9 16 16 17 3 14 6 2 5 

20 years 1 7 3 5 8 2 6 3 3 0 

21 years 0 3 5 3 8 2 5 5 1 2 

22 to 24 years 4 8 19 6 19 0 9 6 2 7 

25 to 29 years 8 16 24 16 14 11 33 11 8 25 

30 to 34 years 10 21 18 18 16 12 27 16 2 12 

35 to 39 years 16 23 29 30 34 3 35 12 12 14 

40 to 44 years 13 32 34 27 41 4 42 17 7 23 

45 to 49 years 12 28 36 29 35 7 20 12 9 14 

50 to 54 years 10 24 23 16 28 4 14 10 3 14 

55 to 59 years 3 10 16 13 21 2 15 4 3 6 

60 and 61 years 5 6 13 4 7 2 5 5 0 3 

62 to 64 years 0 6 8 6 10 2 6 7 2 10 

65 to 69 years 12 19 7 15 17 6 16 4 1 9 

70 to 74 years 8 12 17 6 9 3 19 9 2 11 

75 to 79 years 5 4 4 6 6 2 7 4 3 10 

80 to 84 years 2 6 11 5 7 2 12 6 2 8 

85 years and over 2 5 5 2 2 1 8 1 0 5 

Female 

Under 5 years 7 13 39 34 31 10 39 19 4 18 

5 to 9 years 12 22 43 37 34 13 24 13 5 11 

10 to 14 years 13 24 55 33 33 9 27 14 8 14 

15 to 17 years 11 20 32 22 31 3 12 6 5 10 

18 and 19 years 2 8 18 13 17 2 13 7 2 6 

20 years 0 2 6 1 9 0 3 3 1 0 

21 years 0 2 3 4 3 1 9 2 1 1 

22 to 24 years 3 7 18 6 8 3 16 7 2 9 

25 to 29 years 7 16 21 21 22 12 36 10 6 24 

30 to 34 years 4 16 19 26 24 8 21 17 8 15 

35 to 39 years 17 29 26 24 33 5 31 13 5 15 

40 to 44 years 11 30 28 22 32 6 32 13 4 17 

45 to 49 years 14 23 33 20 39 3 25 10 6 18 

50 to 54 years 7 16 20 15 17 0 9 11 7 15 

55 to 59 years 6 16 18 9 25 2 16 10 1 16 

60 and 61 years 1 7 4 2 4 0 8 2 1 4 

62 to 64 years 3 10 10 4 8 2 12 5 3 7 

65 to 69 years 13 12 14 14 19 5 15 6 0 11 

70 to 74 years 6 9 12 3 9 4 17 6 0 14 

75 to 79 years 3 8 8 4 7 4 16 12 4 15 

80 to 84 years 3 6 7 3 5 1 12 6 1 13 

85 years and over 0 6 3 1 3 2 22 4 2 8 


Curtiss (V) 

Dorchester (V)* 

Granton (V) 

Unity (V)* 

Withee (V) 




Abbotsford (C)* 

Colby (C)* 

Greenwood (C) 

Loyal (C) 

Total 1412 1156 1079 1308 2731 936 0 1536 33557 

Median Age 40.2 40.4 37.9 37.4 40.3 41.1 n.a 42 35.9 

Male 701 528 522 619 1264 444 0 691 16819 

Female 711 628 557 689 1467 492 0 845 16738 

Male 

Under 5 years 51 33 34 55 69 36 0 48 1293 

5 to 9 years 41 33 26 47 83 22 0 37 1294 

10 to 14 years 54 58 38 51 122 31 0 55 1525 

15 to 17 years 34 28 25 18 88 22 0 29 1025 

18 and 19 years 15 17 21 13 39 16 0 20 506 

20 years 8 3 5 9 12 4 0 6 191 

21 years 10 4 7 5 17 6 0 14 202 

22 to 24 years 22 10 14 14 35 18 0 20 501 

25 to 29 years 45 24 35 49 64 23 0 46 902 

30 to 34 years 49 40 37 47 85 25 0 38 1013 

35 to 39 years 55 44 48 39 89 29 0 49 1244 

40 to 44 years 50 39 27 44 94 43 0 44 1361 

45 to 49 years 43 32 35 32 75 32 0 47 1156 

50 to 54 years 26 30 25 30 66 13 0 40 925 

55 to 59 years 33 24 29 21 42 19 0 22 685 

60 and 61 years 15 2 9 16 22 3 0 14 285 

62 to 64 years 21 13 8 18 29 13 0 11 364 

65 to 69 years 28 17 28 34 54 19 0 24 646 

70 to 74 years 27 20 26 24 42 17 0 28 557 

75 to 79 years 44 22 20 30 51 18 0 43 523 

80 to 84 years 18 17 15 15 40 18 0 32 348 

85 years and over 12 18 10 8 46 17 0 24 273 

Female 

Under 5 years 32 28 30 44 89 20 0 49 1262 

5 to 9 years 40 29 38 46 82 31 0 52 1295 

10 to 14 years 51 50 39 48 90 32 0 49 1424 

15 to 17 years 30 34 25 31 68 24 0 35 920 

18 and 19 years 10 16 13 16 34 13 0 17 461 

20 years 4 9 5 7 10 9 0 8 149 

21 years 8 6 3 6 8 5 0 6 139 

22 to 24 years 18 12 13 17 36 14 0 22 430 

25 to 29 years 41 26 39 40 69 20 0 42 906 

30 to 34 years 42 35 39 47 73 22 0 39 958 

35 to 39 years 42 32 46 45 95 33 0 51 1201 

40 to 44 years 59 50 36 43 91 29 0 52 1211 

45 to 49 years 42 35 24 30 85 29 0 54 1088 

50 to 54 years 26 25 25 27 71 35 0 32 843 

55 to 59 years 43 31 24 39 54 28 0 35 779 

60 and 61 years 11 9 8 14 30 7 0 10 253 

62 to 64 years 20 14 14 21 38 14 0 16 393 

65 to 69 years 45 24 33 39 73 26 0 40 697 

70 to 74 years 34 34 29 43 68 26 0 53 662 

75 to 79 years 43 29 22 27 79 30 0 66 593 

80 to 84 years 34 44 28 27 81 23 0 54 518 

85 years and over 36 56 24 32 143 22 0 63 556 

source: U.S. Census, 2000 *Data for portions of these municipalities in Clark County only 

Neillsville (C) 

Owen (C) 

Stanley (C)* 

Thorp (C) 

Clark County 


Table 1.8 

Population by Age by Municipality – 1990 Clark County 

Beaver (T) 

Butler (T) 

Colby (T) 

Dewhurst (T) 

Eaton (T) 

Foster (T) 

Fremont (T) 

Grant (T) 


Hendren (T) 

Hewett (T) 

Hixon (T) 

Hoard (T) 

Levis (T) 

Total 713 87 827 208 660 69 963 907 650 537 321 695 802 499 

Median Age 25.8 33.2 28.3 53.2 28.6 49.4 30.9 32.2 31.2 35.1 37.2 34.7 42.2 32.9 

Under 5 years 101 2 76 8 57 6 101 84 75 49 20 39 48 37 

5 to 9 years 72 5 74 6 85 3 63 83 50 43 20 65 76 54 

10 to 14 years 77 11 97 11 67 3 107 95 78 53 24 72 60 50 

15 to 17 years 52 7 36 5 49 0 42 40 23 30 25 35 31 30 

18 and 19 years 16 4 38 2 16 0 24 33 21 3 1 21 6 15 

20 years 15 0 10 0 9 0 8 4 4 11 2 7 0 0 

21 years 1 0 8 0 2 1 10 10 7 2 0 8 7 5 

22 to 24 years 33 0 20 2 20 0 27 28 16 2 11 12 28 17 

25 to 29 years 65 2 50 8 27 6 76 58 48 38 17 46 48 37 

30 to 34 years 51 3 67 13 58 5 94 81 61 38 31 47 37 37 

35 to 39 years 44 4 80 10 55 0 89 71 35 33 17 55 47 42 

40 to 44 years 36 14 57 12 44 2 58 72 53 60 33 42 24 28 

45 to 49 years 33 4 35 17 16 5 29 47 29 13 16 33 36 38 

50 to 54 years 19 4 35 12 24 10 40 32 22 15 17 38 49 30 

55 to 59 years 17 5 43 22 26 3 45 45 20 22 19 34 18 7 

60 and 61 years 22 1 9 15 13 0 16 11 11 4 12 22 8 7 

62 to 64 years 7 2 16 7 22 4 30 18 15 16 17 20 31 9 

65 to 69 years 21 6 35 28 28 11 31 31 34 31 15 35 43 13 

70 to 74 years 9 5 12 16 21 2 35 22 30 36 8 25 47 13 

75 to 79 years 14 4 21 9 20 8 16 14 9 24 7 20 82 16 

80 to 84 years 6 2 8 5 1 0 12 20 7 12 7 10 37 7 

85 years and over 2 2 0 0 0 0 10 8 2 2 2 9 39 7 





Longwood (T) 

Loyal (T) 

Lynn (T) 

Mayville (T) 

Mead (T) 

Mentor (T) 


Reseburg (T) 

Seif (T) 

Sherman (T) 

Sherwood (T) 

Thorp (T) 

Unity (T) 

Warner (T) 

Total 639 708 716 938 238 510 1010 703 197 746 192 735 725 595 

Median Age 33.4 28.2 30.3 30.5 39.1 34.9 36.2 27.7 37 26.6 34.9 31.8 30.4 29.1 

Under 5 years 44 71 64 89 10 28 48 66 12 61 9 55 52 43 

5 to 9 years 63 74 90 92 11 49 98 100 14 75 15 82 53 76 

10 to 14 years 67 60 73 91 16 33 85 77 30 97 19 78 67 45 

15 to 17 years 38 42 46 44 8 24 49 32 10 59 5 44 37 35 

18 and 19 years 7 27 19 29 12 17 25 25 2 25 0 21 31 23 

20 years 8 9 3 8 0 0 0 5 0 6 2 9 7 5 

21 years 11 8 8 20 5 6 6 5 0 4 0 6 13 1 

22 to 24 years 10 31 22 23 2 24 30 24 0 33 5 19 24 26 

25 to 29 years 39 41 38 66 15 44 41 40 0 62 18 43 54 47 

30 to 34 years 46 59 58 87 17 29 87 58 15 36 23 62 65 32 

35 to 39 years 47 44 56 68 16 26 85 60 14 59 20 52 68 41 

40 to 44 years 30 38 45 70 15 32 73 47 17 43 9 48 40 53 

45 to 49 years 40 48 48 30 9 31 68 22 4 33 4 57 51 44 

50 to 54 years 35 40 20 42 14 36 60 22 0 47 2 31 33 17 

55 to 59 years 43 39 38 44 11 24 56 39 10 24 16 40 31 16 

60 and 61 years 9 5 7 8 6 12 27 12 9 10 4 3 11 9 

62 to 64 years 28 18 14 25 8 18 29 16 6 17 7 13 22 13 

65 to 69 years 28 21 28 43 9 18 52 23 20 21 12 18 24 20 

70 to 74 years 17 20 21 27 28 18 36 12 19 10 10 27 29 15 

75 to 79 years 21 8 15 10 14 12 26 13 12 11 6 16 5 20 

80 to 84 years 6 3 3 17 9 7 22 5 3 2 4 11 8 11 

85 years and over 2 2 0 5 3 22 7 0 0 11 2 0 0 3 





Washburn (T) 


Withee (T) 

Worden (T) 

York (T) 

Curtiss (V) 


Granton (V) 

Unity (V)* 

Withee (V) 

Total 300 684 731 590 857 169 691 362 212 478 

Median Age 36.1 31.4 31.4 29.1 30 31.5 31.5 35.6 25.9 40.1 

Under 5 years 19 54 69 42 71 21 50 17 29 39 

5 to 9 years 22 47 92 84 104 17 81 32 26 44 

10 to 14 years 27 75 69 56 92 7 57 24 7 19 

15 to 17 years 15 50 30 42 42 8 20 15 18 12 

18 and 19 years 9 21 13 9 21 2 16 1 4 6 

20 years 0 9 4 3 9 0 9 7 0 2 

21 years 2 7 6 8 14 0 7 3 8 0 

22 to 24 years 5 29 23 8 21 6 29 15 8 21 

25 to 29 years 12 48 43 39 45 5 56 27 16 25 

30 to 34 years 22 48 60 55 85 16 77 20 19 49 

35 to 39 years 29 63 61 48 53 14 49 25 18 28 

40 to 44 years 15 42 27 28 62 5 31 24 13 20 

45 to 49 years 19 34 39 24 46 6 28 10 0 18 

50 to 54 years 7 23 40 24 33 8 12 17 11 17 

55 to 59 years 31 39 22 40 37 13 23 19 4 15 

60 and 61 years 7 11 16 8 11 0 6 4 2 10 

62 to 64 years 10 8 25 20 23 5 24 7 0 13 

65 to 69 years 15 26 26 21 28 13 15 23 12 33 

70 to 74 years 8 26 28 13 21 10 32 24 4 40 

75 to 79 years 13 13 22 12 20 11 40 20 6 21 

80 to 84 years 6 9 11 6 8 0 12 15 0 29 

85 years and over 7 2 5 0 11 2 17 13 7 17 






Colby (C)* 

Greenwood (C) 

Loyal (C) 


Owen (C) 

Stanley (C)* 

Thorp (C) 

Clark County 

Total 1409 1116 969 1228 2680 924 0 1657 31647 

Median Age 35.9 37.8 40.8 37.2 39.6 43.6 n.a. 38.9 33.9 

Under 5 years 111 74 59 83 179 25 0 132 2429 

5 to 9 years 101 98 73 104 221 58 0 124 2919 

10 to 14 years 91 85 62 90 158 78 0 93 2733 

15 to 17 years 47 40 28 46 81 32 0 53 1457 

18 and 19 years 34 21 20 24 75 23 0 42 804 

20 years 16 13 11 30 38 8 0 15 306 

21 years 16 6 8 6 37 11 0 6 299 

22 to 24 years 58 42 41 38 68 35 0 62 998 

25 to 29 years 76 61 67 80 169 37 0 137 2017 

30 to 34 years 140 80 49 82 152 58 0 91 2400 

35 to 39 years 71 57 71 80 155 66 0 88 2214 

40 to 44 years 68 68 43 55 123 48 0 89 1856 

45 to 49 years 80 58 57 61 106 51 0 53 1530 

50 to 54 years 81 42 33 65 146 52 0 55 1412 

55 to 59 years 86 34 62 55 103 33 0 38 1411 

60 and 61 years 22 21 23 27 37 17 0 16 521 

62 to 64 years 25 39 26 41 81 30 0 56 881 

65 to 69 years 83 54 38 54 133 53 0 135 1461 

70 to 74 years 66 57 65 74 122 68 0 108 1336 

75 to 79 years 62 52 63 53 166 76 0 108 1211 

80 to 84 years 43 55 35 56 172 41 0 65 808 

85 years and over 32 59 35 24 158 24 0 91 644 



Table 1.9 

Percent Change in Age by Municipality – 1990 to 2000 – Clark County 

Beaver (T) 

Butler (T) 

Colby (T) 

Dewhurst (T) 

Eaton (T) 

Foster (T) 

Fremont (T) 

Grant (T) 


Hendren (T) 

Hewett (T) 

Hixon (T) 

Hoard (T) 

Levis (T) 

Under 5 years 8.9 150.0 11.8 -37.5 8.8 -66.7 7.9 -14.3 -12.0 -26.5 -25.0 66.7 2.1 -29.7 

5 to 9 years 23.6 -20.0 2.7 100.0 -24.7 -33.3 46.0 -16.9 36.0 -20.9 -10.0 36.9 -11.8 -40.7 

10 to 14 years 18.2 -63.6 2.1 81.8 6.0 -33.3 15.9 -9.5 -1.3 -11.3 -20.8 -5.6 20.0 4.0 

15 to 17 years 11.5 -28.6 94.4 140.0 22.4 n.a. 71.4 55.0 56.5 -6.7 -28.0 22.9 29.0 6.7 

18 and 19 years 56.3 -25.0 -23.7 250.0 0.0 n.a. 79.2 -6.1 -23.8 366.7 500.0 -4.8 166.7 20.0 

20 years -20.0 n.a. -30.0 n.a. -66.7 n.a. 175.0 0.0 0.0 -72.7 -100.0 14.3 n.a. n.a. 

21 years 800.0 n.a. 75.0 n.a. 100.0 100.0 50.0 -30.0 28.6 -50.0 n.a. -25.0 -42.9 -20.0 

22 to 24 years -12.1 n.a. -25.0 200.0 -10.0 n.a. 74.1 -3.6 68.8 200.0 -45.5 -8.3 -50.0 -5.9 

25 to 29 years -24.6 100.0 -18.0 0.0 -22.2 -33.3 -7.9 -3.4 -16.7 -47.4 -5.9 -21.7 -60.4 -40.5 

30 to 34 years 27.5 100.0 -20.9 -15.4 -43.1 20.0 -14.9 -40.7 -31.1 -50.0 -19.4 8.5 21.6 -27.0 

35 to 39 years 45.5 25.0 0.0 100.0 9.1 n.a. 7.9 -12.7 60.0 24.2 70.6 -3.6 19.1 -9.5 

40 to 44 years 75.0 -28.6 29.8 125.0 31.8 250.0 65.5 9.7 9.4 -20.0 -6.1 23.8 50.0 25.0 

45 to 49 years 51.5 75.0 54.3 64.7 218.8 160.0 186.2 68.1 51.7 200.0 12.5 93.9 2.8 -15.8 

50 to 54 years 94.7 150.0 45.7 141.7 66.7 -30.0 35.0 43.8 131.8 153.3 111.8 -15.8 -63.3 30.0 

55 to 59 years 64.7 -60.0 -25.6 77.3 -26.9 266.7 0.0 -20.0 75.0 0.0 -21.1 -41.2 0.0 385.7 

60 and 61 years -72.7 0.0 88.9 -53.3 -30.8 n.a. 0.0 -27.3 54.5 200.0 -83.3 -77.3 25.0 85.7 

62 to 64 years 42.9 50.0 12.5 71.4 -59.1 -25.0 -20.0 27.8 46.7 -31.3 -41.2 -20.0 -51.6 55.6 

65 to 69 years -47.6 -33.3 -22.9 17.9 -53.6 -81.8 0.0 71.0 2.9 -48.4 40.0 -25.7 -76.7 7.7 

70 to 74 years 188.9 -40.0 33.3 -12.5 14.3 200.0 -17.1 27.3 50.0 -41.7 62.5 32.0 -53.2 61.5 

75 to 79 years 14.3 0.0 33.3 100.0 -20.0 12.5 50.0 57.1 388.9 -4.2 0.0 -5.0 -75.6 -62.5 

80 to 84 years -16.7 -50.0 50.0 40.0 1100.0 n.a. -16.7 -30.0 542.9 91.7 -71.4 60.0 -73.0 42.9 

85 years and over -50.0 -50.0 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. -20.0 0.0 3150.0 450.0 50.0 -22.2 -79.5 71.4 





Longwood (T) 

Loyal (T) 

Lynn (T) 

Mayville (T) 

Mead (T) 

Mentor (T) 


Reseburg (T) 

Seif (T) 

Sherman (T) 

Sherwood (T) 

Thorp (T) 

Unity (T) 

Warner (T) 

Under 5 years 38.6 9.9 28.1 -21.3 150.0 39.3 14.6 13.6 41.7 37.7 144.4 16.4 25.0 23.3 

5 to 9 years 19.0 -13.5 -12.2 -16.3 118.2 -18.4 -6.1 -30.0 0.0 17.3 -20.0 -46.3 47.2 -22.4 

10 to 14 years 1.5 51.7 12.3 -8.8 25.0 27.3 2.4 13.0 -66.7 -11.3 -5.3 3.8 1.5 26.7 

15 to 17 years -10.5 57.1 41.3 34.1 25.0 20.8 42.9 96.9 -50.0 -20.3 160.0 4.5 -18.9 45.7 

18 and 19 years 242.9 14.8 26.3 27.6 -50.0 11.8 36.0 0.0 50.0 -24.0 n.a. 14.3 -35.5 -47.8 

20 years 12.5 33.3 233.3 50.0 n.a. n.a. n.a. 80.0 n.a. 16.7 -50.0 -22.2 -14.3 20.0 

21 years -45.5 -25.0 25.0 -15.0 -80.0 16.7 66.7 60.0 n.a. 100.0 n.a. 0.0 -53.8 400.0 

22 to 24 years 70.0 0.0 50.0 30.4 100.0 -29.2 -26.7 29.2 n.a. -36.4 20.0 10.5 25.0 -50.0 

25 to 29 years -38.5 36.6 -2.6 -30.3 60.0 -36.4 24.4 0.0 n.a. -6.5 -44.4 -7.0 -13.0 -42.6 

30 to 34 years -21.7 -25.4 -17.2 -42.5 -23.5 -10.3 -18.4 -44.8 6.7 83.3 -47.8 -46.8 -20.0 3.1 

35 to 39 years -6.4 6.8 7.1 -13.2 12.5 80.8 3.5 -35.0 -28.6 22.0 30.0 7.7 -5.9 14.6 

40 to 44 years 43.3 39.5 53.3 25.7 -20.0 68.8 31.5 25.5 -5.9 48.8 133.3 45.8 47.5 9.4 

45 to 49 years 57.5 -10.4 -2.1 113.3 188.9 29.0 38.2 122.7 375.0 45.5 375.0 3.5 0.0 -20.5 

50 to 54 years -11.4 2.5 130.0 23.8 28.6 13.9 15.0 131.8 n.a. -6.4 550.0 12.9 21.2 182.4 

55 to 59 years 7.0 -2.6 -2.6 -22.7 127.3 -4.2 21.4 -48.7 -10.0 62.5 -43.8 -10.0 9.7 112.5 

60 and 61 years 55.6 60.0 57.1 75.0 33.3 0.0 -22.2 -16.7 -33.3 60.0 -50.0 366.7 18.2 22.2 

62 to 64 years -53.6 -5.6 7.1 -12.0 25.0 27.8 13.8 -93.8 16.7 -41.2 -28.6 -15.4 -18.2 -15.4 

65 to 69 years -7.1 -4.8 10.7 -11.6 11.1 38.9 7.7 13.0 -70.0 -14.3 58.3 72.2 -16.7 10.0 

70 to 74 years 70.6 0.0 -14.3 -22.2 -57.1 -5.6 5.6 58.3 -31.6 10.0 90.0 -11.1 -44.8 -6.7 

75 to 79 years 0.0 62.5 -26.7 140.0 -42.9 33.3 3.8 15.4 -8.3 -9.1 100.0 -43.8 160.0 -30.0 

80 to 84 years 0.0 33.3 333.3 -29.4 -22.2 157.1 -9.1 20.0 133.3 300.0 -50.0 0.0 12.5 -27.3 

85 years and over 300.0 100.0 n.a. 100.0 100.0 -77.3 85.7 n.a. n.a. -36.4 100.0 n.a. n.a. 200.0 





Washburn (T) 


Withee (T) 

Worden (T) 

Under 5 years 15.8 -38.9 15.9 47.6 -21.1 14.3 58.0 129.4 -65.5 -10.3 

5 to 9 years -9.1 8.5 -5.4 -10.7 -32.7 17.6 -39.5 -6.3 -57.7 -15.9 

10 to 14 years -7.4 -33.3 46.4 16.1 -21.7 171.4 0.0 45.8 114.3 57.9 

15 to 17 years 53.3 -16.0 103.3 -4.8 71.4 -12.5 60.0 33.3 -38.9 66.7 

18 and 19 years -44.4 -19.0 161.5 222.2 61.9 150.0 68.8 1200.0 0.0 83.3 

20 years n.a. 0.0 125.0 100.0 88.9 n.a. 0.0 -14.3 n.a. -100.0 

21 years -100.0 -28.6 33.3 -12.5 -21.4 n.a. 100.0 133.3 -75.0 n.a. 

22 to 24 years 40.0 -48.3 60.9 50.0 28.6 -50.0 -13.8 -13.3 -50.0 -23.8 

25 to 29 years 25.0 -33.3 4.7 -5.1 -20.0 360.0 23.2 -22.2 -12.5 96.0 

30 to 34 years -36.4 -22.9 -38.3 -20.0 -52.9 25.0 -37.7 65.0 -47.4 -44.9 

35 to 39 years 13.8 -17.5 -9.8 12.5 26.4 -42.9 34.7 0.0 -5.6 3.6 

40 to 44 years 60.0 47.6 129.6 75.0 17.7 100.0 138.7 25.0 -15.4 100.0 

45 to 49 years 36.8 50.0 76.9 104.2 60.9 66.7 60.7 120.0 n.a. 77.8 

50 to 54 years 142.9 73.9 7.5 29.2 36.4 -50.0 91.7 23.5 -9.1 70.6 

55 to 59 years -71.0 -33.3 54.5 -45.0 24.3 -69.2 34.8 -26.3 0.0 46.7 

60 and 61 years -14.3 18.2 6.3 -25.0 0.0 n.a. 116.7 75.0 -50.0 -30.0 

62 to 64 years -70.0 100.0 -28.0 -50.0 -21.7 -20.0 -25.0 71.4 n.a. n.a. 

65 to 69 years 66.7 19.2 -19.2 38.1 28.6 -15.4 106.7 -56.5 -91.7 -39.4 

70 to 74 years 75.0 -19.2 3.6 -30.8 -14.3 -30.0 12.5 -37.5 -50.0 -37.5 

75 to 79 years -38.5 -7.7 -45.5 -16.7 -35.0 -45.5 -42.5 -20.0 16.7 19.0 

80 to 84 years -16.7 33.3 63.6 33.3 50.0 n.a. 100.0 -20.0 n.a. -27.6 

85 years and over -71.4 450.0 60.0 n.a. -54.5 50.0 76.5 -61.5 -71.4 -23.5 


York (T) 

Curtiss (V) 


Granton (V) 

Unity (V)* 

Withee (V) 





Colby (C)* 

Greenwood (C) 

Loyal (C) 


Owen (C) 

Stanley (C)* 

Thorp (C) 

Clark County 

Under 5 years -25.2 -17.6 8.5 19.3 -11.7 124.0 n.a. -26.5 5.2 

5 to 9 years -19.8 -36.7 -12.3 -10.6 -25.3 -8.6 n.a. -28.2 -11.3 

10 to 14 years 15.4 27.1 24.2 10.0 34.2 -19.2 n.a. 11.8 7.9 

15 to 17 years 36.2 55.0 78.6 6.5 92.6 43.8 n.a. 20.8 33.5 

18 and 19 years -26.5 57.1 70.0 20.8 -2.7 26.1 n.a. -11.9 20.3 

20 years -25.0 -7.7 -9.1 -46.7 -42.1 62.5 n.a. -6.7 11.1 

21 years 12.5 66.7 25.0 83.3 -32.4 0.0 n.a. 233.3 14.0 

22 to 24 years -31.0 -47.6 -34.1 -18.4 4.4 -8.6 n.a. -32.3 -6.7 

25 to 29 years 13.2 -18.0 10.4 11.3 -21.3 16.2 n.a. -35.8 -10.4 

30 to 34 years -35.0 -6.3 55.1 14.6 3.9 -19.0 n.a. -15.4 -17.9 

35 to 39 years 36.6 33.3 32.4 5.0 18.7 -6.1 n.a. 13.6 10.4 

40 to 44 years 60.3 30.9 46.5 58.2 50.4 50.0 n.a. 7.9 38.6 

45 to 49 years 6.3 15.5 3.5 1.6 50.9 19.6 n.a. 90.6 46.7 

50 to 54 years -35.8 31.0 51.5 -12.3 -6.2 -7.7 n.a. 30.9 25.2 

55 to 59 years -11.6 61.8 -14.5 9.1 -6.8 42.4 n.a. 50.0 3.8 

60 and 61 years 18.2 -47.6 -26.1 11.1 40.5 -41.2 n.a. 50.0 3.3 

62 to 64 years 64.0 -30.8 -15.4 -4.9 -17.3 -10.0 n.a. -51.8 -14.1 

65 to 69 years -12.0 -24.1 60.5 35.2 -4.5 -15.1 n.a. -52.6 -8.1 

70 to 74 years -7.6 -5.3 -15.4 -9.5 -9.8 -36.8 n.a. -25.0 -8.8 

75 to 79 years 40.3 -1.9 -33.3 7.5 -21.7 -36.8 n.a. 0.9 -7.8 

80 to 84 years 20.9 10.9 22.9 -25.0 -29.7 0.0 n.a. 32.3 7.2 

85 years and over 50.0 25.4 -2.9 66.7 19.6 62.5 n.a. -4.4 28.7 



Table 1.10 

Population Projections (2000 to 2030) Clark County by Minor Civil Division 

Census Estimate Proj. Proj. Proj. Proj. Proj. % Change 

Municipality 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2000-2030 

Towns 

Beaver 854 910 972 1,040 1,114 1,186 1,257 47.2 

Butler 88 88 89 91 92 95 96 9.1 

Colby 908 925 959 999 1,043 1,086 1,125 23.9 

Dewhurst 321 364 390 418 448 478 507 57.9 

Eaton 665 678 696 717 741 764 785 18.0 

Foster 95 98 101 104 108 111 115 21.1 

Fremont 1,190 1,302 1,393 1,495 1,602 1,711 1,814 52.4 

Grant 920 966 1,005 1,051 1,099 1,148 1,192 29.6 

Green Grove 675 676 690 707 727 745 761 12.7 

Hendren 513 510 509 509 512 512 511 -0.4 

Hewett 314 315 320 327 335 342 348 10.8 

Hixon 740 773 802 836 873 909 941 27.2 

Hoard 821 843 862 886 912 938 960 16.9 

Levis 504 531 558 588 620 651 681 35.1 

Longwood 698 719 743 772 802 832 859 23.1 

Loyal 787 800 813 828 847 864 879 11.7 

Lynn 834 837 880 928 981 1,032 1,081 29.6 

Mayville 919 936 946 962 979 996 1,008 9.7 

Mead 290 300 313 327 342 357 372 28.3 

Mentor 570 589 609 634 660 686 709 24.4 

Pine Valley 1,121 1,235 1,318 1,409 1,506 1,603 1,697 51.4 

Reseburg 740 755 776 802 830 858 882 19.2 

Seif 212 208 207 208 209 209 209 -1.4 

Sherman 831 882 934 992 1,054 1,116 1,175 41.4 

Sherwood 252 273 292 314 336 358 380 50.8 

Thorp 730 758 782 812 843 874 902 23.6 

Unity 745 768 785 807 832 854 874 17.3 

Warner 627 647 665 687 711 735 755 20.4 

Washburn 304 302 306 311 318 323 327 7.6 

Weston 638 658 673 692 712 732 749 17.4 

Withee 885 930 979 1,034 1,093 1,152 1,207 36.4 

Worden 657 696 735 777 823 868 912 38.8 

York 853 887 912 941 973 1,004 1,032 21.0 

Subtotal: 21,301 22,159 23,014 24,005 25,077 26,129 27,102 27.2 

Villages 

Curtiss 198 212 227 244 261 278 295 49.0 

Dorchester* 823 846 901 961 1,026 1,089 1,151 39.9 

Granton* 406 395 400 406 413 420 426 4.9 

Unity* 163 162 162 162 163 163 162 -0.6 

Withee 508 506 513 522 533 543 551 8.5 

Subtotal: 2,098 2,121 2,203 2,295 2,396 2,493 2,585 23.2 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 1,412 1,397 1,407 1,424 1,444 1,463 1,474 4.4 

Colby* 1,156 1,241 1,304 1,376 1,451 1,528 1,599 38.3 

Greenwood 1,079 1,080 1,103 1,132 1,164 1,195 1,221 13.2 

Loyal 1,308 1,300 1,328 1,363 1,401 1,439 1,471 12.5 

Neillsville 2,731 2,676 2,681 2,700 2,724 2,745 2,752 0.8 

Owen 936 926 932 944 956 968 976 4.3 

Stanley* 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 n.a. 

Thorp 1,536 1,561 1,573 1,593 1,616 1,638 1,651 7.5 

Subtotal: 10,158 10,183 10,330 10,534 10,758 10,978 11,146 9.7 

Clark County 33,557 34,463 35,547 36,834 38,231 39,600 40,833 21.7 

source: U.S. Census Bureau & Wisconsin Department of Administration, Demographic Services Center, October 2008. 



Table 1.11 

Household Projections (2000 to 2030) Clark County by Minor Civil Division 

Census Estimate Proj. Proj. Proj. Proj. Proj. % change 

Municipality 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2000-2030 

Towns 

Beaver 238 251 269 289 309 332 356 49.6 

Butler 32 32 32 33 33 34 35 9.4 

Colby 276 278 289 302 316 332 348 26.1 

Dewhurst 156 174 188 202 216 233 250 60.3 

Eaton 201 202 209 215 223 232 241 19.9 

Foster 50 51 53 54 56 58 62 24.0 

Fremont 374 404 435 466 501 539 581 55.3 

Grant 317 329 343 360 378 397 418 31.9 

Green Grove 216 213 219 225 232 239 247 14.4 

Hendren 197 193 194 194 195 198 200 1.5 

Hewett 125 124 126 130 133 137 141 12.8 

Hixon 232 240 250 260 273 286 300 29.3 

Hoard 179 184 190 195 201 209 216 20.7 

Levis 191 198 210 221 234 248 263 37.7 

Longwood 226 230 239 248 259 270 283 25.2 

Loyal 215 215 221 225 231 237 244 13.5 

Lynn 251 249 263 277 294 312 331 31.9 

Mayville 295 297 301 307 313 321 329 11.5 

Mead 115 117 123 129 135 142 150 30.4 

Mentor 223 228 237 246 257 269 283 26.9 

Pine Valley 421 458 491 526 563 604 648 53.9 

Reseburg 206 207 215 222 231 240 249 20.9 

Seif 89 86 86 86 88 88 89 0.0 

Sherman 247 259 275 293 312 333 355 43.7 

Sherwood 90 96 103 112 120 128 138 53.3 

Thorp 245 252 260 270 282 294 308 25.7 

Unity 239 244 250 257 266 275 286 19.7 

Warner 195 198 206 212 220 230 239 22.6 

Washburn 116 114 115 118 121 124 127 9.5 

Weston 230 235 241 248 256 265 275 19.6 

Withee 262 272 288 305 322 343 363 38.5 

Worden 198 207 220 232 247 262 280 41.4 

York 266 274 282 292 302 315 327 22.9 

Subtotal: 6,913 7,111 7,423 7,751 8,119 8,526 8,962 29.6 

Villages 

Curtiss 68 72 77 83 90 96 103 51.5 

Dorchester* 335 340 364 389 416 445 477 42.4 

Granton* 156 149 153 155 158 161 167 7.1 

Unity* 65 64 64 64 64 66 66 1.5 

Withee 213 209 214 217 222 229 235 10.3 

Subtotal: 837 834 872 908 950 997 1,048 25.2 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 609 595 602 610 620 633 646 6.1 

Colby* 424 452 478 505 533 566 600 41.5 

Greenwood 468 463 475 488 503 520 539 15.2 

Loyal 548 538 552 568 585 605 627 14.4 

Neillsville 1,130 1,105 1,110 1,123 1,132 1,150 1,173 3.8 

Owen 412 403 407 413 419 427 437 6.1 

Stanley* 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 n.a. 

Thorp 706 708 716 727 739 755 771 9.2 

Subtotal: 4,297 4,264 4,342 4,436 4,533 4,658 4,795 11.6 

Clark County 12,047 12,209 12,637 13,095 13,602 14,181 14,805 22.9 

source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Demographic Services Center, October 2008. 



Table 1.12 

West Central Wisconsin Region Occupation Projections (2014) 

Fastest Growth 

Most Openings 

Top 10 Occupations 

Typically Required 

Education/Training 

Average Wage 

Home Health Aides 1-month on-the-job training $9.29 

Medical Assistants 1-12 mo. on-the-job training $12.63 

Network and Data Analysts Bachelor’s degree $22.19 

Computer Software Engrs, Applications Bachelor’s degree $37.08 

Personal and Home Care Aides 1-month on-the-job training $8.82 

Dental Assistants 1-12 mo. on-the-job training $12.50 

Dental Hygienists Associate degree $23.34 

Employment, Recruitment & Placement Bachelor’s degree $19.67 

Medical Records & Health Information Associate degree $12.71 

Occupational Therapists Master’s degree $25.53 

Cashiers 1-month on-the-job training $7.64 

Retail Salespersons 1-month on-the-job training $11.06 

Comb Food Prep/Serv Wrk/Incl Fast 1-month on-the-job training $7.04 

Waiters/Waitresses 1-month on-the-job training $7.34 

Registered Nurses Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree $25.83 

Labrs/Frght/Stock/Matrl Movers/Handlers 1-month on-the-job training $10.09 

Janitors/Cleaners, except Maids/Housekpg 1-month on-the-job training $10.67 

Team Assemblers 1-12 mo. on-the-job training $12.94 

Stock Clerks/Order Fillers 1-month on-the-job training $9.47 

Bartenders 1-month on-the-job training $8.16 

West Central WDA includes Barron, Chippewa Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties. 

source: Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development, Bureau of Workforce Information, 2006 

Table 1.13 

West Central Wisconsin Region Industry Projections (2004-2014) 

Industry Title 

2004 

Estimated 

Employment 

2014 

Projected 

Employment 

2004-2014 

Employment 

Change 

2004-2014 

Percentage 

Change 

Total Non-Farm Employment 173,880 194,330 20,450 11.8% 

Construction/Mining/Natural Resources 8,380 9,880 1,500 17.9% 

Manufacturing 31,990 32,030 40 0.1% 

Paper Manufacturing 1,720 1,720 0 0.0% 

Plastics and Rubber Products 3,400 3,670 270 7.9% 

Computer and Electronic Product 3,220 3,020 -200 -6.2% 

Trade 28,800 30,900 2,100 7.3% 

Food and Beverage Stores 5,040 5,250 210 4.2% 

Transportation and Utilities (Including US 

Postal) 8,270 9,520 1,250 15.1% 

Financial Activities 7,010 7,710 700 10.0% 

Education and Health Services (Including 

State and Local Gov Educ and Hosp) 37,330 45,540 8,210 22.0% 

Ambulatory Health Care Services 5,540 7,570 2,030 36.6% 

Hospitals (Including State and Local 

Government) 7,050 8,640 1,590 22.6% 

Leisure and Hospitality 17,300 19,930 2,630 15.2% 

Information/Prof Services/Other Services 21,470 24,920 3,450 16.1% 

Government (Excluding US Postal, State 

and Local Educ and Hosp) 13,310 13,930 620 4.7% 

West Central WDA includes Barron, Chippewa Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties. 



Table 1.14 

Clark County Race Characteristics (2000) 

Municipality 

Total Population 

White 

% White 

Towns 

Beaver 854 845 99.1% 0 0 1 0 2 6 1.1% 

Butler 88 88 98.1% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 

Colby 908 882 97.7% 4 5 5 0 7 5 2.9% 

Dewhurst 321 284 100.0% 3 33 0 0 0 1 11.5% 

Eaton 665 655 98.6% 3 1 1 0 2 3 1.5% 

Foster 95 94 98.1% 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.1% 

Fremont 1,190 1,167 97.5% 0 1 11 0 5 6 1.9% 

Grant 920 911 99.5% 0 0 0 0 8 1 1.0% 

Green Grove 902 892 97.1% 0 2 2 0 0 6 1.1% 

Hendren 513 506 97.2% 0 0 0 2 5 0 1.4% 

Hewett 314 314 96.5% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 

Hixon 740 735 98.6% 0 0 1 0 1 3 0.7% 

Hoard 594 580 90.7% 0 7 0 0 5 2 2.4% 

Levis 504 475 94.2% 0 29 0 0 0 0 5.8% 

Longwood 698 695 99.6% 1 0 0 0 0 2 0.4% 

Loyal 787 783 99.5% 1 3 0 0 0 0 0.5% 

Lynn 834 818 98.1% 0 0 6 0 0 10 1.9% 

Mayville 919 902 98.2% 0 3 0 0 5 9 1.8% 

Mead 290 278 95.9% 0 5 0 0 0 7 4.1% 

Mentor 570 561 98.4% 1 6 0 0 0 2 1.6% 

Pine Valley 1,121 1,105 98.6% 1 10 0 0 0 5 1.4% 

Reseburg 740 733 99.1% 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.9% 

Seif 212 212 100.0% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 

Sherman 831 814 98.0% 1 0 0 0 6 10 2.0% 

Sherwood 252 243 78.8% 2 1 0 0 1 5 3.6% 

Thorp 730 723 96.9% 0 4 1 0 0 2 1.0% 

Unity 745 731 98.6% 0 0 10 0 1 3 1.9% 

Warner 627 617 95.1% 0 0 8 0 0 2 1.6% 

Washburn 304 303 98.1% 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.3% 

Weston 638 634 99.4% 1 2 1 0 0 0 0.6% 

Withee 885 882 98.7% 0 1 1 0 0 1 0.3% 

Worden 657 648 99.4% 1 0 0 0 5 3 1.4% 

York 853 842 98.6% 0 1 1 0 5 4 1.3% 

sub-total 21,301 20,952 98.4% 19 114 49 2 58 107 1.6% 

Villages 

Curtiss 198 128 94.7% 0 1 2 0 67 0 35.4% 

Dorchester* 823 798 97.8% 0 2 0 0 16 7 3.0% 

Granton* 406 398 98.3% 3 1 2 0 0 2 2.0% 

Unity* 163 162 96.6% 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.6% 

Withee 508 500 99.7% 0 2 1 0 1 4 1.6% 

sub-total 2,098 1,986 94.7% 3 6 5 0 85 13 5.3% 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 1,412 1,394 97.9% 1 1 1 0 11 4 1.3% 

Colby* 1,156 1,115 96.5% 3 3 7 0 22 6 3.5% 

Greenwood 1,079 1,070 99.2% 0 2 1 0 1 5 0.8% 

Loyal 1,308 1,294 98.9% 6 0 1 0 3 4 1.1% 

Neillsville 2,731 2,643 96.8% 4 30 34 1 7 12 3.2% 

Owen 936 923 98.6% 6 4 1 0 0 2 1.4% 

Stanley* 

Thorp 1,536 1,527 99.4% 1 

no data 

1 2 0 1 4 0.6% 

sub-total 10,158 9,966 97.9% 21 41 47 1 45 37 1.9% 

Clark County 33,557 32,904 98.1% 43 161 101 3 188 157 1.9% 

Source: U.S. Census 


Black/African American 

American Indian & Alaska 

Native 

Asian 

Native Hawaiian & Other 

Pacific Islander 

Other Race 

Two or More Races 

% Other Race 


Table 1.15 

Educational Attainment Levels – 1990 and 2000 – Clark County Municipal Units 

Educational Level 1990 2000 

Number Percent Number Percent 

Persons 25 Years and Over 346 100.0 436 100.0 

Town of Beaver 

Less than high school diploma 93 26.9 91 20.9 

High school graduate 187 54.0 207 47.5 

Some college, no degree 28 8.1 77 17.7 

Associate degree 23 6.6 15 3.4 

Bachelor’s degree or higher 15 4.3 46 10.6 

High school graduate or higher 253 73.1 345 79.1 


Town of Butler 








Town of Colby 








Town of Dewhurst 








Town of Eaton 













Town of Foster 








Town of Fremont 








Town of Grant 







Town of Green Grove 









Town of Hendren 













Town of Hewett 








Town of Hixon 








Town of Hoard 








Town of Levis 








Town of Longwood 










Education Level 1990 2000 



Town of Loyal 








Town of Lynn 








Town of Mayville 








Town of Mead 








Town of Mentor 













Town of Pine Valley 








Town of Reseberg 









Town of Seif 







Town of Sherman 








Town of Sherwood 













Town of Thorp 








Town of Unity 








Town of Warner 








Town of Washburn 








Town of Weston 













Town of Withee 








Town of Worden 








Town of York 








Village of Curtiss 







Village of Dorchester 














Village of Granton 








Village of Unity 








Village of Withee 








City of Abbotsford 









City of Colby 












City of Greenwood 









City of Loyal 






Persons 25 Years and Over 1,823 100.0 1,876 100.0 

City of Neillsville 






High school graduate or higher 1,213 66.5 1,441 76.8 


City of Owen 








City of Thorp 











Clark County 

Less than high school diploma 6,396 32.5 5,169 24.6 

High school graduate 8,518 43.2 8,951 42.6 

Some college, no degree 2,060 10.5 3,396 16.2 

Associate degree 1,026 5.2 1,308 6.2 

Bachelor’s degree or higher 1,702 8.6 2,167 10.3 

High school graduate or higher 13,306 67.5 15,822 75.4 




Table 1.16 

Labor Force – 2000 – Clark County Municipal Units 

Municipality 

Persons 16 

and over 

# in Labor 

Force 

% in Labor 

Force 

Employed Unemployed % Unemployed 

Towns 

Beaver 556 407 73.2 395 12 2.9 

Butler 52 29 55.8 27 2 6.9 

Colby 625 471 75.4 459 12 2.5 

Dewhurst 278 148 53.2 142 6 4.1 

Eaton 506 376 74.3 361 11 2.9 

Foster 83 49 59.0 47 2 4.1 

Fremont 843 599 71.1 584 15 2.5 

Grant 677 447 66.0 429 18 4.0 

Green Grove 707 351 49.6 338 13 3.7 

Hendren 376 255 67.8 249 6 2.4 

Hewett 261 181 69.3 179 2 1.1 

Hixon 492 323 65.7 306 17 5.3 

Hoard 386 276 71.5 261 15 5.4 

Levis 390 257 65.9 237 20 7.8 

Longwood 503 310 61.6 294 16 5.2 

Loyal 508 379 74.6 373 6 1.6 

Lynn 563 342 60.7 324 18 5.3 

Mayville 653 492 75.3 467 23 4.7 

Mead 235 155 66.0 152 3 1.9 

Mentor 428 308 72.0 284 22 7.1 

Pine Valley 850 612 72.0 576 36 5.9 

Reseburg 526 385 73.2 370 15 3.9 

Seif 188 135 71.8 122 13 9.6 

Sherman 578 422 73.0 407 15 3.6 

Sherwood 178 111 62.4 103 8 7.2 

Thorp 549 419 76.3 401 18 4.3 

Unity 544 397 73.0 388 9 2.3 

Warner 434 284 65.4 274 10 3.5 

Washburn 251 173 68.9 158 15 8.7 

Weston 458 363 79.3 340 21 5.8 

Withee 593 395 66.6 378 15 3.8 

Worden 420 312 74.3 301 11 3.5 

York 625 477 76.3 457 20 4.2 




Municipality 

Persons 16 

and over 

# in Labor 

Force 

% in Labor 

Force 


Villages 

Curtiss 141 93 66.0 86 7 7.5 

Dorchester* 659 468 71.0 446 22 4.7 

Granton* 315 197 62.5 183 14 7.1 

Unity* 109 69 63.3 66 3 4.3 

Withee 359 214 59.6 209 5 2.3 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 1,105 698 63.2 687 11 1.6 

Colby* 897 573 63.9 559 14 2.4 

Greenwood 822 545 66.3 529 16 2.9 

Loyal 999 657 65.8 631 26 4.0 

Neillsville 2,151 1,235 57.4 1183 52 4.2 

Owen 764 464 60.7 435 29 6.3 

Thorp 1,216 713 58.6 672 41 5.8 

Clark County 24,853 16,566 66.7 15869 685 4.1 




Table 1.17 


Municipality 

Persons 16 

and over 

# in Labor 

Force 

% in Labor 

Force 


Towns 

Beaver 448 314 70.1 302 12 3.8 

Butler 65 41 63.1 40 1 2.4 

Colby 572 422 73.8 409 13 3.1 

Dewhurst 181 93 51.4 85 6 6.5 

Eaton 426 323 75.8 295 28 8.7 

Foster 57 25 43.9 23 2 8.0 

Fremont 685 488 71.2 471 17 3.5 

Grant 629 440 70.0 434 6 1.4 

Green Grove 441 305 69.2 292 13 4.3 

Hendren 377 221 58.6 213 8 3.6 

Hewett 242 155 64.0 145 10 6.5 

Hixon 504 341 67.7 318 23 6.7 

Hoard 602 246 40.9 235 11 4.5 

Levis 347 239 68.9 217 20 8.4 

Longwood 448 314 70.1 303 11 3.5 

Loyal 486 384 79.0 382 2 0.5 

Lynn 470 334 71.1 316 18 5.4 

Mayville 653 474 72.6 441 33 7.0 

Mead 195 105 53.8 96 9 8.6 

Mentor 389 225 57.8 208 15 6.7 

Pine Valley 770 523 67.9 477 44 8.4 

Reseburg 435 324 74.5 308 16 4.9 

Seif 140 72 51.4 70 2 2.8 

Sherman 494 330 66.8 310 18 5.5 

Sherwood 147 87 59.2 71 16 18.4 

Thorp 506 389 76.9 365 24 6.2 

Unity 540 404 74.8 391 13 3.2 

Warner 416 291 70.0 281 10 3.4 

Washburn 228 143 62.7 124 17 11.9 

Weston 492 374 76.0 352 20 5.3 

Withee 491 328 66.8 311 17 5.2 

Worden 397 272 68.5 253 19 7.0 

York 581 443 76.2 427 16 3.6 




Municipality 

Persons 16 

and over 

# in Labor 

Force 

% in Labor 

Force 


Villages 

Curtiss 120 68 56.7 62 6 8.8 

Dorchester* 497 345 69.4 326 19 5.5 

Granton* 281 161 57.3 144 17 10.6 

Unity* 140 92 65.7 90 2 2.2 

Withee 370 203 54.9 199 4 2.0 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 1,083 723 66.8 691 32 4.4 

Colby* 849 493 58.1 477 16 3.2 

Greenwood 770 437 56.8 413 24 5.5 

Loyal 933 592 63.5 565 27 4.6 

Neillsville 2,098 1,109 52.9 1,037 63 5.7 

Owen 749 393 52.5 359 34 8.7 

Thorp 1,289 666 51.7 628 38 5.7 

Clark County 23,033 14,751 64.0 13,956 772 5.2 




Table 1.18 

Clark County Non-Farm Wage & Salary Employment– 1990 to 2006 

Industry Category 

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 

% Chg 

‘90- ‘06 

Ag Forestry Fishing & Hunting 81 114 121 S S S S S S n.a. 

Mining Quarrying & Oil & Gas 

Extraction 

29 27 28 S S S S S S n.a. 

Utilities S S S S S S S S S n.a. 

Construction 255 248 305 298 377 443 514 528 561 120 

Manufacturing 2027 2102 2342 2631 2753 3053 2710 2809 2969 46.5 

Wholesale Trade 429 441 476 556 528 441 351 387 381 -11.2 

Retail Trade 1242 1285 1326 1504 1530 1450 1416 1476 1512 21.7 

Transportation & Warehousing 206 224 233 241 267 298 360 402 513 149.1 

Information S S S S S 80 84 88 94 n.a. 

Finance & Insurance 306 292 305 258 214 182 235 235 233 -23.9 

Real Estate & Rental & 

Leasing 

Professional & Technical 

Services 

Management Of Companies & 

Enterprises 

16 22 41 38 43 30 39 29 30 87.5 

120 120 115 108 99 101 112 110 118 -1.7 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 S n.a. 

Admin & Waste Services 16 17 13 12 11 10 28 34 S n.a. 

Educational Services 800 793 848 841 863 871 857 859 818 2.3 

Health Care & Social 

Assistance 

Arts Entertainment & 

Recreation 

Accommodation & Food 

Services 

Other Services, except Public 

Admin 

678 805 899 932 923 967 842 796 968 42.8 

71 67 56 46 58 64 70 93 76 7.1 

479 435 490 485 480 474 564 610 571 19.2 

127 128 144 172 138 139 146 176 171 34.6 

Public Administration 978 1035 1001 1045 1044 1068 1011 977 974 -0.4 

Total 10,700 11,101 11,935 12,746 13,083 13,733 13,114 13,507 14,089 31.7 

note: Only includes employers participating in the State unemployment insurance program. Some estimates are suppressed “S” if 

variability is too high or to protect the confidentiality of individual employers. 

source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, WORKnet 


Table 1.19 

Employment By Industry – 2000 – Clark County Municipal Units 

Towns 

Municipality 

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & mining 

Construction 

Manufacturing 

Wholesale trade 

Retail trade 

Transportation, warehousing, & utilities 

Beaver 112 27 81 24 30 24 0 14 6 49 8 18 2 395 

Butler 2 6 9 0 4 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 2 27 

Colby 118 17 100 17 52 14 3 11 23 53 24 21 6 459 

Dewhurst 3 11 23 9 15 7 0 3 10 19 11 9 22 142 

Eaton 109 27 76 17 26 10 6 13 12 39 14 6 6 361 

Foster 2 5 12 0 3 0 2 0 0 9 8 2 4 47 

Fremont 144 60 133 15 43 12 2 8 13 115 14 21 4 584 

Grant 62 22 115 11 42 31 4 20 5 63 31 13 10 429 

Green Grove 84 11 81 10 22 32 4 3 4 51 4 15 17 338 

Hendren 53 15 54 7 13 12 4 9 7 43 12 4 16 249 

Hewett 19 6 48 3 20 8 3 6 4 48 2 3 9 179 

Hixon 66 8 93 20 18 15 5 5 5 52 6 10 3 306 

Hoard 83 10 69 9 16 6 2 3 1 43 11 6 2 261 

Levis 33 13 55 5 25 17 0 4 11 38 18 10 8 237 

Longwood 80 23 61 13 20 11 8 3 17 35 13 9 1 294 

Loyal 140 35 78 10 28 5 2 2 9 49 9 4 2 373 

Lynn 77 14 65 14 23 19 0 8 7 73 14 6 4 324 

Mayville 101 10 133 15 47 21 0 19 12 63 28 15 3 467 

Mead 24 9 39 14 10 4 2 3 0 32 7 5 3 152 

Mentor 31 25 88 2 24 15 0 7 5 55 19 0 13 284 

Pine Valley 30 33 141 16 82 27 4 27 29 109 34 30 14 576 

Reseburg 150 19 43 9 25 26 4 7 5 49 23 10 0 370 

Seif 38 4 30 1 12 4 0 2 7 17 2 3 2 122 

Sherman 103 38 98 4 37 8 0 3 20 78 6 7 5 407 

Sherwood 24 5 36 0 8 6 2 0 0 17 2 0 3 103 

Thorp 117 23 68 16 23 13 2 9 6 93 10 13 8 401 

Unity 101 15 99 8 32 18 0 17 12 59 11 13 3 388 

Warner 80 8 73 3 19 14 0 6 5 47 10 0 9 274 

Washburn 29 8 39 10 16 9 5 5 4 24 4 3 2 158 

Weston 76 25 78 6 35 2 3 0 14 65 8 12 16 340 

Withee 121 47 52 11 26 13 6 11 5 65 8 10 3 378 

Worden 76 24 65 13 23 13 4 14 1 40 16 12 0 301 

York 118 28 98 9 23 24 2 9 12 87 13 25 9 457 

Information 

Finance, insurance, real estate, rental, & leasing 

Professional, scientific, mgmt, administrative, and 

waste mgmt services 

Educational, health and social services 

Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation 

and food services 

Other Services (except public admin.) 

Public Administration 

Total 




Municipality 

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & 

mining 

Construction 

Manufacturing 


Retail trade 


Information 

Finance, insurance, real estate, rental, & 

leasing 

Professional, scientific, mgmt, 

administrative, and waste mgmt services 


Arts, entertainment, recreation, 

accommodation and food services 



Total 

Villages 

Curtiss 5 2 33 6 8 2 2 0 0 7 13 8 0 86 

Dorchester* 24 22 171 1 31 27 3 21 18 84 15 23 6 446 

Granton* 17 16 65 8 18 7 2 0 5 36 3 2 4 183 

Unity* 0 9 22 4 6 7 0 2 0 9 1 3 3 66 

Withee 5 29 33 6 19 13 4 15 9 44 14 15 3 209 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 9 24 179 35 81 33 14 48 31 154 26 28 25 687 

Colby* 8 23 171 28 63 22 3 30 10 131 43 22 5 559 

Greenwood 19 29 153 24 43 45 0 8 24 126 21 6 31 529 

Loyal 23 44 156 39 73 23 11 37 7 146 35 28 9 631 

Neillsville 7 48 304 4 113 48 17 40 34 339 102 74 53 1,183 

Owen 14 23 94 10 36 23 8 18 5 119 53 23 9 435 

Thorp 24 42 142 22 70 36 6 20 11 202 34 48 15 672 

Clark County 

2,561 942 3,856 508 1,403 726 149 492 425 3,078 760 595 374 15,869 




Table 1.20 


Municipality 

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & mining 

Construction 

Manufacturing 


Retail trade 


Finance, insurance, real estate, rental, & leasing 

Professional, scientific, mgmt, administrative, & 

waste mgmt services 

Educational, health & social services 

Entertainment & Recreation Services 

Other Professional & Related Services 


Total 

Towns 

Beaver 118 10 56 2 31 23 11 7 32 0 12 0 302 

Butler 12 0 10 0 8 3 0 0 7 0 0 0 40 

Colby 164 10 91 15 37 31 6 15 38 0 2 0 409 

Dewhurst 0 2 21 2 21 8 5 2 14 4 1 5 85 

Eaton 119 23 37 5 28 10 2 7 47 0 16 1 295 

Foster 2 5 7 0 5 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 23 

Fremont 126 29 111 10 59 9 11 17 78 0 16 5 471 

Grant 143 27 85 12 57 12 6 8 51 0 29 4 434 

Green Grove 115 13 43 6 28 22 2 14 35 0 12 2 292 

Hendren 75 13 20 11 13 11 2 10 39 0 12 7 213 

Hewett 12 2 27 2 20 8 0 14 38 3 7 12 145 

Hixon 105 8 47 10 39 29 5 12 59 2 2 0 318 

Hoard 83 14 60 10 24 9 6 11 18 0 0 0 235 

Levis 46 24 38 2 30 27 2 14 13 0 10 11 217 

Longwood 101 13 63 14 23 10 9 11 46 0 5 8 303 

Loyal 186 20 54 6 30 17 16 9 31 0 13 0 382 

Lynn 93 16 65 3 25 24 6 13 57 3 11 0 316 

Mayville 157 14 86 15 69 30 15 10 40 0 2 3 441 

Mead 35 6 20 2 9 2 0 2 9 0 3 8 96 

Mentor 51 6 49 2 23 10 15 6 29 3 10 4 208 

Pine Valley 69 24 80 14 68 27 33 29 74 5 36 18 477 

Reseburg 168 15 38 8 30 9 2 3 30 0 3 2 308 

Seif 10 3 16 0 7 5 0 3 14 0 9 3 70 

Sherman 111 20 63 7 40 11 2 14 36 0 6 0 310 

Sherwood 23 0 21 4 4 2 0 2 8 0 4 3 71 

Thorp 152 20 50 13 39 14 11 18 40 0 6 2 365 

Unity 136 16 76 9 58 15 11 6 50 0 9 5 391 

Warner 131 5 38 3 13 24 19 3 30 0 15 0 281 

Washburn 33 10 28 2 10 9 3 7 10 3 4 5 124 

Weston 104 8 71 19 45 11 6 16 41 3 15 13 352 

Withee 125 12 63 5 26 13 8 10 38 2 7 2 311 

Worden 103 9 40 1 27 8 4 7 49 0 3 2 253 

York 157 10 79 15 56 22 2 21 43 0 18 4 427 




Municipality 

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & 

mining 

Construction 

Manufacturing 


Retail trade 


Finance, insurance, real estate, rental, & 

leasing 

Professional, scientific, mgmt, 

administrative, and waste mgmt services 


Arts, entertainment, recreation, 

accommodation and food services 



Total 

Villages 

Curtiss 2 4 15 2 17 7 0 4 6 0 5 0 62 

Dorchester* 19 18 126 13 29 23 10 21 39 5 21 2 326 

Granton* 2 8 34 2 23 5 8 11 40 0 5 6 144 

Unity* 7 4 26 5 19 9 2 2 14 0 2 0 90 

Withee 4 15 45 7 42 15 14 4 27 3 18 5 199 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 16 31 184 28 163 29 39 34 113 9 31 14 691 

Colby* 13 6 149 13 86 25 20 9 118 4 29 5 477 

Greenwood 19 8 78 11 59 31 26 17 98 2 38 26 413 

Loyal 32 30 111 31 110 39 24 25 110 4 37 12 565 

Neillsville 26 63 127 4 195 38 31 47 327 6 87 86 1,037 

Owen 17 12 95 17 43 11 11 21 100 0 28 4 359 

Thorp 27 28 137 18 94 50 38 25 148 5 47 11 628 

Clark County 

3,249 634 2,780 380 1,882 749 443 543 2,284 66 646 300 13,956 




Table 1.21 

Employment By Occupation – 2000 – Clark County Municipal Units 

Municipality 

Management, Professional & Related 

Service 

Sales & Office 

Farming, Forestry, Fishing 

Construction, Extraction, & Maintenance 

Production, Transportation, & Material Moving 

Total 

Towns 

Beaver 153 31 49 26 47 89 395 

Butler 4 0 6 0 6 11 27 

Colby 140 68 61 33 32 125 459 

Dewhurst 27 26 32 0 21 36 142 

Eaton 103 49 53 29 46 81 361 

Foster 9 8 15 0 3 12 47 

Fremont 172 62 89 52 77 132 584 

Grant 105 58 66 14 42 144 429 

Green Grove 102 32 65 25 25 89 338 

Hendren 86 43 43 10 15 52 249 

Hewett 46 26 34 10 11 52 179 

Hixon 79 39 49 7 33 99 306 

Hoard 98 27 19 10 24 83 261 

Levis 55 47 36 7 31 61 237 

Longwood 99 31 48 14 29 73 294 

Loyal 132 32 60 39 37 73 373 

Lynn 131 48 43 17 22 63 324 

Mayville 131 70 99 28 37 102 467 

Mead 40 24 21 10 10 47 152 

Mentor 75 40 34 11 30 94 284 

Pine Valley 101 101 129 13 63 169 576 

Reseburg 145 44 26 45 33 77 370 

Seif 68 18 0 4 0 32 122 

Sherman 150 41 65 33 34 84 407 

Sherwood 31 12 11 11 12 26 103 

Thorp 151 48 59 30 29 84 401 

Unity 133 37 53 23 40 102 388 

Warner 80 34 39 27 22 72 274 

Washburn 31 18 31 12 13 53 158 

Weston 103 53 55 24 31 74 340 

Withee 142 54 46 20 45 71 378 

Worden 91 36 43 21 48 62 301 

York 127 61 86 25 54 104 457 




Municipality 

Villages 

Management, Professional & Related 

Service 

Sales & Office 


Construction, Extraction, & Maintenance 

Production, Transportation, & Material 

Moving 

Curtiss 9 22 8 3 5 39 86 

Dorchester* 96 56 76 18 43 157 446 

Granton* 25 18 33 14 20 73 183 

Unity* 11 5 9 0 19 22 66 

Withee 39 51 39 0 26 54 209 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 185 95 145 4 46 212 687 

Colby* 117 86 124 10 48 174 559 

Greenwood 114 92 92 10 69 152 529 

Loyal 131 105 148 5 74 168 631 

Neillsville 360 231 214 2 104 272 1,183 

Owen 94 123 71 6 43 98 435 

Thorp 171 114 127 17 64 179 672 

Total 

Clark County 

4,463 2,318 2,657 726 1,574 4,131 15,869 

source: U.S. Census 



Table 1.22 


Municipality 

Exucutive, Administrative, & Managerial 

Professional 

Technician 

Sales 

Administrative support & Clerical 

Service 



Moving 

Total 

Towns 

Beaver 10 16 5 17 23 26 118 87 302 

Butler 0 2 0 4 4 5 12 13 40 

Colby 18 15 2 22 27 34 156 135 409 

Dewhurst 7 6 2 10 9 18 2 31 85 

Eaton 20 16 12 14 35 27 95 76 295 

Foster 4 3 0 0 0 7 2 7 23 

Fremont 22 19 26 25 60 43 127 149 471 

Grant 24 26 9 28 35 43 144 125 434 

Green Grove 10 14 4 11 29 31 115 78 292 

Hendren 17 15 3 9 17 26 75 51 213 

Hewett 13 21 4 12 24 26 7 38 145 

Hixon 22 27 8 14 16 48 89 94 318 

Hoard 4 16 0 16 12 21 83 83 235 

Levis 7 12 0 10 18 38 42 90 217 

Longwood 17 24 4 19 22 33 99 85 303 

Loyal 10 18 2 30 33 30 172 87 382 

Lynn 12 25 14 13 31 37 91 93 316 

Mayville 13 22 2 20 33 59 150 142 441 

Mead 13 10 5 3 4 5 35 21 96 

Mentor 11 14 6 8 24 31 49 65 208 

Pine Valley 41 48 14 37 59 74 64 140 477 

Reseburg 4 15 0 10 8 37 165 69 308 

Seif 12 2 4 2 2 13 13 22 70 

Sherman 9 15 4 25 25 32 109 91 310 

Sherwood 4 4 4 0 7 7 22 23 71 

Thorp 10 9 16 9 29 36 150 106 365 

Unity 10 20 8 19 43 34 133 124 391 

Warner 7 26 4 18 10 22 129 65 281 

Washburn 2 7 2 7 16 16 31 43 124 

Weston 13 17 7 28 58 34 95 100 352 

Withee 16 18 6 12 22 31 121 85 311 

Worden 11 19 2 12 12 41 105 51 253 

York 6 30 3 26 53 47 158 104 427 




Municipality 

Exucutive, Administrative, & Managerial 

Professional 

Technician 

Sales 

Administrative support & Clerical 

Service 



Moving 

Total 

Villages 

Curtiss 2 4 0 2 2 17 2 33 62 

Dorchester* 31 27 3 13 24 44 17 167 326 

Granton* 11 10 2 7 21 32 0 61 144 

Unity* 6 11 4 14 53 31 4 76 199 

Withee 4 3 0 5 13 16 7 42 90 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 49 71 10 82 109 100 8 262 691 

Colby* 24 66 11 45 68 71 9 183 477 

Greenwood 41 78 6 29 43 66 15 135 413 

Loyal 52 72 7 46 77 70 19 222 565 

Neillsville 79 279 16 82 140 152 22 267 1,037 

Owen 40 41 16 21 43 63 14 121 359 

Thorp 70 81 17 41 83 119 23 194 628 

Clark County 

808 1,294 274 877 1,476 1,793 3,098 4,336 13,956 




Table 1.23 

Travel Time to Work – 1990 and 2000 – Clark County 

1990 2000 


Worked at home 2,632 19.0 2,150 13.7 

Less than 5 minutes 1,455 10.5 1,574 10.0 

5 to 9 minutes 2,491 18.0 2,482 15.8 

10 to 19 minutes 3,333 24.1 3,799 24.2 

20 to 29 minutes 1,589 11.5 2,364 15.1 

30 to 44 minutes 1,377 10.0 1,935 12.3 

45 to 59 minutes 457 3.3 693 4.4 

60 minutes or longer 496 3.6 686 4.4 

TOTAL 13,830 100.0 15,683 100.0 


Table 1.24 

Place of Work – 2000 – Clark County Residents 

Number 

2000 

Percent 

within their own community 5,288 33.7 

within Clark County, but 

outside their own community 5,155 32.9 

Clark County 10,443 66.6 

Chippewa County 335 2.1 

Eau Claire County 221 1.4 

Jackson County 302 1.9 

Marathon County 1,407 9.0 

Taylor County 600 3.8 

Wood County 1,956 12.5 

Elsewhere 419 2.7 

TOTAL 15,683 100.0 



Table 1.25 

Households by Household Income – 1989 and 1999 – Clark County 

Household 

Income 

Number of 

Households 

1989 1999 

% of Total 

Households 

Number of 

Households 

% of Total 

Households 

Number 

Change 

Percent 

Change 

Less than $10,000 2,225 19.8 1,222 10.1 -1,003 -45.1 

$10,000 to $14,999 1,399 12.5 998 8.2 -401 -28.7 

$15,000 to $24,999 2,660 23.7 1,990 16.4 -670 -25.2 

$25,000 to $34,999 2,080 18.5 1,917 15.8 -163 -7.8 

$35,000 to $49,999 1,682 15.0 2,377 19.6 695 41.3 

$50,000 to $74,999 766 6.8 2,409 19.9 1,643 214.5 

$75,000 or greater 405 3.6 1,196 9.9 791 195.3 

TOTAL 11,217 100 12,109 100 892 8.0 


Table 1.26 

Median Household Income – 1989 and 1999 – Clark and Surrounding Counties 

Change 

County 1989 1999 Number Percent 

Clark County 22,177 34,577 12,400 55.9 

Chippewa County 25,858 39,596 13,738 53.1 

Eau Claire County 25,886 39,219 13,333 51.5 

Jackson County 21,409 37,015 15,606 72.9 

Marathon County 30,143 45,165 15,022 49.8 

Taylor County 24,304 38,502 14,198 58.4 

Wood County 29,735 41,595 11,860 39.9 



Table 1.27 

Median Household Income – 1989 and 1999 – Clark County 

Dollars 

Towns 

Change 

1989 1999 Dollars Percent 

Beaver 23,636 41,458 17,822 75.4 

Butler 16,964 21,250 4,286 25.3 

Colby 25,000 41,310 16,310 65.2 

Dewhurst 15,000 31,250 16,250 108.3 

Eaton 25,625 37,000 11,375 44.4 

Foster 19,444 28,750 9,306 47.9 

Fremont 26,346 35,167 8,821 33.5 

Grant 23,125 36,518 13,393 57.9 

Green Grove 20,167 37,667 17,500 86.8 

Hendren 18,750 27,353 8,603 45.9 

Hewett 22,045 46,111 24,066 109.2 

Hixon 21,750 36,375 14,625 67.2 

Hoard 22,167 35,250 13,083 59.0 

Levis 20,234 30,521 10,287 50.8 

Longwood 23,068 30,000 6,932 30.1 

Loyal 31,406 45,417 14,011 44.6 

Lynn 26,618 32,396 5,778 21.7 

Mayville 24,125 42,813 18,688 77.5 

Mead 19,375 31,875 12,500 64.5 

Mentor 18,594 36,125 17,531 94.3 

Pine Valley 28,571 37,813 9,242 32.3 

Reseburg 22,813 34,750 11,937 52.3 

Seif 21,875 28,333 6,458 29.5 

Sherman 23,958 42,344 18,386 76.7 

Sherwood 15,714 36,250 20,536 130.7 

Thorp 24,250 39,063 14,813 61.1 

Unity 26,125 41,154 15,029 57.5 

Warner 27,917 37,273 9,356 33.5 

Washburn 20,833 36,250 15,417 74.0 

Weston 25,234 40,833 15,599 61.8 

Withee 18,207 29,625 11,418 62.7 

Worden 24,615 37,321 12,706 51.6 

York 25,750 38,500 12,750 49.5 

Villages 

Curtiss 19,063 29,250 10,187 53.4 

Dorchester* 23,088 34,583 11,495 49.8 

Granton* 18,661 30,288 11,627 62.3 

Unity* 18,875 31,964 13,089 69.3 

Withee 15,759 33,839 18,080 114.7 

Cities 

Abbotsford* 24,706 37,744 13,038 52.8 

Colby* 23,261 34,853 11,592 49.8 

Greenwood 21,202 32,917 11,715 55.3 

Loyal 21,638 30,647 9,009 41.6 

Neillsville 20,743 29,969 9,226 44.5 

Owen 17,386 27,368 9,982 57.4 

Stanley* 24,706 37,744 13,038 52.8 

Thorp 17,896 29,102 11,206 62.6 

Clark County 22,177 34,577 12,400 55.9 

State of Wisconsin 29,442 43,791 14,349 48.7 

source: U.S. Census. 

*Portions of these communities located in Clark County only. 


2. HOUSING INFORMATION 


This section contains an inventory and analysis of housing characteristics in Clark 

County. Quality housing is an essential component to healthy and vibrant communities, 

and striving to provide safe and cost-effective housing is an important community 

development goal. An analysis of housing conditions will help Clark County municipal 

units gain a better understanding of the changes that have occurred over the past 20 to 25 

years. It will also provide insight into future changes that can be anticipated. This 

information will create a foundation upon which decisions regarding future housing 

development can be based. 

In its 2000 Consolidated Plan, the State of Wisconsin lists the following as housing 

priorities that serve as guiding principles for the housing component of local 

comprehensive plans: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provide affordable housing to all consumers, especially those with severe cost 

burdens. 

Maintain an adequate production of new units, including the provision of large family 

and elderly housing. 

Preserve and increase the availability of safe, sanitary housing for low and moderateincome 

owners and renters. 

Make lead-based paint hazard reduction training and resources available. 

Provide housing assistance for special needs groups, including the homeless. 

Continue to ensure fairness and accessibility for all housing consumers. 

Continue to assist with housing disaster relief. 

These are items that local units of government should take into consideration as they 

develop housing goals and policies for their individual comprehensive plans. 

The information contained herein differentiates between the dwelling unit used for a 

home and the people that occupy the home. A household refers to the people living in any 

particular housing unit such as a single-family home. The U.S. Census indicates that a 

household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, 

an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied (or if 

vacant, is intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are 

those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the 

building and that have direct access from the outside of the building or through a 

common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or 

more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who 

share living arrangements. (People not living in households are classified as living in 

group quarters.) 


Seasonal Units 

Seasonal units are used or intended for use only in certain seasons (e.g., beach cottages 

and hunting cabins) or for weekend or occasional use throughout the year. Seasonal units 

may also include quarters used for seasonal workers such as loggers. They typically 

demand less of public services than housing units that are occupied throughout the year. 

Clark County contained 833 seasonal units in 2000 as shown in Table 2.1. 

The majority of the seasonal housing in Clark County (97 percent) is located in the 

County’s towns. Seasonal units comprise a significant amount of the housing stock in 

some areas of the County. Areas with a large percentage of seasonal units include the 

following: 

Town of Foster 62 percent Town of Dewhurst 40 percent 

Town of Mead 48 percent Town of Sherwood 38 percent 

Occupancy and Structural Characteristics 

Table 2.2 displays the number of units per structure for Clark County for 2000. The 

majority of the housing units (90 percent) are one-unit detached structures, commonly 

referred to as single-family homes. Detached housing units are one-unit structures 

detached from any other house, with open space on four sides. Structures are considered 

detached even if they have an attached garage or contain a business unit. Attached 

housing units are one-unit structures that have one or more walls extending from ground 

to roof separating them from adjoining structures. Detailed housing occupancy and tenure 

data for individual municipalities is found at the end of this section in Table 2.2. 

Housing Affordability 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines affordable 

housing as housing that does not cost a household more than 30 percent of its household 

income. This affordability benchmark is not an underwriting standard; it does not address 

the ability to pay for housing. Households may choose to pay more to get the housing 

they need or want; however, according to HUD standards, people should have the choice 

of having decent and safe housing for no more than 30 percent of their household income. 

As shown in Table 2.3, the majority of rental households in Clark County (44 percent) 

pay between $300 and $499 for rental costs. A little less than a third of renters pay 

slightly more, between $500 and $749. 

As shown in Table 2.4, a majority (46 percent) of owner-occupied households in Clark 

County pay less than 15 percent of their household income towards housing costs. A 

majority (26%) of rental households also pay less than 15% of their income for housing 

costs. However, 15% of owner occupied households, and 24% of rental households, are 

contributing more than 30% of their incomes towards housing costs. 

62 Housing Information

Housing Unit and Household Projections 

Housing projections are helpful to estimate the amount of land that may be consumed by 

future housing development. As the number of households and housing units in a county 

continues to grow, there is a resulting need for local units of government to provide 

additional public facilities and services such as roads, sewer and water extensions, fire 

and police protection, schools, etc. It may also create a need to develop and enforce 

additional regulations and ordinances. These are important planning issues for 

consideration. 

The housing unit projections used for this plan are intended to provide an estimate of 

housing units that will be developed through the year 2030 based on observed changes in 

population and housing preferences. Household projections characterize changes in 

housing preferences and habitation patterns. The projections are based on several 

assumptions that create limitations that should be remembered when reviewing and 

evaluating the projections. The assumptions include the following: 

 

 

 

 

The population projections developed as part of this plan are reasonable and will 

continue to be reasonable during the planning period (see Table 1.10). 

The persons per housing unit will remain constant during the planning period. 

The vacancy rate will remain constant during the planning period. 

Past trends regarding seasonal housing, as previously described, will continue in the 

future. 

Based on the housing projections shown in Table 2.6, it is estimated that Clark County 

will have 16,666 housing units by the year 2030. This is an increase of 3,135 housing 

units, or 23 percent, from the 2000 census. It is projected that housing units will average 

an annual increase of approximately 105 housing units per year during the 30-year 

period. Some of the new housing will be clustered in those areas that have traditionally 

had a higher percentage of seasonal homes and there remains available land. 

The Wisconsin Department of Administration Demographic Services office has prepared 

household projections for year 2000 to 2030 in five-year increments that are found in 

Table 1.11. A household forecast is used to help develop housing and land-use forecasts. 

The persons-per-household figure is obtained by dividing the number of persons in 

households by the number of households (or householders). In Table 1.11, households 

with individuals under 18 years include both families with related children and all other 

households in which a person under 18 is present. 

Housing Programs 

There are a number and variety of housing programs instituted in Clark County. These 

are listed in the Inventory of Existing Plans, Programs, & Land-Use Policies in West 

Central Wisconsin report that will be distributed with the Clark County Conditions and 

Trends Report. 


Summary 

 

 

 

 

 

Clark County contains a significant number of seasonal homes, 97 percent of which 

are located in the towns. Areas with a large number of seasonal homes include the 

towns of Foster, Mead, Dewhurst, and Sherwood. 

The majority of housing units in the County (90%) are one-unit detached structures, 

commonly referred to as single family homes. 

The majority of households in the County are not experiencing housing affordability 

problems. However, 15 percent of owner occupied households, and 24 percent of 

rental households, are contributing over 30 percent of their incomes towards housing 

costs. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this 

would signify an unaffordable housing situation for these households. 

It is projected that by the year 2030 Clark County will contain 16,666 housing units. 

This represents an increase of 23 percent from 2000. This is an average of 105 

additional housing units per year for the period. 

There are a wide variety of programs and organizations are available to help Clark 

County communities ensure they have an adequate supply of housing to meet a 

diverse array of current and future demands. 


Data Tables and Map 

Table 2.1 

Seasonal Units – 2000 – Clark County Municipalities 

Seasonal Housing Units 

Municipality Total Housing Units Units % of Total 

Towns 

Town of Beaver 249 4 1.6 

Town of Butler 49 14 28.6 

Town of Colby 281 0 0 

Town of Dewhurst 267 107 40.1 

Town of Eaton 221 3 1.4 

Town of Foster 145 90 62.1 

Town of Fremont 393 5 1.3 

Town of Grant 361 17 4.7 

Town of Green Grove 236 4 1.7 

Town of Hendren 247 33 13.4 

Town of Hewett 200 68 34.0 

Town of Hixon 252 3 1.2 

Town of Hoard 182 5 2.7 

Town of Levis 233 29 12.4 

Town of Longwood 241 3 1.2 

Town of Loyal 225 1 0.4 

Town of Lynn 292 33 11.3 

Town of Mayville 301 2 0.7 

Town of Mead 239 115 48.1 

Town of Mentor 286 54 18.9 

Town of Pine Valley 464 14 3.0 

Town of Reseburg 221 7 3.2 

Town of Seif 122 24 19.7 

Town of Sherman 263 1 0.4 

Town of Sherwood 152 58 38.2 

Town of Thorp 255 3 1.2 

Town of Unity 253 5 2.0 

Town of Warner 208 7 3.4 

Town of Washburn 189 61 32.3 

Town of Weston 267 23 8.6 

Town of Withee 277 3 1.1 

Town of Worden 210 5 2.4 

Town of York 279 3 1.1 

Villages 

Village of Curtiss 70 0 0 

Village of Dorchester* 359 4 1.1 

Village of Granton 164 0 0 

Village of Unity* 62 0 0 

Village of Withee 228 1 0.4 

Cities 

City of Abbotsford* 656 1 0.2 

City of Colby* 440 2 0.5 

City of Greenwood 502 4 0.8 

City of Loyal 576 1 0.2 

City of Neillsville 1,200 6 0.5 

City of Owen 455 5 1.1 

City of Stanley* 0 0 0 

City of Thorp 759 5 0.7 

CLARK COUNTY 13,531 833 6.2 

source: U.S. Census.. 

*Portion of community located in Clark County only. 


Table 2.2 

Units in Structure – 2000 – Clark County Municipalities 

Municipality 

1-Unit 

Detached 

1-Unit 

Attached 2 Units 3-4 Units 

5 or more 

Units 

Towns 

Town of Beaver 221 0 0 0 0 

Town of Butler 37 0 0 0 0 

Town of Colby 252 2 8 0 0 

Town of Dewhurst 220 2 2 0 0 

Town of Eaton 228 2 0 0 0 

Town of Foster 134 2 0 0 0 

Town of Fremont 320 6 6 0 0 

Town of Grant 288 0 8 0 0 

Town of Green Grove 217 3 3 0 0 

Town of Hendren 220 0 2 0 0 

Town of Hewett 145 0 0 0 0 

Town of Hixon 205 3 6 0 0 

Town of Hoard 174 0 0 0 0 

Town of Levis 176 2 0 0 7 

Town of Longwood 239 4 3 0 0 

Town of Loyal 199 0 6 0 0 

Town of Lynn 239 13 5 0 0 

Town of Mayville 259 0 0 2 4 

Town of Mead 219 0 0 0 0 

Town of Mentor 225 0 0 0 2 

Town of Pine Valley 397 2 4 4 0 

Town of Reseburg 214 0 0 0 0 

Town of Seif 113 0 0 0 0 

Town of Sherman 238 4 0 2 0 

Town of Sherwood 118 0 0 0 0 

Town of Thorp 221 2 0 0 0 

Town of Unity 223 2 2 0 0 

Town of Warner 179 0 0 0 0 

Town of Washburn 125 3 0 0 0 

Town of Weston 221 0 0 0 0 

Town of Withee 259 2 0 0 0 

Town of Worden 182 0 0 0 0 

Town of York 250 3 0 0 0 

Villages 

Village of Curtiss 44 2 2 3 0 

Village of Dorchester* 238 6 37 10 31 

Village of Granton 121 0 7 0 11 

Village of Unity* 35 0 2 0 0 

Village of Withee 180 3 1 3 5 

Cities 

City of Abbotsford* 446 5 56 61 70 

City of Colby* 357 4 22 11 44 

City of Greenwood 369 9 15 10 61 

City of Loyal 436 12 37 10 41 

City of Neillsville 873 15 84 38 165 

City of Owen 332 6 15 5 71 

City of Stanley* 0 0 0 0 0 

City of Thorp 565 13 30 18 88 

CLARK COUNTY 10,953 132 363 177 600 




Table 2.3 

Contract Rent (Renter-Occupied Units) – 2000 – Clark County Municipalities 

Municipality 

Less than 

$200 

$200 to 

$299 

$300 to 

$499 

Rents 

$500 to 

$749 

$750 to 

$999 

$1,000 or 

more 

Towns 

Town of Beaver 4 2 2 0 0 0 

Town of Butler 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Town of Colby 0 7 2 2 0 0 

Town of Dewhurst 2 0 4 2 2 0 

Town of Eaton 0 0 7 0 0 0 

Town of Foster 2 0 2 0 0 0 

Town of Fremont 2 13 15 0 0 0 

Town of Grant 2 7 12 0 0 0 

Town of Green Grove 0 5 3 0 0 0 

Town of Hendren 0 3 0 0 0 0 

Town of Hewett 3 4 0 0 0 0 

Town of Hixon 2 3 8 0 3 0 

Town of Hoard 0 0 2 0 0 0 

Town of Levis 0 12 7 0 0 0 

Town of Longwood 0 7 0 0 0 0 

Town of Loyal 4 1 4 2 0 0 

Town of Lynn 2 1 6 2 0 0 

Town of Mayville 2 5 8 0 0 0 

Town of Mead 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Town of Mentor 0 2 9 5 0 0 

Town of Pine Valley 6 8 11 0 0 0 

Town of Reseburg 0 0 2 2 0 0 

Town of Seif 0 0 2 0 0 0 

Town of Sherman 2 1 1 0 0 0 

Town of Sherwood 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Town of Thorp 2 1 2 0 0 0 

Town of Unity 0 2 6 2 0 0 

Town of Warner 2 0 4 0 0 0 

Town of Washburn 0 0 5 0 0 0 

Town of Weston 8 3 8 0 0 0 

Town of Withee 7 2 5 0 0 0 

Town of Worden 1 2 0 0 0 0 

Town of York 0 2 4 0 0 0 

Villages 

Village of Curtiss 0 4 3 0 0 0 

Village of Dorchester* 16 22 46 4 0 0 

Village of Granton 10 9 20 0 0 0 

Village of Unity* 0 6 2 0 0 0 

Village of Withee 4 12 8 0 0 0 

Cities 

City of Abbotsford* 49 35 82 23 0 0 

City of Colby* 38 11 38 5 0 0 

City of Greenwood 29 31 68 2 0 0 

City of Loyal 31 56 32 0 0 0 

City of Neillsville 86 110 155 4 0 0 

City of Owen 37 37 41 3 0 0 

City of Stanley* 0 0 0 0 0 0 

City of Thorp 45 30 88 6 5 0 

CLARK COUNTY 398 456 724 64 10 0 




Table 2.4 

Owner-Occupied Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income – 1999 

Clark County Municipalities 

Monthly Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income 

Municipality 

Less 

than 15% 

15.0% to 

19.9% 

20.0% to 

24.9% 

25.0% to 

29.9% 

30.0% to 

34.9% 

35.0% 

or more 

Total Units** 

Towns 

Town of Beaver 48 14 6 4 2 8 82 

Town of Butler 0 4 2 0 2 0 8 

Town of Colby 51 21 9 18 2 8 109 

Town of Dewhurst 21 25 8 10 4 25 96 

Town of Eaton 37 15 13 8 2 4 79 

Town of Foster 7 2 6 6 2 10 33 

Town of Fremont 64 34 17 12 11 7 147 

Town of Grant 53 28 4 4 3 3 95 

Town of Green Grove 26 5 11 5 4 6 57 

Town of Hendren 29 13 6 9 2 6 67 

Town of Hewett 24 6 10 3 0 2 45 

Town of Hixon 39 11 2 8 0 10 70 

Town of Hoard 37 6 9 0 6 9 67 

Town of Levis 14 12 2 2 2 12 44 

Town of Longwood 37 13 6 3 0 10 69 

Town of Loyal 46 21 11 4 4 2 92 

Town of Lynn 33 14 10 4 2 7 76 

Town of Mayville 59 23 13 13 2 7 117 

Town of Mead 22 11 2 1 0 4 40 

Town of Mentor 53 24 6 9 2 7 101 

Town of Pine Valley 99 18 18 12 11 11 169 

Town of Reseburg 18 6 7 11 0 8 50 

Town of Seif 5 6 4 0 2 2 19 

Town of Sherman 47 23 6 12 2 15 105 

Town of Sherwood 4 0 3 0 2 0 9 

Town of Thorp 36 17 4 4 0 7 68 

Town of Unity 38 19 20 2 0 16 97 

Town of Warner 25 9 4 2 4 4 48 

Town of Washburn 20 4 1 0 0 3 28 

Town of Weston 26 14 15 4 2 9 70 

Town of Withee 47 14 15 4 0 18 98 

Town of Worden 20 15 4 14 2 11 66 

Town of York 41 18 15 12 5 13 104 

Villages 

Village of Curtiss 22 5 4 2 0 5 38 

Village of Dorchester* 88 28 42 17 9 19 205 

Village of Granton 36 27 8 5 8 9 95 

Village of Unity* 18 3 5 2 0 1 29 

Village of Withee 97 19 16 8 3 9 152 

Cities 

City of Abbotsford* 186 58 43 39 14 24 364 

City of Colby* 113 56 46 30 17 40 302 

City of Greenwood 131 38 36 39 16 23 283 

City of Loyal 156 63 45 35 18 54 373 

City of Neillsville 284 134 98 65 21 98 700 

City of Owen 115 51 27 15 8 22 244 

City of Stanley* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

City of Thorp 192 89 53 21 20 61 442 

CLARK COUNTY 2,564 1,036 692 478 216 629 5,652 



** Monthly costs not available for all units in the County. 


Table 2.5 

Renter-Occupied Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income – 1999 


Monthly Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income 

Municipality 

Less 

than 15% 

15.0% to 

19.9% 

20.0% to 

24.9% 

25.0% to 

29.9% 

30.0% to 

34.9% 

35.0% 

or more 

Total Units** 

Towns 

Town of Beaver 2 2 0 0 2 2 12 

Town of Butler 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 

Town of Colby 6 5 0 0 0 0 23 


Town of Eaton 0 1 3 0 0 3 12 

Town of Foster 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 


Town of Grant 13 2 0 3 1 2 26 



Town of Hewett 2 2 3 0 0 0 7 

Town of Hixon 5 6 2 0 0 3 20 

Town of Hoard 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 

Town of Levis 7 6 0 3 0 3 23 


Town of Loyal 9 0 2 0 0 0 25 

Town of Lynn 2 0 1 4 0 4 11 


Town of Mead 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 

Town of Mentor 3 0 7 0 0 4 19 



Town of Seif 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 



Town of Thorp 4 1 0 0 0 0 5 

Town of Unity 6 4 0 0 0 0 12 

Town of Warner 2 0 0 0 2 2 8 



Town of Withee 2 3 2 0 0 7 17 

Town of Worden 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 

Town of York 3 0 1 0 0 2 11 

Villages 






Cities 


City of Colby* 11 32 14 17 4 12 99 


City of Loyal 35 26 16 10 4 28 125 

City of Neillsville 69 88 51 66 22 55 383 

City of Owen 24 14 18 27 5 30 123 


City of Thorp 34 44 20 29 12 30 191 

CLARK COUNTY 423 343 212 256 97 304 1,879 



** Monthly costs not available for all units in the County. 


Table 2.6 

Housing Unit Projections – 2000 to 2030 – Clark County Municipalities 

2000 

Projection 

2005 

Projection 

2010 

Projection 

2015 

Projection 

2020 

Projection 

2025 

Projection 

2030 

Towns 

Town of Beaver 249 263 281 302 323 347 372 

Town of Butler 49 49 49 51 51 52 54 

Town of Colby 281 283 294 307 322 338 354 


Town of Eaton 221 222 230 236 245 255 265 

Town of Foster 145 148 154 157 162 168 180 


Town of Grant 361 375 391 410 430 452 476 



Town of Hewett 200 198 202 208 213 219 226 

Town of Hixon 252 261 272 283 297 311 326 

Town of Hoard 182 197 203 209 215 224 231 

Town of Levis 233 242 256 270 285 303 321 


Town of Loyal 225 225 231 235 242 248 255 

Town of Lynn 292 290 306 322 342 363 385 


Town of Mead 239 243 256 268 281 295 312 

Town of Mentor 286 292 304 316 330 345 363 



Town of Seif 122 118 118 118 121 121 122 



Town of Thorp 255 262 271 281 294 306 321 

Town of Unity 253 258 265 272 282 291 303 

Town of Warner 208 211 220 226 235 245 255 



Town of Withee 277 288 305 322 340 363 384 

Town of Worden 210 220 233 246 262 278 297 

Town of York 279 287 296 306 317 330 343 

Villages 






Cities 


City of Colby* 440 472 500 528 557 592 627 


City of Loyal 576 565 580 597 615 636 659 

City of Neillsville 1,200 1,173 1,179 1,193 1,202 1,221 1,246 

City of Owen 455 445 449 456 463 472 483 


City of Thorp 759 761 770 782 794 812 829 

CLARK COUNTY 13,531 13,725 14,206 14,814 15,301 15,957 16,666 




Table 2.7 

Housing Characteristics – 1980 to 2000 


Municipal Unit 1980 1990 2000 

Town of Beaver 1980 1990 2000 

Total Housing Units 215 221 249 

Total Seasonal 0 4 4 

Total Vacant 14 18 11 

Total Occupied Units 201 203 238 

Owner Occupied Units 182 171 211 

Renter Occupied Units 19 32 27 

Single Family Units 197 199 221 

Multi-Family Units 6 0 0 

Mobile Homes 12 22 31 

Town of Butler 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Colby 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Dewhurst 1980 1990 2000 










Note: In 1990 and 2000, total vacant units include seasonal units in Table 2.7. 






Town of Eaton 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Foster 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Fremont 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Grant 1980 1990 2000 















Town of Green Grove 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Hendren 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Hewett 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Hixon 1980 1990 2000 















Town of Hoard 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Levis 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Longwood 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Loyal 1980 1990 2000 















Town of Lynn 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Mayville 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Mead 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Mentor 1980 1990 2000 















Town of Pine Valley 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Reseburg 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Seif 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Sherman 1980 1990 2000 















Town of Sherwood 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Thorp 1980 1990 2000 










N 

Town of Unity 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Warner 1980 1990 2000 















Town of Washburn 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Weston 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Withee 1980 1990 2000 










Town of Worden 1980 1990 2000 















Town of York 1980 1990 2000 










Village of Curtiss 1980 1990 2000 










Village of Dorchester* 1980 1990 2000 










Village of Granton 1980 1990 2000 
















Village of Unity* 1980 1990 2000 










Village of Withee 1980 1990 2000 










City of Abbotsford* 1980 1990 2000 










City of Colby* 1980 1990 2000 
















City of Greenwood 1980 1990 2000 










City of Loyal 1980 1990 2000 










City of Neillsville 1980 1990 2000 

Total Housing Units 1,153 1,199 1,200 



Total Occupied Units 1,098 1,110 1,130 






City of Owen 1980 1990 2000 















City of Thorp 1980 1990 2000 











Map 2.1 

Housing Unit Change – 1980-2000 – Chippewa County Municipalities 



3. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION 


Transportation facilities have a significant influence on land use, development and 

quality of life for County residents. This section includes a review of transportation 

facilities found in Clark County, including highways, rail, airports, bicycle facilities, 

pedestrian facilities, and transit. Transportation types primarily recreational in nature, 

such as snowmobile, ATV, and hiking trails, are not discussed in this section, but can be 

found in the community facilities and natural resources sections. 

Clark County provides much of the roadway 

infrastructure to support inter-county 

movements, intra-city movements and the 

demands of new growth. This road system 

also allows the movement of buggies, 

bicycles, and pedestrians. A wellmaintained 

and planned transportation 

system can aid in economic development, 

support a variety of land uses, provide links 

among community facilities, and facilitate 

the provision of various public and 

emergency services. 

State Highway 29 east of Thorp 

This section was drafted in the context of regional, state and national transportation 

planning guidelines and principles. Numerous existing State and local transportation 

plans of regional significance are noted in Special Addendum: Inventory of Existing 

Plans, Programs, & Land Use Policies in West Central Wisconsin and are considered in 

the development of this plan. Transportation issues, needs, and strategies specific to 

individual communities will be addressed in their respective plans. 


Background Data/Existing Conditions 

Highways 

Clark County is served by over 2,100 miles of roads under state, county and local 

jurisdiction (see Table 3.1). Major east/west highways include WIS 29, and USH 10. 

WIS 73 is the main north/south highway in the County. Interstate Highway 94 is just 

beyond the County borders to the west. 

Table 3.1 - Road Mileage by Jurisdiction - 2008 

Jurisdiction Miles Percent of Total 

State 157.4 7.4 

County 300.9 14.1 

Towns 1566.4 73.2 

Villages 23.3 1.1 

Cities 91.4 4.3 

TOTAL 2139.3 100.0 

source: WisDOT, Wisconsin Information System for Local Roads, 

January 1, 2008. 

In Clark County, two highways are labeled as backbone or connector routes in the 

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Corridors 2020 Plan. WIS 29 is 

identified as a backbone route and WIS 13 is identified as connector route. As a 

connector route, WIS 13 links significant economic and tourism centers into the 

backbone system. The backbone system is a collection of multilane highways such as the 

interstate system and much of the state trunk highway system (including WIS 29) that 

serve longer interregional trips within the State 

and between Wisconsin and the nation. 

Roads can be generally classified into three 

categories - arterials, collectors and local roads. 

The type of service it provides determines a 

road’s classification. Typically, arterials provide 

the least amount of access to adjacent land uses 

and highest level of mobility, while local streets 

provide the most access and lowest level of 

mobility. Collector roads provide a combination 

of access and mobility. The functional 

classification of the highways in the County is 

shown on Map 3.1. 

The backbone and connector routes, which link 

Wisconsin’s economic and tourism centers, are all classified as arterials since they are 

designed to provide a high level of mobility between communities. Typically, arterials 

accommodate higher levels of traffic at higher speeds than collectors. The actual number 

of vehicles that a road can accommodate is determined by a number of factors, including 

86 Transportation Information

the number of travel lanes, posted speed limit, and the level of access the road provides. 

Generally, a two-lane road can accommodate up to 13,500 vehicles per day. A four-lane 

road with a median can accommodate between 13,500 and 30,000 vehicles per day. 

Of the state and federal highways located in Clark County, the State Highway Plan 2020 

identifies WIS 13, along the northern third of the County’s eastern boundary, as a facility 

that will experience moderate congestion by the year 2020 if no capacity expansion 

improvements are made. The segment to the north of WIS 29 is noted as a potential 

major project site. WIS 73, near its intersection with USH 10 in Neillsville, is also 

projected to experience moderate congestion by 2020. There was no recommendation for 

a major project in this location. No other highways in the County were identified as 

having future capacity issues. 

Highway Projects in the County 

Various construction and repair projects are programmed for the State highways in Clark 

County between 2008 and 2013. A total of 130 miles are scheduled for improvement over 

this six-year period (See Table 3.2). 

Table 3.2 - WisDOT 6-year Plan Projects for Clark County 

Length Estimated Year 

Hwy Project Title 

(in miles) Project Cost (SFY) 

13 Abbotsford - Medford 0.22 

29 Thorp - Abbotsford Road 0.01 

73 Pittsville - Neillsville Road 16.57 

29 Chippewa Falls - Abbotsford 41.58 

73 C. Neillsville, Hewett Street 0.24 

29 Cadott - Abbotsford 41.39 

$250,000 - 

$499,999 

$1,000,000 - 

$1,999,999 

$1,000,000 - 

$1,999,999 

$1,000,000 - 

$1,999,999 

$100,000 - 

$249,999 

$3,000,000 - 

$3,999,999 

2008 

2008 

2008 

2009 

2009 

2012 

Project Description 

Reconstruction project on WIS 13 from 0.5 miles north of Willow 

Road to 0.28 miles south of Pine Road 

Replacement of failed asphaltic pavement section on CHT E 

segment of the interchange with concrete pavement 

Pavement maintenance to sealcoat roadway from the east county 

line to WIS 95 

Pavement maintenance to do spot patches on WIS 29 with 

concrete and repair wing walls on the westbound North Fork of 

the Eau Claire River bridge 

Roadway maintenance to grind off 1 inch of existing concrete 

pavement, patch joints, and overlay with 2-3 inches of new 

asphaltic pavement 

Pavement maintenance on WIS 29 and the interchange ramps on 

the eastbound lanes from WIS 27 to Dill Creek 

73 Neillsville - Withee Road 0.05 $100,000 or less 2012 Bridge deck overlay 

10 Fairchild - Neillsville Road 7.82 

12 Fairchild - Black River Falls Road 10.45 

13 Abbotsford - Medford Road 8.45 

73 Pittsville - Neillsville Road 2.93 

source: WisDOT 6-Year Plan, 2008. 

$2,000,000 - 

$2,999,999 

$4,000,000 - 

$4,999,999 

$2,000,000 - 

$2,999,999 

$500,000 - 

$749,999 

2013 

Mill off 2¼ inches of existing surface and repave with 4 inches of 

HMA warranted pavement; upgrade beambuard and replace 

culverts as necessary 

2013 Mill and overlay with new asphaltic pavement 

2013 Unknown 

2013 

Pavement maintenance to mill the existing surface and repave; 

replace beam guard and permanent signing as necessary. 


Map 3.1 - Clark County Rural Functional Classification 


Bridges 

There are a total of 298 bridges in Clark County. 

WisDOT generally defines a bridge as any structure 

spanning 20 feet or more that carries motor vehicle 

traffic. Of these bridges, 43 are under State 

ownership and maintenance, 52 are owned by the 

County, 202 are under local ownership, and one is 

owned by a railroad. (See Table 3.3). 

State and local bridges are inspected at least once 

every two years. WisDOT is responsible for 

inspections of all bridges along the State highway 

system. Municipalities handle inspections for bridges 

along the local roadway system. WisDOT and local 

governments follow federal guidelines in their bridge 

inspection and maintenance procedures. Bridges are 

rated and categorized in terms of their functional and 

structural situation. Functionally obsolete is an 

engineering term frequently used to describe older 

bridges that no longer meet modern geometric 

standards. For example, it could refer to a bridge 

with narrow lanes or shoulders. A bridge classified as 

functionally obsolete does not mean the bridge is 

unsafe for public travel. Structurally deficient is an 

engineering term used to describe a bridge with one 

or more elements that will require attention. The 

classification does not mean the bridge is unsafe for 

travel. For example, it could refer to a combination 

of elements on a bridge such as potholes on a bridge 

deck or rust on metal trusses. These may have little 

to no impact on a bridge’s overall safe function. 

Depending on the extent of the structural deficiency, 

the bridge may be load-posted until improvements are 

completed. 

All bridges under State ownership in Clark County 

meet all structural and functional standards. There 

are 14 bridges under County or local ownership that 

are classified as either structurally deficient or 

functionally obsolete, or both (See Table 3.4). 

Table 3.3 - Ownership of Bridges 

Owner 

No. of Bridges 

State of Wisconsin 43 

Chippewa County 52 

WC Ltd. R.R. 1 

T. Beaver 11 

T. Butler 2 

T. Colby 10 

T. Dewhurst 1 

T. Eaton 3 

T. Foster 1 

T. Fremont 6 

T. Grant 24 

T. Green Grove 4 

T. Hendren 4 

T. Hewett 8 

T. Hixon 2 

T. Hoard 5 

T. Levis 5 

T. Longwood 3 

T. Loyal 7 

T. Lynn 9 

T. Mayville 10 

T. Mead 7 

T. Mentor 2 

T. Pine Valley 6 

T. Reseburg 5 

T. Seif 3 

T. Sherman 7 

T. Sherwood 2 

T. Thorp 8 

T. Unity 3 

T. Warner 2 

T. Washburn 7 

T. Weston 3 

T. Withee 4 

T. Worden 8 

T. York 13 

V. Curtiss 0 

V. Dorchester 1 

V. Granton 1 

V. Unity 0 

V. Withee 0 

C. Abbotsford 0 

C. Colby 0 

C. Greenwood 1 

C. Loyal 1 

C. Neillsville 3 

C. Owen 0 

C. Thorp 0 

TOTAL 298 

source:WisDOT, 2008. 


Table 3.4 - Functionally Obsolete and Structurally Deficient Bridges in Clark County 

State 

Bridge I.D. Owner Location Bridge On Bridge Over 

Year 

Built 

Deficiency 

P100112 Town T. Green Grove Robin Avenue Soo Line Railroad 1940 F.O. 

B100379 Town T. Reseburg Gorman Avenue Br. S. Fork Eau Claire River 2006 F.O. 

B100683 City T. Neillsville WIS 73/Hewett Street O'Neill Creek 1940 F.O. 

B100380 Town T. Hoard Willow Road Br. N. Fork Popple River 2006 F.O. 

P100903 Town T. Beaver Owen Avenue Rock Creek 1940 F.O. 

B100378 County C. Greenwood CTH G Begley Street Black River 1938 F.O. 

P100069 Town T. Mayville Catlin Avenue Popple River 1950 F.O. 

P100080 City C. Owen Fairground Avenue Wisconsin Central Ltd R.R. 1946 F.O. 

P100930 County T. Dewhurst CTH J Arnold Creek 1963 S.D. AND F.O. 

B100976 County T. Eaton CTH OO Black River 1948 S.D. AND F.O. 

P100053 County T. Washburn CTH K Hay Meadow Creek 1949 S.D. AND F.O. 

P100267 Town T. Dewhurst Riviera Avenue Br. Black River 1928 S.D. AND F.O. 

P100120 Town T. Unity Riplinger Road S. Fork Popple River 1959 S.D. AND F.O. 

P100150 Town T. Eaton Twenty-six Road East Branch 1915 S.D. AND F.O. 

B100059 County T. Mead CTH MM Black Creek 1936 S.D. AND F.O. 

source: WisDOT, 2008. 

Access Management 

Access management includes planning the number and location of driveways on 

roadways. This practice helps maintain safe and efficient traffic movement on roadways, 

and access to and from property, particularly in more urban areas. Road function and 

safety increase as the number of access points decrease. 

WisDOT employs three types of access control authorized by State statutes. They are 

referred to as Wisconsin Statutes (Wis. Stats.) 84.09, 84.25 and 84.295. A short summary 

of the State statutes follows, but it should be noted that the actual content of the statutes is 

significantly more detailed, and many special conditions and provisions are not included 

in this text. The type of access control that is imposed on various highway road segments 

influences how that segment is managed. 

• Wis. Stats. 84.09 (purchase access control) – WisDOT acquires land by gift, 

devise, purchase or condemnation to establish, extend or improve transportation 

facilities. 

• Wis. Stats 84.25 (administrative access control) – WisDOT designates some rural 

portions of the State trunk highway system as controlled-access highways where 

studies show that the potential exists for traffic volumes to exceed 2,000 vehicles 

per 24-hour day. 

• Wis. Stats 84.295 (freeway and expressway access control) – WisDOT designates 

highways with greater than 4,000 vehicles per day as freeways or expressways 

when it is determined that the volume and character of traffic warrants the 

construction or acquisition of right-of-way to accommodate a four-lane highway. 

Access control is in effect on several segments of USH 10 and WIS 29 in Clark County. 

These highways include 84.09 purchased control on US 10 from Collier Road to Clay 

Street in Neillsville, and from the Neillsville east city limits, just west of Industrial 

Boulevard, to the east county line. WIS 29, from Bruce Mound Road to the east county 


line, is also under 84.09 access control, but 84.296 declared freeway controls are 

expected to be in place in the second half of 2009. WIS 29, from the west county line to 

Bruce Mound Road already falls under 84.295 controls. 

Bicycles 

There are no designated off-road bicycle facilities in Clark County, except for mountainbiking 

trails. However, many of the roadways are suitable for cycling. WisDOT has 

assessed the State and county highways based on their suitability for biking throughout 

Clark County (See Map 3.2). Many of the county highways in particular are well-suited 

to biking. While town roads were not explicitly evaluated in WisDOT’s analysis, they 

are likely to provide a safe biking facility, as most rural roads have low traffic volumes 

and are well maintained. 


Map 3.2 – Clark County Bicycling Conditions Assessment 

source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/bike-foot/countymaps.htm 


Safety 

The number of crashes on highways reported in Clark County declined significantly in 

the ten year period from 1998 to 2007 (See Table 3.5 and Figure 3.1). Total crashes 

declined by just over 40 percent, with crashes on County highways accounting for the 

most improvement at 53.8 percent. Crashes involving injuries have declined by nearly 30 

percent. The number of fatalities per year is a fairly small number and therefore difficult 

to trend, however there does appear to be some change toward fewer fatalities when 

comparing the average of the first five years to the last five years (11.2 and 7.2, 

respectively). 

Reported crashes involving bicycles or pedestrians have declined, but the numbers are 

small and easily skewed. The data shown here includes crashes of all types on public 

roads, and does not include those occurring in parking lots or on private roads. The 

annual count of crashes for Clark County municipalities (2003-2007) is shown in Table 

3.6. 

Table 3.5 – Clark County Crash History (1998-2007) 

Data Item 1998 1999 2000 

2001 2002 2003 2004 

2005 2006 2007 

All Crashes 914 943 883 877 910 591 590 603 572 545 

On State Hwys 440 382 388 375 377 247 288 286 253 254 

On County Hwys 234 251 197 219 245 130 120 108 114 108 

On Local Roads 240 310 298 283 288 214 182 209 205 183 

Total Injuries 295 288 324 246 267 260 242 213 250 208 

Total Fatalities 8 11 17 4 16 7 8 7 8 6 

Bicycle crashes 6 4 2 2 1 0 2 0 1 1 

Pedestrian crashes 7 7 5 0 8 1 3 1 3 4 

source: Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory; WisTransPortal Crash Database; Crash Data Retrieval Facility, 

Version 1.1.3, July 16, 2008. 


Figure 3.1 - Clark County Crashes by Highway Type (1998-2007) 

500 

Total Crashes by Highway Type (1998-2007) 

400 

number of crashes 

300 

200 

On State Hwys 

On County Hwys 

On Local Roads 

100 

0 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

years 

source: Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory; WisTransPortal Crash Database; Crash Data Retrieval 

Facility, Version 1.1.3, July 16, 2008. 


Table 3.6 - Highway Crashes by Municipality 

Municipality 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

T. Beaver 12 12 10 10 9 

T. Butler 4 3 2 2 5 

T. Colby 20 32 33 26 18 

T. Dewhurst 9 16 8 10 13 

T. Eaton 13 17 11 8 17 

T. Foster 11 2 8 3 4 

T. Fremont 21 12 10 18 8 

T. Grant 22 20 25 20 20 

T. Green Grove 12 29 21 26 25 

T. Hendren 7 6 11 4 8 

T. Hewett 9 15 8 12 13 

T. Hixon 18 12 18 16 5 

T. Hoard 33 14 15 21 11 

T. Levis 11 16 12 12 10 

T. Longwood 20 21 18 19 23 

T. Loyal 14 14 19 13 10 

T. Lynn 11 2 10 10 8 

T. Mayville 38 35 19 27 25 

T. Mead 8 5 5 1 4 

T. Mentor 14 16 12 17 17 

T. Pine Valley 30 28 44 26 22 

T. Reseburg 3 12 9 7 9 

T. Seif 1 2 2 4 5 

T. Sherman 12 21 14 21 15 

T. Sherwood 5 5 9 11 4 

T. Thorp 25 35 26 27 33 

T. Unity 9 10 11 11 12 

T. Warner 11 14 19 13 13 

T. Washburn 6 7 10 5 8 

T. Weston 16 14 22 20 11 

T. Withee 23 26 15 14 19 

T. Worden 4 7 8 5 7 

T. York 16 12 15 17 16 

V. Curtiss 2 1 3 5 1 

V. Dorchester 4 3 7 5 6 

V. Granton 5 4 1 5 5 

V. Unity 2 0 3 1 0 

V. Withee 3 1 5 5 4 

C. Abbotsford 25 11 14 21 18 

C. Colby 14 15 20 7 18 

C. Greenwood 9 4 4 6 9 

C. Loyal 10 6 7 8 6 

C. Neillsville 28 29 40 30 35 

C. Owen 6 4 8 8 4 

C. Thorp 15 20 12 15 12 

Totals 591 590 603 572 545 

source: Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory; WisTransPortal Crash Database; 

Crash Data Retrieval Facility, Version 1.1.3, July 16, 2008. 


Commuting Patterns 

Residents of Clark County are employed in a wide array of locations, within their own 

community, elsewhere in the County, in other Wisconsin and Minnesota counties (See 

Table 3.7). Of the 15,683 employed residents reported, 33.72 percent work in the city, 

village, or town in which they reside. This would include those that work at home, and 

most of those working family farms. Another third of the workers reported that they 

work in a Clark County community other than the one in which they reside. Those 

working in other Wisconsin counties include 32.82 percent of employed Clark County 

residents, and about 0.25 percent work in Minnesota. 


Table 3.7 - Commuting Patterns of Clark Residents by Municipality 

Cities Villages Towns 

Clark County Conditions and Trends Report 97 

Community of Work Trip Origin 

Abbotsford 

Colby 

Greenwood 

Loyal 

Neillsville 

Owen 

Thorp 

Curtiss 

Dorchester 

Granton 

Unity 

Withee 

Beaver 

Butler 

Colby 

Dewhurst 

Eaton 

Foster 

Fremont 

Grant 

Green Grove 

Destination w/in origin 

community 

211 159 262 225 663 141 315 18 109 29 2 42 139 8 153 13 147 12 171 75 125 70 20 98 88 64 111 178 102 118 36 33 129 173 46 120 19 141 122 89 26 94 173 80 139 5288 

Destination outside community; 

w/in Clark County 

Destination in 

other Wisconsin 

Counties 

Destination in 

Minnesota counties 

Other 

Hendren 

165 115 154 133 306 183 163 27 77 72 8 131 126 15 117 43 165 19 57 233 92 123 123 153 113 110 134 90 73 165 97 50 317 126 60 56 13 108 58 135 73 176 159 92 150 5155 

Barron 2 2 

Brown 2 2 2 6 

Calumet 3 3 

Chippewa 6 3 5 12 65 2 2 1 3 5 5 4 2 21 103 2 20 74 335 

Columbia 3 1 4 

Dane 2 2 3 2 4 2 15 

Dodge 2 2 

Dunn 2 2 3 3 1 2 7 2 22 

Eau Claire 5 2 6 51 5 2 2 4 7 10 1 5 2 8 5 22 7 17 2 2 14 4 2 14 22 221 

Fond du Lac 3 2 2 7 

Forest 2 2 2 3 9 

Jackson 6 36 2 1 53 2 2 3 2 27 136 18 2 2 2 2 6 302 

Juneau 2 2 

La Crosse 3 2 2 7 

Langlade 5 5 

Lincoln 8 4 2 3 2 4 3 4 1 3 34 

Marathon 165 154 17 80 47 31 9 22 86 20 29 17 40 104 2 47 20 56 6 12 23 14 35 18 75 4 5 13 3 85 4 97 9 14 3 3 6 32 1407 

Menominee 3 3 6 

Milwaukee 2 2 

Monroe 5 2 5 2 2 4 20 

Oconto 1 1 

Oneida 4 2 4 2 12 

Outagamie 2 2 

Ozaukee 3 3 

Pepin 4 4 

Portage 3 2 4 6 2 2 3 4 1 3 3 2 2 2 39 

Price 2 4 3 3 2 3 17 

Racine 2 2 4 

Rock 2 2 

Rusk 1 1 

St. Croix 1 2 2 3 3 11 

Sauk 2 3 4 3 3 15 

Shawano 3 3 

Sheboygan 5 2 7 

Taylor 77 39 3 9 2 32 38 13 124 4 4 2 29 2 2 19 28 23 5 5 84 2 7 2 15 3 5 20 2 600 

Trempealeau 3 3 2 3 20 2 33 

Vilas 2 2 4 

Walworth 6 2 8 

Waukesha 2 2 2 6 

Waushara 2 2 

Winnebago 2 2 2 6 

Wood 40 67 58 168 93 14 7 6 23 58 15 3 69 37 4 33 2 274 77 24 34 20 10 1 23 10 60 117 14 4 5 55 2 4 138 67 2 96 29 29 46 118 1956 

Anoka 2 3 5 

Dakota 3 2 1 6 

Douglas 4 4 8 

Faribault 2 2 

Hennepin 2 2 2 6 

Jackson 2 2 

Kandiyohi 2 2 

McLeod 1 2 3 

Ramsey 2 2 4 

Scott 2 2 4 

Washington 2 2 

3 3 2 2 3 2 8 4 2 3 2 2 6 2 2 3 49 

Hewett 

Hixon 

Hoard 

Levis 

Longwood 

Loyal 

Lynn 

Mayville 

Mead 

Mentor 

Pine Valley 

Reseburg 

Seif 

Sherman 

Sherwood 

Thorp 

Unity 

Warner 

Washburn 

Weston 

Withee 

Worden 

York 

Total by workplace 

Total by home community 

source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census Transportation Planning Package, 2000. 

682 551 521 625 1166 429 668 86 438 181 62 201 385 27 453 138 365 47 576 429 326 249 175 303 256 234 294 373 319 460 152 286 551 370 122 405 103 394 383 273 158 341 380 296 450 15683

Summary 

The following summarizes the existing conditions and trends of transportation in Clark 

County: 

• There are slightly more than 2,000 miles of public road in Clark County, under 

the jurisdiction of the State of Wisconsin, Clark County, or local governments. 

• WisDOT’s six year highway plan includes between $15,000,000 and $22,000,000 

in projects within Clark County (See Table 3.2). 

• There are 298 bridges in Clark County, fifteen of which (5.0 percent) are 

classified as either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. This does not 

mean that they are unsafe for travel. 

• While many of the County and town roads in Clark County are rated as suitable 

for bicycling, there are no dedicated bicycling trails, or multi-use trails that are 

suitable for bicycling, in the County. 

• Just over one-third (33.72%) of employed persons in Clark County work in the 

same town, village, or city where they live; another third (32.87%) work in a 

different Clark County community; the other third (32.82%) work in other 

Wisconsin counties, primarily Wood (12.47%) and Marathon (8.97%). About 

one-half of a percent of workers reported working in other states. 


4. UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES 

INFORMATION 


The State of Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Law (§66.1001) requires that 

comprehensive plans include a “compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and 

programs to guide the future development of utilities and community facilities in the 

local governmental unit”. 

Utilities and community facilities provide the foundation on which a community is built 

and maintained. Utilities include sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water systems, and 

electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, and solid waste disposal systems. 

Community facilities include parks, schools, health and safety services, libraries, and 

more. Utilities and community facilities contribute to the quality of life in Clark County 

and affect the community’s ability to attract and retain residents, visitors, businesses, and 

industries. 

The Clark County Inventory and Trends Report completed by Foth & Van Dyke in 

November 2003 does an excellent job of inventorying the key utilities and communities 

facilities in the County. This section of the WCWRPC Clark County Conditions and 

Trends Report supplements the Foth & Van Dyke report with some additional community 

facilities information which may also be valuable to some local planning efforts. 

Since the availability, condition, and capacity of utilities and community facilities often 

change, and since much of this information is only available at a local level, the inventory 

may need to be further supplemented during County and local planning efforts. 

Communities will need to individually determine if their facilities meet the needs, 

demand, vision, and goals of their respective plans and residents. 

Even so, the Foth & Van Dyke report and this supplemental inventory together should 

provide the bulk of the community facility and utility background information needed for 

comprehensive planning in rural communities where public utilities and facilities are 

more limited. 

Facilities located in the City of Stanley are generally not included here given that the City 

is largely located in Chippewa County and included in the Chippewa County Conditions 

and Trends Report. 


Inventory of Utilities 

Utilities in Clark County (e.g., sewer, water, stormwater, communication, power) are 

inventoried in the Clark County Inventory and Trends Report completed by Foth & Van 

Dyke. For supplemental reference, Maps 4.2 and 4.3 at the end of this section show the 

electric and natural gas service areas in west central Wisconsin. 

Inventory of Other Educational Facilities 

Clark County residents are served by a wide assortment of educational facilities at the 

elementary, primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. The Clark County Inventory 

and Trends Report completed by Foth & Van Dyke inventories the public and private 

schools in Clark County. For reference, Map 4.4 at the end of this section shows the 

public school districts in Clark County. This sub-section also includes information on the 

CESAs and post-secondary institutions. Overall, municipalities in the County generally 

have a limited role in the planning and function of educational facilities, primarily relying 

on the educational institution itself for required planning and operations. 

Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) 

CESA agencies were established in 1965 to replace county school supervisors. The 

state’s 12 regional CESAs offer a variety of leadership and program services that link the 

state’s 428 school districts with each other and with the Department of Public Instruction. 

CESA’s provide specific programs identified by school districts as priorities; often 

several schools jointly share CESA services. All public school districts in Clark County 

fall within CESA District #10, with offices located in Chippewa Falls 

(www.cesa10.k12.wi.us). 

Map 4.1 – Vocational Districts in the Region 

Vocational, Technical, and 

Adult Education 

source: Wisconsin Technical College System webpage. 

http://www.wtcsystem.edu/colleges.htm 

Wisconsin has a very strong technical 

college system that works closely with 

industry, businesses, and the public sector 

to provide practical workforce training in 

a wide variety of fields. The State is 

divided into sixteen vocational districts 

with a technical college serving each 

district offering a variety of classes, 

seminars, and vocational degree programs. 

Clark County is located within the 

Chippewa Valley, Mid-State, 

Northcentral, and a very small portion of 

the Western vocational districts (see Map 

4.1). 

100 Utilities and Community Facilities Information

Northcentral Technical College (NTC) has a central campus in Wausau, with regional 

campuses in Antigo, Medford, Merrill, Phillips, Spencer, and Wittenberg. The northeast 

portion of Clark County falls within the NTC vocational district. 

Mid-State Technical College has campuses in Marshfield, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin 

Rapids, with a learning center in Adams. The southeast portion of Clark County falls 

within the MSTC vocational district. 

The majority of Clark County falls within the Chippewa Valley Technical College 

(CTVC) vocational district. CTVC has campuses in Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, 

Menomonie, River Falls, and an outreach center in the Neillsville Industrial Park. 

CVTC’s enrollment for credit courses was 8,855 in 2007-2008, while noncredit 

enrollment was 10,741. 

Technical college programs include apprenticeships, staff development, agriculture, 

marketing, driver education, health careers, law enforcement, home economics, trade and 

industrial, and adult education. Also, clinics and seminars are held throughout the year. 

University of Wisconsin System 

The University of Wisconsin system of public universities consists of two doctoral 

research universities (UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee), eleven comprehensive 

universities, thirteen two-year colleges, and the Statewide UW-Extension system. 

West central Wisconsin is particularly blessed with three comprehensive universities, 

being home to UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout (Menomonie), and UW-River Falls (see Table 

4.1). In addition, UW-Stevens Point is in relatively close proximity to many Clark 

Table 4.1 – Enrollment of UW Campuses in West Central Wisconsin 

Campus 

1998-99 2007-08 

Enrollment Enrollment 

% change 

UW-Eau Claire 10852 10854 0.02% 

UW-River Falls 5617 6452 14.87% 

UW-Stout 7731 8477 9.65% 

UW-Barron County 491 606 23.42% 

source: University of Wisconsin system 

County communities. 

Of the thirteen University of Wisconsin colleges in the State offering associates degrees, 

UW-Barron County located in Rice Lake is the only one located in west central 

Wisconsin. But, again, some Clark County residents undoubtedly travel east to attend 

classes at UW-Marshfield/Wood County or UW-Marathon County. Residents may also 

access associates-degree programming via the Internet-based UW Colleges Online. 

University of Wisconsin-Extension partners closely with county governments to provide 

supportive services to all residents, businesses, and governments. This is a very active 


expression of the “Wisconsin Idea”, which is a philosophy that the University of 

Wisconsin System is a partner in improving the quality of life of all Wisconsin residents 

through education. 

Other Colleges and Universities 

There are no independent colleges or universities located in west central Wisconsin 

which are fully accredited, degree-granting, and a member of the Wisconsin Association 

of Independent Colleges and Universities. 

Inventory of Other Community Facilities and Services 

The Clark County Inventory and Trends Report completed by Foth & Van Dyke also 

provides an excellent inventory of many of the community facilities in Clark County, 

including libraries, emergency services, solid waste/recycling, health care facilities, 

parks, and municipal buildings. This sub-section supplements the Foth & Van Dyke 

report by providing information on hazardous materials response, assisted living 

facilities, cemeteries, dams, and additional child care services information. 

Hazardous Materials Response 

Clark County contracts with another county for County “Level B” Hazardous Materials 

Response Team service, though some local fire department personnel may have been 

trained to the operations level. County or "Level B" Teams respond to chemical 

incidents which require a lower level of protective gear, potentially with self-contained 

breathing apparatus, but still exceeds the capabilities of standard fire departments. 

As needed, the West Central Wisconsin Regional Response Team, based in the Chippewa 

Falls and Eau Claire Fire Departments, can be contacted for additional reconnaissance 

and research support. This “Level A” team can also be requested to respond to the most 

serious of spills and releases requiring 

the highest level of skin and respiratory 

protective gear. This includes all 

chemical, biological, or radiological 

emergencies requiring vapor-tight 

“Level A” gear with self-contained 

breathing apparatus. 

Planning and exercises regarding hazard 

materials is coordinated through the 

Clark County Emergency Management 

Office in conjunction with the Clark 

County Local Emergency Preparedness 

Committee. 

Regional Response Team Practice Drill 


Child Care Services 

Wisconsin State Law requires that anyone caring for four or more children under the age 

of seven years who are unrelated to the provider must obtain a license through the 

Department of Children and Families. Table 4.2 is a list of State-licensed child care 

facilities in Clark County for family child care (up to 8 children) and group child care (9 

or more children). Sixty-eight percent of the County’s 31 child care facilities are licensed 

for family child care. Communities may need to consider population and demographic 

trends compared to the capacity of available child care in their area to help determine if 

child care needs of the community are being met. 

Table 4.2 – Licensed Child Care Facilities in Clark County 

City Day Care Name Capacity 

ABBOTSFORD CLC CHRISTIAN DAY CARE 42 

COLBY JAY'S GENIUSES FAMILY DAY CARE 8 

ZION LUTHERAN EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR 65 

DORCHESTER FLOWER PATCH DAY CARE 8 

GRANTON THERESA'S TREEHOUSE 8 

GREENWOOD COUNTRY FRIENDS FAMILY CHILD CARE 8 

JENNY'S DAY CARE 8 

LEARN-A-LOT PRESCHOOL 15 

LOYAL APPLETREE PRESCH AND CC CTR 30 

CARMEN'S CARE 8 

COUNTRY CHILDREN DAY CARE 8 

HEART AND HOME DAY CARE 8 

LITTLE BITS DAY CARE 8 

ROBIN'S DAY CARE 8 

NEILLSVILLE CAREBEARS FAMILY DAY CARE 8 

CONNIE'S CIDS DAY CARE & PRESCH 55 

COUNTRY KIDS DAY CARE 8 

FAMILY HOME SERVICE 8 

ICAA NEILLSVILLE HEAD START 20 

NEILLSVILLE NURSERY SCHOOL 15 

PENNY'S DAY CARE 8 

WORLDS OF WONDER CHILDCARE 8 

OWEN LITTLE SUNSHINE'S CHILD CARE 8 

POOH BEAR'S DAY CARE 8 

STANLEY TINY TOTS CHILDCARE CTR LLC 61 

THORP HAND IN HAND DAY CARE 8 

JANE'S HUMPTY DUMPTY DAY CARE 8 

MELISSA'S MONKEY BUSINESS 8 

SHERRI'S LITTLE ZOO 8 

SMALL WONDERS CHILD CARE CENTER 45 

SMALL WONDERS TOO 21 

source: Wisconsin Department of Children & Families, July 2008. 


Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes, and Senior Programs 

Senior care facilities are becoming increasingly important regional assets to meet the 

changing needs of our aging population in a manner that permits residents to age with 

dignity. Since 1982, the State of Wisconsin has maintained a moratorium on the 

construction of new nursing home beds due to high vacancy rates. This has created a 

problem in some areas, meanwhile encouraging the use of alternative assisted-living 

approaches. In 2005, Clark County nursing homes were at 90.7 percent capacity, which 

is above the State overall average of 87.9 percent. The actual availability of beds at any 

given time in Clark County can vary. 

Clark County has a variety of assisted living facilities. The higher costs of many of these 

facilities, combined with decreased access to related governmental support, sometimes 

encourage residents to choose nursing care over assisted living. As the baby boomer 

generation ages, demand for such facilities is expected to increase. And with advances in 

medicines and technology, there has been an increasing trend in the provision of "inhome 

care” as an alternative to group homes or nursing care, which is also less costly 

overall. 

Table 4.3 lists the assisted living facilities and nursing homes in Clark County, along with 

their capacities. These facilities are organized by five types: 

Adult Day Care provides services for part of a day, primarily on weekdays, in a group 

setting to adults who need assistance with activities of daily living, supervision, or 

protection. Adult day care centers are not licensed by the State, but may be certified. 

Adult Family Homes provides residence and care for up to four adults of minimum age 

18 who are not related to the operator, with up to seven hour per week of nursing care per 

resident. Counties certify one- and two-bed adult family homes, while the State licenses 

homes with three or four adults. 

Community-Based Residential Facilities are a place where five or more adults reside 

who receive care, treatment, or services that are above the level of room and board, but 

includes not more than three hours of nursing care (at the intermediate level or below) per 

week per resident. These facilities often provide services to a particular group, such as 

persons with dementia, developmental disabilities, or mental health problems. CBRFs 

are licensed by the State. 

Residential Care Apartment Complexes are independent-living apartments where five 

or more adults reside which are provided up to 28 hours per week of supportive and/or 

nursing services. These complexes may be a distinct part of a nursing home or 

community-based residential facility and are certified by the State. 

Nursing Homes provide constant nursing care and supportive services to residents who 

have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Residents are typically the 

elderly, younger adults with physical disabilities, and those requiring rehabilitative 

therapies. Nursing homes are licensed by the State. 


Communities may need to consider population and demographic trends compared to the 

capacity of available assisted living facilities and nursing homes in their area to help 

determine if needs are being met. And with Clark County’s aging population, the 

availability of such facilities could be a potential issue for the future. 

There is a large variety of additional supportive services available to the elderly and those 

with disabilities, ranging from in-home support to transportation to financial services to 

social activities. Such services are provided through a mix of governmental and nonprofit 

institutions, often relying on volunteer support. Senior information and lunches are 

available at nine sites in Clark County through the County Aging Office: 

Abbotsford Colby Dorchester 

Greenwood Humbird Loyal 

Neillsville Owen Thorp 

For more information on aging and disability programs in Clark County, please contact 

the Clark County Aging Office (715-743-5144) or visit its webpage: 

(http://www.co.clark.wi.us/ClarkCounty/departments/agingoffice/) 

Table 4.3 – Assisted Living Facilities in Clark County 

City Facility Type Facility Name 

Capacity 

or # of 

Beds 

ABBOTSFORD Adult Family Home AURORA RES ALTERNATIVES INC 056 4 

CBRF INNCARE OF ABBOTSFORD 16 

COLBY Nursing Home COLONIAL CENTER 95 

CBRF COHO LLC 8 

Resid. Care Apt. Complex COLBY RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 24 

GREENWOOD Adult Family Home KOURTLAND HOUSE 4 

Adult Family Home ROCQUE ADULT FAMILY TREATMENT SERVICES INC 4 

Adult Family Home STERLING ADULT FAMILY HOME 3 

CBRF AURORA RES ALT CENTURY HOUSE 051 7 

CBRF PABICHS RESIDENTIAL FACILITY INC 8 

LOYAL Adult Family Home MALMHUS ADULT FAMILY LIVING LLC 4 

NEILLSVILLE Nursing Home NEILLSVILLE MEMORIAL HOME 99 

Adult Family Home WHISPERING PINES MANOR 4 

Resid. Care Apt. Complex NEILLSVILLE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 24 

OWEN Nursing Home CLARK COUNTY HEALTH CARE CENTER 178 

Adult Day Care WILLOW RIDGE ADULT DAY CARE I 16 

Adult Day Care WILLOW RIDGE ADULT DAY CENTER II 6 

STANLEY Adult Family Home PINE ROAD COUNTRY ADULT HOME 4 

THORP Nursing Home OAKBROOK HEALTH AND REHABILITATION 58 

Adult Family Home AURORA RESIDENTIAL ALTERNATIVES INC #025 4 

Adult Family Home COHO - ELM 4 

Adult Family Home COUNTRY CORNER ADULT HOME 4 

Adult Family Home K&D COUNTRY LIVING HOME 4 

Adult Family Home LAVINWOOD HILLS ADULT FAMILY HOME 4 

Adult Family Home STERLING ADULT FAMILY HOME 4 

Adult Family Home TENDER CARE ADULT FAMILY HOME 4 

WITHEE Adult Family Home AURORA RES ALT INC WITHEE HOUSE 024 3 

source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services, July 2008. 


Cemeteries 

Table 4.4 lists the cemeteries in Clark County as identified at the Clark County 

USGenWeb site (http://wigenweb.org/clark) and in the book Cemetery Locations in 

Wisconsin compiled by Linda Herrick and Wendy Uncapher. Cemeteries are arranged by 

general township area using the associated town name for ease of reference, though the 

actual cemetery location may be within a city or village located within a listed township. 

Because this list is compiled from multiple 

sources, some cemeteries may be listed twice, 

but under different names. 

Greenwood Cemetery 

This list does not necessarily include all 

smaller cemeteries, family plots, or Native 

American burial sites. Further, some of these 

cemeteries may be no longer in use. As 

needed, each individual community plan may 

identify any additional known cemeteries and 

any issues, needs, or policies related to those 

cemeteries in their community. 


Table 4.4 – Clark County Cemeteries 

Township Area 

Beaver 

Butler 

Colby 

includes C. of Colby 

Dewhurst 

Eaton 

includes C. of Greenwood 

Fremont 

Grant 

includes V. of Granton 

Hendren 

Hewett 

Hixon 

includes V. of Withee 

& C. of Owen 

Hoard 

Levis 

Longwood 

Loyal 

includes C. of Loyal 

Lynn 

Mayville 

includes V. of Dorchester 

& C. of Abbotsford 

Cemeteries 

Town of Beaver 

St. Lukas Lutheran 

Town of Butler 

Town of Colby 

St. Mary's Catholic 

St. Paul's Lutheran 

Lone Grave 

St. Mary's 

Greenwood 

St. Stephen's Catholic 

Pine Circle 

Yolo 

Grant 

Lynn 

Pine Circle 

Windfall 

Zion 

Holy Family 


Willard 

Columbia 

Nazareth 

Riverside 

St. Paul's Lutheran (Norwegian) 

Levis 

Dells Dam 

Ho-Chunk Indian 

Longwood 

Emanuel Lutheran 

Trinity Lutheran 

St. Balthazus - St. Anthony 

Pine Grove 

Loyal City 

East Side 

Salem 

York 

Lynn 

N. Memorial (Peace Lutheran) 

Old Norwegian 

Pine Hill 

Dorchester Memorial South 

Dorchester Catholic 

Abbotsford 


Table 4.4 –Clark County Cemeteries continued 

Township Area 

Cemeteries 

Mead 

Forest Hill 

Immanuel Lutheran 

Mentor 

Mentor 

Pine Valley 

Poor Farm 

includes C. of Neillsville N. Pine Valley 

St. Mary's Catholic 

Neillsville City Cemetery 

Sylvan 

West Pine Valley 

South Pine Valley 

Reseburg 

Sylvan 

Seif 

Seif 

Sherman 

Presbyterian (Veefkind) 

Salem Evang. Lutheran 

Unknown (Sec. 27) 

Sherman (Coles) 

West Spencer 

Thorp 

East Thorp 

includes C. of Thorp (part) Eidsvold 

Germanian 

Norwegian 

St. Bernard 

St. Hedwig 

St. Mary's Reformed 

Unity 

Pine Grove 

St. John's Lutheran 

Trinity 

Warner 

Amish 

Braun Settlement 

Immanuel Unity 

Forest Hill 


Christliche Lutheran (Immanuel) 

East Side 

West Side (Weston) 

Withee 

Trinity 

includes C. of Thorp (part) name unknown (sec. 27) 

St. Hedwig Catholic 

East Thorp 

Worden 

Brethren/Worden 

Germanian 

Norwegian (sec. 14) 

Norwegian (sec. 27) 

York 

York/Free Methodist 


Dams 

In total, Clark County has 72 existing or proposed dams, most being small earthen works 

for livestock or recreational ponds and flowages. In most cases, if one of the smaller 

dams failed, the runoff downstream would be hardly noticed. There may be the potential 

to remove some of the older, smaller dams which no longer serve a function, in order to 

improve water quality and lower the risk of failure. 

The following is a list of those governments which own dams, dikes, or levees in Clark 

County: 

Clark County (17) 

Washwood Flowage, Rock, Sherwood, Wedges 

Creek, Mead, Horse Creek, Spruce Lake, Iron Run, 

Web Center, Poplar/Sportsman Lake, and 7 others 

Town of Mentor 

Halls Creek/Humbird Dam 

V. of Dorchester Dorchester Dam 

C. of Loyal Bear Creek/American Legion Dam 

C. of Owen (2) Mill Dam, Owen Dam 

C. of Neillsville Neillsville Dam 

Only two existing dams in the County have a high hazard rating: 

• Sportsman Lake Dam, owned by Clark County 

• Bear Creek/American Legion Dam, owned by the City of Loyal 

The hazard rating does not reflect the attributes or strength of the dam, but is based on 

potential loss of life and property damage if the dam should break, and on the controls in 

place down river to limit such damage (e.g., floodplain zoning). All of these dams are 

highly regulated, inspected regularly, and have emergency action plans on file with the 

Clark County Emergency Management office. 

For additional details on the dams of Clark County, their hazard ratings, potential issues, 

and some key development trends in dam shadows, please see the Clark County Natural 

Hazards Mitigation Plan. 

Summary 

Utilities and community facilities in Clark County vary from small-scale facilities serving 

primarily local needs to regional facilities and networks serving large portions of the 

County’s population. As municipalities grow and change, the infrastructure, essential 

services, and related community facilities must evolve as well. 

This section, combined with the Foth & Van Dyke report, provides a basic inventory of 

the principal utilities and community facilities of Clark County. The following are some 

key findings from these reports: 

• There are 13 public sanitary sewer providers in Clark County, including two 

sanitary districts in Chili and Hatfield. 


• The vast majority of private, onsite wastewater treatment systems in Clark 

County are holding tanks, though mound systems are increasing in popularity. 

• There are 10 public water utilities in Clark County. 

• The Duluth-to-Wausau high voltage electrical transmission line to be completed 

by 2010 travels through Clark County and has been a contentious issue. 

• Wisconsin Gas provides natural gas service for portions of northern and east 

central Clark County. 

• Gaps in telecommunications exist in the County with no part of Clark County 

having more than 95+% broadband availability, except for in the Stanley area. 

• Clark County is served by 15 school districts and 11 libraries. The County also 

has a large number of Amish and Mennonite schools. 

• Clark County residents also have access to a variety of post-secondary 

institutions, though facilities in the County are limited to the CVTC outreach 

center in Neillsville. 

• Emergency services are provided locally by the Sheriff’s Department, 7 local 

police departments, 18 fire departments, 12 ambulance providers, 6 first 

responder services, and the County Emergency Management Office. 

• Residents enjoy a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including parks, 

campgrounds, rod & gun clubs, surface waters, County forest lands, trails, and 

events conducted by civic organizations. 

• The Clark County Health Care Center and Memorial Medical Center in 

Neillsville are the primary health care facilities located within the County. 

• Sixty-eight percent of the County’s 31 licensed child care facilities are licensed 

for family child care of less than nine children. 

• There are 27 licensed assisted living and adult care facilities located in the 

County, in addition to a variety of other types of assistance for seniors. In 2005, 

nursing homes in Clark County were operating at a 90.7% capacity. 

• Twenty-three of the County’s 72 existing or proposed dams are owned by a 

governmental entity; 17 of these are owned by Clark County. 

During local planning efforts, this section may need to be supplemented to include 

additional facilities and details, and analyzed more closely to identify issues and 

community needs. 


Utilities and Community Facilities Maps 

Map 4.2 – Electric Service in West Central Wisconsin 

source: Wisconsin Public Service Commission 


Map 4.3 – Natural Gas Service in West Central Wisconsin 

source: Wisconsin Public Service Commission 


Map 4.4 – Clark County School Districts 

source: U.S. Census TIGER Files, 2000 



5. AGRICULTURAL, NATURAL, AND CULTURAL 

RESOURCES INFORMATION 


Clark County’s history and development is rooted in its natural resources. Prior to 

settlement by those of European heritage, Clark County was covered in a variety of 

different ecosystems. The early settlers included traders and farmers, which both made a 

living from the natural resources from the land. Soon after this period, the agricultural 

industry started prospering. During the early part of the 20 th Century, dairying became 

more and more prominent. 

During the 20 th century, agriculture, as a percentage of the economy, declined somewhat 

as more manufacturing, retail, and professional employment opportunities arose in 

communities throughout the County. Even though employment in the agricultural 

industry decreased, well over half of the County’s land base remains in agricultural 

production. The dairy industry plays an extremely important role in the County. 

During the first decade of the 21 st century, the agriculture and natural resource industries 

of Clark County have experienced a lift from both the increased interest and investment 

in local and organic food and renewable energy. The increase in demand for local and/or 

organic food has grown significantly since the turn of the century. This has helped 

existing family farms and has provided a catalyst for new farms to start in Clark County. 

In addition, the abundance of farmland and natural areas are providing Clark County an 

opportunity to take advantage of the growing renewable energy and bio-energy 

industries. Clark County is currently experiencing growth in a wide range of industries, 

public entities, farms, and individuals utilizing farmland and natural areas as a source to 

profit from and/or save resources by using renewable resources and bio-energy. 

Scattered throughout Clark County remain many unique historical structures and sites 

that are important vestiges of its past. Through these changes, it is the characteristics of 

Clark County’s natural and cultural resources that continue to define the local 

communities and provide the cornerstone for the quality of life for local residents. Clean 

and abundant water is needed for drinking, industry, and agriculture. Prime farmlands 

continue to provide the basis for the agricultural economy and for the preservation of the 

County’s rural character. A diversity of other natural habitats are protected and managed 

for aesthetic value, recreational purposes, economic importance, and a healthy ecosystem. 

Cultural and historic resources are identified and preserved for their social and economic 

value. 

The three subsections of this section describes the existing conditions of the agricultural, 

natural, and cultural resources of Clark County. These resources provide the foundation 

for most, if not all, of the other comprehensive plan elements, and they may be discussed 

in numerous other places within the comprehensive plan. To plan for the future, a firm 

understanding of the resource base of the community is needed. 


This provides an important context for developing objectives, policies, goals, maps, and 

programs for the conservation and promotion of the effective management of the 

agricultural, natural, and cultural resources for each participating community, as required 

by Wisconsin comprehensive planning legislation (Wis. Stat. § 66.1001(2)(e)). It should 

also be noted that under Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Law, the term “cultural 

resources” includes historic buildings and structures as well as ancient and historic 

archeological sites. 

Considerable portions of this element are adapted from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Wisconsin Department of 

Natural Resources, Wisconsin State Historical Society, and Soil Survey of Clark County, 

Wisconsin, among other sources. Data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture from the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture will be available later in 2009, but this information was 

not available at the time this report was compiled. 

The maps for this section will be located in Appendix A: Clark County Resource Maps. 

In addition, the maps will be located in the Clark County Resource and Land Use Atlas 

DVD-ROM. 

Agricultural Resources 

Adjusted 1997 Census of Agriculture numbers provided by the USDA National 

Agricultural Statistics Service were used in this report, offering comparability to 

2002 data. Caution should be taken when making comparisons with earlier agricultural 

census data, since the number of farms are undercounted for many areas. 

Local Agricultural Industry Trends 

Agriculture is an important element of the social and economic characteristics of Clark 

County, perhaps more so than any other county in Wisconsin. Changes in agriculture due 

to socio-economic conditions and the development pressures to convert agricultural land 

to other uses can have profound impacts in Clark County and its surrounding 

communities. Agricultural land and prime farmlands based on capability classification 

are located throughout Clark County as shown in Maps 5.1 and 5.2 in Appendix A. 

In 2002, there were five more farms in Clark County than in 1987. Between 1992 and 

2002, there was an increase of 190 farms in the County (See Figure 5.1). The average 

farm size increased from 203 acres in 1987 to 210 acres in 2002. Again analyzing 

between 1992 and 2002, average farm sizes dropped from 212 acres to 210 acres. From 

1987 to 2002, the number of farms stayed the same and average farm size increased three 

percent. Between 1992 and 2002, these numbers are a nine percent increase in total farms 

and a decrease of one percent for average farm size. 

This data shows that Clark County has experienced increases and decreases in the 

number of farms in the past decades, and farm size has stayed relatively constant. It needs 

to be noted that the U.S. Census Bureau defines “farm” as any place from which $1,000 

or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been 

116 Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources Information

sold during the census year. Of the 2,200 farms in Clark County, 365 (16.5 percent) had 

sales under $1,000, and 673 (30.5 percent) had sales of under $5,000. 

Figure 5.1 - Number and Average Size of Farms - 1978 to 2002 – Clark County 

2,400 

300 

2,200 

250 

Number of Farms 

2,000 

1,800 

200 

150 

100 

Acres 

1,600 

50 

1,400 

1987 1992 1997 2002 

Year 

0 

Farms 

Acres/Farm 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture 

According to USDA, farmland increased by 16,258 acres (25 square miles) or 3.7 

percent, between 1987 and 2002 (see Table 5.1). Farm acres accounted for 57.1 percent 

of the total land area in the County in 1987, and 59.1 percent in 2002. As shown in Table 

5.2, in 2002, approximately 98.5 percent of the farms in Clark County were noncorporation 

individual or family farms. 

Table 5.1 - Acres in Farmland – 1987 to 2002 – Clark County 

1987 1992 1997 2002 

Acres 445,095 426,884 458,600 461,353 

Percent of County Land Area 57.1 54.7 58.8 59.1 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Table 5.2 - Number of Farms by Ownership – 1987 to 2002 – Clark County 

Ownership 1987 1992 1997 2002 

Individual/Family Farms 2,018 1,830 2,111 2,070 

Partnership 137 130 115 97 

Corporation – Family 32 40 42 32 

Corporation – Other 1 5 0 0 

Other (Coop, Trust, etc...) 7 5 5 1 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Adjusted 1997 Census of Agriculture numbers provided by the USDA National 

Agricultural Statistics Service were used in this report, offering comparability to 

2002 data. Caution should be taken when making comparisons with earlier agricultural 

census data however, since the number of farms are undercounted for many areas. 


Table 5.3 Assessed Agricultural Parcels and Acreage by Municipality – 1990 and 2007 

Total Parcels 

Total Acres 

1990 2007 # Change 1990 2007 # Change % Change 

TOWNS 

Beaver 620 650 30 18,023 17,776 -247 -1.4 

Butler 86 98 12 1,983 2,230 247 12.5 

Colby 567 600 33 17,279 16,209 -1,070 -6.2 

Dewhurst 32 16 -16 710 425 -285 -40.1 

Eaton 493 528 35 14,359 14,542 183 1.3 

Foster 28 17 -11 612 423 -189 -30.9 

Fremont 574 546 -28 16,228 14,695 -1,533 -9.4 

Grant 680 584 -96 16,820 14,370 -2,450 -14.6 

Green Grove 551 579 28 16,504 15,685 -819 -5.0 

Hendren 473 352 -121 11,838 9,093 -2,745 -23.2 

Hewett 94 57 -37 1,473 889 -584 -39.6 

Hixon 547 516 -31 14,399 13,105 -1,294 -9.0 

Hoard 462 479 17 13,066 12,258 -808 -6.2 

Levis 246 243 -3 5,071 4,646 -425 -8.4 

Longwood 544 577 33 15,811 14,234 -1,577 -10.0 

Loyal 650 655 5 19,185 18,459 -726 -3.8 

Lynn 448 388 -60 10,809 8,444 -2,365 -21.9 

Mayville 614 607 -7 18,079 16,593 -1,486 -8.2 

Mead 233 176 -57 6,004 5,003 -1,001 -16.7 

Mentor 250 245 -5 6,150 5,951 -199 -3.2 

Pine Valley 545 493 -52 11,130 8,769 -2,361 -21.2 

Reseburg 604 596 -8 19,113 18,088 -1,025 -5.4 

Seif 174 158 -16 4,088 3,231 -857 -21.0 

Sherman 614 593 -21 17,536 16,684 -852 -4.9 

Sherwood 131 102 -29 3,482 2,310 -1,172 -33.7 

Thorp 630 603 -27 17,497 14,580 -2,917 -16.7 

Unity 582 554 -28 17,475 13,150 -4,325 -24.7 

Warner 497 513 16 14,520 14,432 -88 -0.6 

Washburn 259 197 -62 7,073 4,479 -2,594 -36.7 

Weston 485 537 52 12,070 13,183 1,113 9.2 

Withee 627 574 -53 18,256 16,344 -1,912 -10.5 

Worden 523 537 14 15,436 13,424 -2,012 -13.0 

York* 627 663 36 18,362 17,859 -503 -2.7 

Total 14,490 14,033 -457 400,441 361,563 -38,878 -9.7 

VILLAGES 

Curtiss 12 10 -2 217 135 -82 -37.8 

Dorchester 18 17 -1 297 205 -92 -31.0 

Granton 14 3 -11 132 27 -105 -79.5 

Unity 5 5 0 112 90 -22 -19.6 

Withee 14 11 -3 154 90 -64 -41.6 

Total 63 46 -17 912 547 -365 -40.0 

CITIES 

Abbotsford 6 4 -2 74 94 20 27.0 

Colby 9 0 -9 58 0 -58 -100.0 

Greenwood 23 19 -4 685 419 -266 -38.8 

Loyal 17 12 -5 322 227 -95 -29.5 

Neillsville 26 3 -23 408 76 -332 -81.4 

Owen 13 6 -7 285 67 -218 -76.5 

Stanley** n/a 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 

Thorp 5 48 43 47 134 87 185.1 

Total 99 92 -7 1879 1017 -862 -45.9 

COUNTY TOTAL 14,652 14,171 -481 403,232 363,127 -40,105 -9.9 

Source: Wisconsin Department of Revenue 

* Data were not available for 1990. 1989 data were used. ** Stanley was incorporated in 2002. 


The towns of Loyal (18,459), Reseburg (18,088), York (17,859), and Beaver (17,776) 

have the greatest number of assessed agricultural acres (See Table 5.3). In comparison, 

the towns of Dewhurst, Foster, and Hewett all have less than 1,000 assessed acres in 

agricultural use. 

As shown in Table 5.3, the assessed agricultural acreage has declined by 40,105 acres 

from 1990 to 2007 in Clark County. The largest loss for a single community was 4,325 

acres occurred in Unity. Other substantial losses occurred in the towns of Thorp (-2,917), 

Hendren (-2,745), Grant (-2,450), Lynn (-2,365), and Pine Valley (-2,361). The 

cities and villages that experienced large agricultural land losses were Neillsville (-332), 

Greenwood (-266), and Owen (-218). 

In total, this amounted to a 9.9 percent reduction in assessed agricultural land in Clark 

County from 1990 to 2007. That is a loss of about 0.6 percent per year during that period. 

Of the towns, Dewhurst (-40.1 percent), Hewett (-39.6 percent), and Washburn (-36.7 

percent) had the largest percentage reductions in agricultural land. Of the cities and 

villages, the largest percentage losses of assessed agricultural lands occurred in the Colby 

(-100 percent), Neillsville (-81.4 percent), Granton (-79.5 percent), and Owen (-76.5 

percent). At the same time, the majority of the incorporated communities had percentage 

losses of over 30 percent. 

As shown in Figure 5.2 on the following page, the number of dairy farms in Clark County 

has continued to decrease over the past two decades, with 1,075 dairy farms comprising 

49 percent of the total farms in 2002. In 1987, Clark County was home to 1,508 dairy 

farms (69 percent of the total farms), which was 433 more dairy farms than existed in 

2002. This is a 29 percent decrease in the number of dairy farms in Clark County 

between 1987 and 2002. 

Hay and silage production was the most common crop in 2002, with 1,736 farms 

producing the crop on more than 133,000 acres. Corn production for grain and silage and 

soybeans represents the next most common use of these agricultural lands, with 978 

farms using approximately 31,000 acres for seed and grain production, and an additional 

505 farms cultivating 26,994 acres for soybeans. 

In 2002, the County ranked number two in the 

State for milk and other dairy products from 

cows, and 19 th nationally. Traditionally, the 

County has ranked first or second in milk and 

other dairy products. It also ranked 3 rd in the 

State for cattle and calves, 5 th for minks, and 

8 th for pheasants. The County ranked 2 nd for 

acres of forage, corn for silage, and 3 rd for 

acres in oats. 

Mauel’s Sunshine Ice Cream, Owen 


Figure 5.2 - Number of Farms and Dairy Farms - 1987 to 2002 – Clark County 


2,400 

2,200 

2,000 

1,800 

1,600 

1,400 

1,200 

1,000 

800 

600 

400 

200 

0 

1987 1992 1997 2002 

Year 

2,400 

2,200 

2,000 

1,800 

1,600 

1,400 

1,200 

1,000 

800 

600 

400 

200 

0 


Total Farms 

Dairy Farms 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture 

Over the past few years, Clark County has seen an increase in the number of farms that 

are supplying the growing number of consumers that want to purchase local food and/or 

organic food. Specifically for certified organic operations, Clark County had 17 certified 

organic farms in 2002. At this time, there are dozens of farms in Clark County that 

support the local and/or organic markets. These direct market farms are marketing 

themselves locally and regionally. In addition, Clark County currently has weekly 

farmers markets in Abbotsford, Greenwood, Loyal, Neillsville, Owen, and Thorp during 

the summer and fall months. 

Direct market farms have a variety of positive impacts on the environment and economy. 

Environmentally, farms that are organic pollute the land, ground water, or surface water, 

on-site and downstream, significantly less than farms that are not organic. These farms 

reduce the amount of energy used for the transportation aspect of agriculture. 

Economically, the money that is spent purchasing food from these local farms initially 

stays in the local/regional economy, as opposed to being sent to different regions of the 

country and/or outside the U.S. The money spent on direct market food is often circulated 

in the local economy several times, which is important in creating a sustainable local 

economy. Lastly, with purchasing local food, in most cases, the food is typically better 

quality (e.g. freshness, taste, nutrition) than food that is transported from outside the 

region. 


A sample of Clark County direct market farms that cater to local and/or organic 

market: 

- Colby Cheese House - Engel’s Sugar Bush 

- Four Sprouts Veggies - Grassland Dairy Products 

- Maple Acres Sugar Bush - Maple Creek Farm and Greenhouses 

- RM Chicken and Ducks - Sternitzky’s Maple Syrup 

- Sunny Valley Farm 

At the same time that Clark County is experiencing an increase in the number of direct 

market farms, Clark County has also seen an increase in the interest and investment in 

renewable energy, primarily from the dairy and animal processing sectors. At this time, 

several farms, companies, and individuals are working on creating fuel from local 

sources. In addition, a variety of production operations (on-site bio-diesel and straight 

vegetable oil) can be found throughout the County. In regards to energy use, different 

units of government in Clark County are utilizing or looking into utilizing renewable 

energy for a variety of purposes. Lastly, Clark County has seen an increase in companies 

that are manufacturing goods to support this investment and entrepreneurship. As a 

whole, the local and organic agricultural market and renewable energy market are playing 

a significant role in the County’s economy. 

Natural Resources – Sensitive Lands 

In addition to the more distinct physical land features, there are other environmentally 

sensitive and valued land resources that should be considered for the potential impacts of 

growth and development activities. These areas, referred to as sensitive lands, should be 

identified and evaluated for their significance as a valued resource in the County. In 

addition, growth and development policies and management techniques will need to be 

established to affect the desired impacts on these resources. 

The following are the Sensitive Lands that are briefly reviewed and discussed in this 

section. 

Shorelands 

Floodplains 

Wetlands 

Steep Slopes 

Forests and Woodlands 

Grasslands and Prairie 

Detailed data on the encroachment and loss of many of these sensitive areas (e.g., 

wetlands, steep slopes) was not readily available for inclusion in this report. WCWRPC 

may further supplement this information in the future as resources allow. In the interim, 

community-specific questions can be directed to the Wisconsin Department of Natural 

Resources (WisDNR). WisDNR contact information is available at their webpage, 

including the service centers in the region: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cs/servicecenter/. 


Shorelands 

Shorelands provide valuable habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial animals and 

vegetation, and also act as buffers and thus serve to protect water quality. Shorelands are 

also considered prime residential building areas because of their scenic beauty. 

Recognizing this conflict, and to maintain the environmental, recreational, and 

economical quality of our water resources, the State of Wisconsin requires counties to 

adopt and enforce a shoreland ordinance. 

As required by the State, shorelands are defined as: 

all land within 1,000 feet of the ordinary high water mark of a lake, pond, or flowage; 

or 

all land within 300 feet of the ordinary high water mark of a river or stream or to the 

landward side of the floodplain, whichever is greater. 

Each county must meet or exceed the minimum State standards for shoreland protection. 

The identified shoreland areas are based on the standards as defined in the Clark County 

Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. 

Shoreland encroachment data is not readily available. However, Map 1.2 provided 

earlier in the report shows that many of the fastest growing municipalities in Clark 

County since 1970 have been those communities with significant surface water features. 

Likewise, these communities often have higher numbers of seasonal housing units, as 

shown for our region in the map below, though not all such units are in shoreland areas. 

There are signs that 

seasonal units in west 

central Wisconsin are 

increasingly becoming 

year-round or retirement 

homes. Further, with 

many of the prime 

lakefront properties 

already developed, there 

may be an increasing 

demand for shoreland 

properties on rivers. 

Seasonal Units in West Central Wisconsin - 2000 

In lieu of shoreland 

encroachment data, the 

following sub-section 

does include estimates of 

structures potentially 

located in the 100-year 

floodplain. There is a 

significant overlap between shorelands and 100-year floodplains, so this additional 

information does provide a sense of shoreland development trends in Clark County. 


Floodplains 

One sensitive land feature that most residents are aware of is the floodplain, the floodprone 

land adjacent to water bodies. Floodplains can be desirable development areas due 

to the proximity to lakes, rivers, and streams, but pose problems by possibly putting 

residents and property at risk. Development in floodplains can also affect the 

environmental quality of the waterway. 

To better protect the residents throughout the State, and to minimize the loss of property, 

the State of Wisconsin, under Wisconsin Statute 87.30(1), requires counties, cities, and 

villages to adopt and enforce floodplain zoning. In addition, Wisconsin Administrative 

Code NR116, Floodplain Management Program, has been promulgated for the protection 

of property and public investments from the effects of flooding. 

Development within the floodplain is usually assessed through the use of the Flood 

Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA). Given that an update to the Clark County FIRMs should be completed within 

the next year, a map of the current, older FEMA 100-year floodplain boundary is not 

included with this report. Instead, as a possible proxy, Map 5.5 in Appendix A shows 

frequently flooded soils based on NRCS soils data. Regardless, it is important to 

remember that any such map is no substitute for site-specific analysis. Natural and human 

changes in the landscape and the age and accuracy of the flood insurance maps has, in 

some cases, limited their reliability for identifying and designating floodplains. 

Overall, Clark County has had a very few 

riverine flooding problems in recent decades 

with damages primarily limited to road, 

shoulder, and culvert washouts. Flooding 

problems in recent years have been more the 

result of stormwater runoff, rather than river 

or lake flooding. 

There have been 24 National Flooding 

River Flooding on Co. Highway “M” 

Insurance Program (NFIP) claims for Clark 

County from 14 different owners. Ten of 

these claims, representing five owners, were in unincorporated areas of the County; none 

of these properties appear to be located in close proximity to one another. 

As part of the Clark County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, an estimate of the number 

of potential structures in the 100-year floodplains within the unincorporated towns was 

produced. This estimate was developed using a combination of orthophotography, parcel 

data, and existing FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). However, this analysis 

should only be used to identify general trends, since elevation data for these structures 

was not available and the accuracy of the FIRMs can be questionable; site specific 

analysis is often needed to definitively determine if a structure is located within a 

floodplain. 


The table below identifies the numbers and types of potentially floodprone properties 

with structures which may be located within the 100-year floodplain for the towns of 

Clark County. For all improvements in rural Clark County near or potentially within 

floodplains, the four towns of Dewhurst, Hewett, Levis, and Pine Valley together 

constituted 47.4% of all assessed improvements and 51.8% of the value of all assessed 

improvements. As stated previously, the FIRMs which delineate the FEMA 100-year 

floodplain for Clark County are being updated and should become available in 2009, 

which will likely result in some changes to these numbers. 

This information can also serve as a proxy for identifying areas of shoreline 

encroachment. For more information on flood risks and vulnerabilities in Clark County, 

please refer to the Clark County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. 

Table 5.4 - Potential 100-Year Floodplain Improvements by Town – 2003 – Clark County 

Resi- Comm- Indu- Other Total Est. Value of 

Town dential ercial strial Improvements 

Beaver 9 9 $421,038 

Butler 2 2 $62,146 

Colby 6 1 7 $419,676 

Dewhurst 101 101 $6,679,130 

Eaton 5 5 $362,730 

Foster 16 1 17 $890,303 

Fremont 8 1 9 $571,639 

Grant 14 14 $879,186 

Green Grove 15 15 $903,645 

Hendren 1 1 2 $56,816 

Hewett 36 36 $1,508,796 

Hixon 19 4 23 $1,060,925 

Hoard 4 1 5 $252,612 

Levis 38 6 3 47 $2,981,253 

Longwood 11 11 $560,725 

Loyal 1 1 $61,000 

Lynn 6 4 1 11 $1,075,280 

Mayville 8 1 9 $568,706 

Mead 27 27 $1,244,052 

Mentor 19 1 20 $691,235 

Pine Valley 54 54 $4,002,588 

Reseburg 1 1 $48,976 

Seif 4 4 $218,848 

Sherman 6 2 8 $867,006 

Sherwood 10 10 $433,560 

Thorp 0 $0 

Unity 3 3 $179,742 

Warner 3 1 1 5 $322,763 

Washburn 17 17 $508,861 

Weston 17 17 $712,096 

Withee 4 1 2 7 $464,734 

Worden 1 1 $50,811 

York 4 4 $226,592 

Total: 469 5 17 11 502 $29,287,470 

note: The above analysis did not include incorporated cities & villages in Clark County 


Wetlands 

There are a number of wetland areas within the watersheds that can affect water levels of 

rivers and creeks flowing through Clark County (see Map 5.6 in Appendix A). Wetlands 

are defined by the State Statute as “an area where water is at, near, or above the land 

surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic (water-loving) 

vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions.” Wetlands may be seasonal 

or permanent and are commonly referred to as swamps, marshes, or bogs. Wetland plants 

and soils have the capacity to store and filter pollutants, replenish groundwater supplies, 

store floodwaters, and maintain stream flows. 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources based on 1978-1979 aerial 

photography, Clark County has 100,338 acres of wetlands which are individually five 

acres or larger. This constitutes approximately 12.9 percent of the County’s total surface 

area. Detailed data on wetland losses in Clark County was not readily available for 

inclusion in this report. It has been estimated that approximately 47% of Wisconsin’s 

original pre-settlement wetland acreage had been lost by 1979. 

Steep Slopes 

It is generally desirable, both environmentally and economically, to avoid steep slopes 

and disrupting natural drainageways with construction and land development. Problems 

with erosion and runoff pollution can occur with development on steep slopes, and 

flooding and wet basements can occur with drainageway disruptions. 

Steep slopes are any area where the gradient of the land is 13 percent or greater (each 

percent of slope is measured as one unit in elevation for every 100 horizontal units). 

Areas having steep slopes can be categorized into three levels, 13 percent to 20 percent 

slope, 21 percent to 24 percent, and 25 percent and greater. Development on slopes of 13 

percent to 20 percent should consider direct runoff into lakes, rivers, or streams, follow 

State-approved construction site erosion control standards, and institute best management 

practices to control on-site runoff and pollution. Land with slopes of 21 percent or greater 

represent a definite limiting environmental condition. Development on these slopes 

results in high construction costs and severe erosion with resultant negative impacts to 

surface and ground waters. Development on slopes of 21 percent or greater is highly 

discouraged. 

Based on the Soil Survey for Clark County, there are approximately 42,680 acres that 

potentially have a slope of 13 percent or greater, representing 5.5 percent of the total land 

base. Of this, 7,331 acres (.9 percent) have slopes of 20 percent or greater. The majority 

of these steep slopes are located in the southwestern quarter of the County as shown on 

Map 5.7 in Appendix A. Additional localized and site-specific variations in topography 

and slope may exist. Glacial activity created some scenic topography, but may also be 

very sensitive to development activities. 


Forests and Woodlands 

Forests and woodlands are an important feature of Clark County. In fact, its forests are 

the second most extensive land use and land cover, after agriculture. The largest 

concentrations of woodlands occur in the western and southern portions of the County as 

shown on Map 5.8 in Appendix A. 

Assessed forest acreage decreased by roughly 38,600 acres, or over 60 square miles, 

between 1990 and 2007 (see Table 5.5). This was a 23 percent decrease. Between 1990 

and 2007 the towns of Mead (-50.5 percent), Warner (-40.9 percent), and York (-40.2 

percent) saw the largest percentage decreases in assessed forested acreage. In 2007, the 

towns of Pine Valley (6,982), Levis (6,193), Weston (5,893), and Sherwood (5,804) had 

the greatest amount of assessed forested acreage, respectively. At the same time, Foster 

(1,170), Loyal (1,614), Mayville (1,844), Withee (2,095), and York (2,371) had the least 

amount of assessed forested acreage. The greatest percentage increases occurred in the 

towns of Colby (2.4 percent), Thorp (2.4 percent), and Mayville (2.2 percent). 

In Clark County, woodlands are an important part of the environment, aesthetics, and 

economy. Woodlands provide: 

 

 

 

 

 

Habitat for a variety of plants and animals; 

The basic resource for many wood-based industries, including the expanding bioenergy 

sector; 

Resources for the agricultural community; 

An environment for recreational activities; and 

Scenic beauty of the landscape and the rural character of the County. 

Woodlands managed according to approved forest management practices can support 

varying and sometimes complementary objectives, such as timber production and wildlife 

habitat. On the other hand, strict preservation of woodlands would be unusual and 

reserved for the most rare and unique stands in the County. 

Unmanaged development and the fragmentation of woodlands in residential lots can 

diminish or eliminate a woodlands capacity to provide wood products, habitat for plants 

and animals, and aesthetic quality. Clark County has experienced a loss of some 

woodland acres, in part due to the subdividing of woodlands into residential lots. Because 

woodlands are considered a valued resource for these reasons, significant woodlands are 

often protected from conversion to other uses or properly managed in order to retain their 

desirable characteristics. For example, residential development in woodland areas could 

use conservation design techniques in order to allow for development while preserving 

the environmental and aesthetic value. 


Table 5.5 - Assessed Forest and AG Forest Parcels and Acreage by Town – 1990 to 2007 – 

Clark County 

Total Parcels 

Total Acres 

1990 - 

# 2007 % 

Change Change 1990 2007* 

1990 - 

2007 % 

Change 

# 

Town 1990 2007* 

Change 

Beaver 251 219 -32 -12.7 4,279 3,537 -742 -17.3 

Butler 182 127 -55 -30.2 4,716 2,996 -1,720 -36.5 

Colby 209 223 14 6.7 2,723 2,787 64 2.4 

Dewhurst 227 217 -10 -4.4 6,317 4,476 -1,841 -29.1 

Eaton 301 231 -70 -23.3 5,522 3,379 -2,143 -38.8 

Foster 52 59 7 13.5 1,644 1,170 -474 -28.8 

Fremont 281 210 -71 -25.3 4,859 3,323 -1,536 -31.6 

Grant 351 338 -13 -3.7 4,738 4,417 -321 -6.8 

Green Grove 246 249 3 1.2 4,248 3,766 -482 -11.3 

Hendren 392 281 -111 -28.3 7,873 4,743 -3,130 -39.8 

Hewett 210 214 4 1.9 3,756 3,279 -477 -12.7 

Hixon 293 292 -1 -0.3 4,541 4,273 -268 -5.9 

Hoard 269 311 42 15.6 5,768 5,287 -481 -8.3 

Levis 369 361 -8 -2.2 7,670 6,193 -1,477 -19.3 

Longwood 234 330 96 41.0 5,122 5,093 -29 -0.6 

Loyal 182 149 -33 -18.1 2,414 1,614 -800 -33.1 

Lynn 366 318 -48 -13.1 8,389 5,371 -3,018 -36.0 

Mayville 181 186 5 2.8 1,804 1,844 40 2.2 

Mead 329 219 -110 -33.4 8,097 4,011 -4,086 -50.5 

Mentor 283 227 -56 -19.8 5,624 4,015 -1,609 -28.6 

Pine Valley 426 490 64 15.0 8,040 6,982 -1,058 -13.2 

Reseburg 216 198 -18 -8.3 3,428 2,976 -452 -13.2 

Seif 213 178 -35 -16.4 5,398 3,342 -2,056 -38.1 

Sherman 220 201 -19 -8.6 3,685 3,142 -543 -14.7 

Sherwood 246 253 7 2.8 6,635 5,804 -831 -12.5 

Thorp 259 238 -21 -8.1 2,911 2,982 71 2.4 

Unity 226 237 11 4.9 3,032 2,715 -317 -10.5 

Warner 239 184 -55 -23.0 6,265 3,700 -2,565 -40.9 

Washburn 259 253 -6 -2.3 4,952 3,929 -1,023 -20.7 

Weston 378 331 -47 -12.4 8,088 5,893 -2,195 -27.1 

Withee 168 185 17 10.1 2,510 2,095 -415 -16.5 

Worden 266 284 18 6.8 5,957 4,859 -1,098 -18.4 

York* 233 196 -37 -15.9 3,968 2,371 -1,597 -40.2 

TOTALS 8557 7989 -568 -6.6 164,973 126,364 -38,609 -23.4 

Source: Wisconsin Department of Revenue 

* Between 2003 and 2007, the Department of Revenue changed the classification system and included the category “AG Forest”. This 

alteration has in most cases influenced the comparison of 2007 data and the data from the previous three years. 

** Data were not available for 1990. 1989 data were used. 

Grasslands and Prairie 

Parts of Clark County were originally covered by prairie, most of which does not remain 

today. Existing grassland areas are scattered throughout the County (Map 5.9 in 

Appendix A). 

Prairie is the term used to describe the grassland type that predominated Wisconsin prior 

to Euro-American settlement. Prairies are dominated by grasses and sedges, lack trees 

and tall shrubs, and are home to a rich variety of plants and animals. Within the prairie 


designation there are variations due to soils and climate. Prairies continue to be a 

threatened plant community in Wisconsin. The reduction of prairie in the State means 

that an estimated 20 percent of the original grassland plants are considered rare in the 

State. Consequently, many species of plants and animals associated with Wisconsin 

prairies are endangered, threatened or of special concern. 

There are few high quality prairie remnants remaining. Research shows it will take more 

than the preservation of these remnants to recover or retain the biodiversity this 

ecosystem can offer. Degraded areas that were once prairie can often be restored with 

moderate effort to yield a habitat suitable for most of the associated plant and animal 

species. Even certain managed agricultural and livestock practices can accommodate the 

maintenance of the open habitats needed by many grassland species. Grasslands can be 

restored and maintained through preserving a certain amount of open space for this type 

of cover as development occurs. Hence, development can occur in such a way that it can 

maintain sufficient grasslands for its habitat value while preserving the rural character of 

the landscape. 

Summary 

Numerous programs at the State and County level are available to assist local 

communities in their planning efforts and in the protection of local agricultural, natural, 

and cultural resources. Protection of such resources needs to be balanced with, and can be 

complementary to, other community goals as discussed in the other existing conditions 

sections. 

Agricultural Resources Conditions Summary 

• Agriculture is the predominant use of the land in Clark County. The 2007 assessed 

agricultural acreage in the County was 363,127 or about 46 percent of the total land 

acreage. 

• From 1990 to 2007, the County experienced a 9.9 percent reduction in assessed 

agricultural land. That is a loss of about 0.6 percent per year during that period. Of the 

towns, Dewhurst (-40.1 percent), Hewett (-39.6 percent), and Washburn (-36.7 

percent) had the largest percentage reductions in agricultural land. Of the cities and 

villages, the largest percentage losses of assessed agricultural lands occurred in the 

Colby (-100 percent), Neillsville (-81.4 percent), Granton (-79.5 percent), and Owen (- 

76.5 percent). 

• The towns of Loyal (18,459), Reseburg (18,088), York (17,859), and Beaver (17,776) 

have the greatest number of assessed agricultural acres. In comparison, the towns of 

Dewhurst, Foster, and Hewett all have less than 1,000 assessed acres in agricultural 

use. 

• In 2002, there were five more farms in Clark County than in 1987, however, between 

1992 and 2002, there was an increase of 190 farms in the County. The average farm 

size increased from 203 acres in 1987 to 210 acres in 2002. 


• The number of dairy farms in Clark County has continued to decrease over the past 

two decades, with 1,075 dairy farms comprising 49 percent of the total farms in 2002. 

In 1987, Clark County was home to 1,508 dairy farms (69 percent of the total farms), 

which was 433 more dairy farms than existed in 2002. This is a 29 percent decrease in 

the number of dairy farms in Clark County between 1987 and 2002. 

• Eighty-two (82) percent of the soils in Clark County are classified as Class II or III for 

crop capability as prime farmlands. There are no Class I soils in the County 

• Clark County has seen a dramatic increase in the number of direct market farms and 

interest and investment in renewable energy, primarily bio-energy, in the past decade. 

Natural Resources Conditions Summary 

• Generally, the topography of Clark County is lower in the western part of the County 

and rises in elevation to the northeast. 

• Based on general soil types, 92.1 percent of the County’s land area has severe soil 

limitations for septic tank absorption fields. The remaining 7.9 percent of the land area 

has moderate limitations. 

• Sand and gravel resources are available throughout the County, but are more abundant 

near rivers. 

• Clark County has a total surface water area of three square miles 

• Clark County is located in the Lower Chippewa River Basin, Upper Wisconsin River 

Basin, and the Black River Water Basin. 

• In general, the surface water quality in the basins need improvement due to 

agricultural runoff and sedimentation. 

• Approximately 5.5 percent of Clark County has steep slopes of 13 percent or greater, 

on which development should be limited or discouraged. 

• In 2007, the combined assessed forestland acres in the unincorporated areas (minimal 

acres existed in incorporated areas) amounted to 126,364 acres or about 16.2 percent 

of the total County acreage. 

• Combined, assessed agricultural and forest acres account for 63 percent of the 

assessed land in the County. 

• Assessed forest and AG forest acreage decreased by roughly 38,609 acres, or almost 

60 square miles, between 1990 and 2007. This was a 23.4 percent decrease. 

• Between 1990 and 2007 the towns of Mead (-50.5 percent), Warner (-40.9 percent), 

and York (-40.2 percent) saw the largest percentage decreases in assessed forested 

acreage. In 2007, the towns of Pine Valley (6,982), Levis (6,193), Weston (5,893), and 

Sherwood (5,804) had the greatest amount of assessed forested acreage, respectively. 

At the same time, Foster (1,170), Loyal (1,614), Mayville (1,844), Withee (2,095), and 

York (2,371) had the least amount of assessed forested acreage. The greatest 

percentage increases occurred in the towns of Colby (2.4 percent), Thorp (2.4 

percent), and Mayville (2.2 percent). 


Clark County Natural Resource Maps 

The Clark County Resource and Land Use Atlas DVD-ROM contains resource maps in 

Adobe Acrobat .pdf format for Clark County and each municipality. The county-wide 

maps are also included within Appendix A at the end of this report. Maps 5.1–5.10 in 

Appendix A correspond to the previous discussion within the Agricultural, Natural, and 

Cultural Resources Information section. 


6. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION 


Economic development as part of comprehensive planning is the process by which the 

Clark County community initiates and generates solutions to local economic problems. 

The primary purpose of economic development initiatives is to promote the stabilization, 

retention, or expansion of the economic base and to provide quality employment 

opportunities in the local governmental unit. This includes assisting existing businesses, 

encouraging business expansion, recruiting new businesses, and strategically planning 

important capital improvements and related infrastructure expenditures. Such endeavors 

should be guided by the vision and goals in county and local comprehensive plans to 

encourage efficiency and ensure a positive impact on the community. 

These efforts collectively build long-term local economic capacity so the community is 

more self-sufficient and able to better weather economic downturns. As successful 

economic development endeavors strengthen and diversify local economies, local 

businesses may locate in close proximity to the primary industry that supports them. 

These secondary or support businesses take advantage of economic spillovers of the 

primary industry. A local example of this is the close relationship between the existing 

agriculture and food processing industries. 

This information should also be considered in the context of the economic development 

programs, plans, and tools at work in Clark County and its communities which are 

identified in the Addendum: Inventory of Programs, Plans, and Land Use Policies in 

West Central Wisconsin compiled by WCWRPC as part of the regional comprehensive 

planning effort. 

Please note that the layout, data, and description of the economy in this section was 

largely compiled during the Summer of 2008 with the input of a variety of economic 

development agencies in the region, including economic development corporations, 

universities, technical colleges, and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. 

Since economic changes can occur quickly at varying levels, much of the data in this 

section will often require updating prior to use for specific projects or purposes. 

The Wisconsin Economy 2 

Perhaps more than many comprehensive plan elements, the local economy and economic 

development are influenced by regional, State, national, and global factors. As such, 

great uncertainty exists when analyzing and forecasting the economy. 

2 Unless otherwise noted, the information in this section was largely extracted from the following two 

sources: (1) Winters, Dennis, Chief Economist. Department of Workforce Development-Office of 

Economic Advisors. Data Dashboard-Statewide Analysis. 

. May 1, 2008. (2) Wisconsin Department of Revenue- 

Division of Research & Policy. Wisconsin Economic Outlook. May 2008. 


Recent Economic Trends 

The economy is always in flux, often occurring in cycles or periods of growth, prosperity, 

and expansion followed by periods of decline, contraction, or recession. There is no 

reliable methodology to predicting such cycles, and some economists argue that these 

fluctuations are the result of “shocks” to the economy in terms of productivity or demand 

changes, and the use of the term “cycle” is a misnomer. 

Gross domestic product is often used to measure economic cycles, though Wisconsin’s 

annual average GDP has been growing quite steadily over the last decade. Instead, in 

order to show these economic fluctuations, Figure 6.1 charts the composite index of 

leading indicators between 1990 and May 2008 for Wisconsin. 

Leading economic indicators are based on certain economic activities which foreshadow 

a forthcoming economic change. In the case of Figure 6.1, the composite indicator 

includes average work week, overtime, job openings, new business starts, and 

unemployment compensation claims. 

Figure 6.1 – Composite Index of Leading Indicators for Wisconsin (1990-May 2008) 

Composite Index of Leading Indicators 

(1994 avg. = 100) 

170 

160 

150 

140 

130 

120 

110 

100 

90 

80 

70 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

source: Wisconsin Office of Economic Advisors 

Figure 6.1 reflects the fact that Wisconsin strongly felt the economic recession that hit 

much of the world in the early 1990s following the October 1987 Black Monday stock 

market collapse, the savings and loan crisis, and the 1990 spike in oil prices at the 

beginning of the Gulf War. This downturn lingered in Wisconsin until 1993-1994. 

The Wisconsin economy grew rapidly on the “dot-com bubble” of the mid-to-late 1990s, 

as an exuberant market and venture capitalists speculated on the stocks of dot-com 

companies during a period of low interest. But in March 2000, the bubble began to burst 

132 Economic Development Information

and by October 2002, $5 trillion in market value of technology companies had been lost. 

This sudden economic decline is very apparent in Figure 6.1. Also about this time, 

Wisconsin and much of the world entered a period of manufacturing recession which was 

particularly felt in our State. 

Between 2004 and 2007, job growth in Wisconsin was relatively strong and the economy 

rebounded, though there was a noticeable shift in the new jobs being created. Much of 

this growth was in the services sectors, while the manufacturing industry continued to 

struggle with job losses. 

The Current Economic Slowdown 

Economists are in disagreement over the current extent of the economic slowdown on a 

national level and forecasting the economy’s future. But as of May 1, 2008, it was 

generally agreed that the U.S. economy overall had not yet entered a period of less than 

positive growth. 

Two significant factors have largely contributed to our nation’s current economic 

situation—the downturn in the housing market and escalating oil prices. As of May 

2008, the single-family residential housing sector had not yet hit bottom; and the market 

continues to be plagued by high inventories, uncertain prices, and challenges for 

mortgage lenders, especially for those engaging in more risky sub-prime lending. 

According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association, home sales in the first quarter of 2008 

were down 24.9 percent from the first quarter of 2007. Home prices in Wisconsin held 

fairly steady in 2007, though the median home price statewide declined 3.8 percent in the 

first quarter of 2008. This decline was still less than half of the 7.7 percent decline 

nationwide. Housing permits in Wisconsin have had double-digit annual declines since 

2004. According to the Office of Economic Advisors’ May 2008 Statewide Analysis, 

“[w]hile foreclosures are up in the State, Wisconsin’s housing sector is not as exposed to 

the mortgage/price dilemma as much as other states such as Arizona, California, Florida, 

Nevada, and Ohio.” 3 In 

fact, Wisconsin ranked 27 th 

nationally in foreclosures 

during the first quarter of 

2008. 

As shown in Figure 6.2 to 

the right, gasoline prices 

have increased tremendously 

since the mid part of 

this decade. With the 

record-breaking increases 

in the cost of oil, retail 

prices in the U.S. increased 

Figure 6.2 - Gasoline & Medical Costs Compared to 

Consumer Price Index: All Items 

220 

190 

160 

130 

100 

2001 = 100 

All items 

Gasoline 

Medical 

70 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

source: Wisconsin Office of Economic Advisors, May 2008. 

3 Ibid. 


y five percent between June 2007 and June 2008. 4 Gas prices jumped by nearly onethird 

during this same time period. This increase in gas and energy prices has caused 

corresponding increases in food and other commodities, thereby decreasing household 

purchasing power and decreasing spending by consumers and businesses. In particular, 

automotive sales have been hurt as consumers hold on to their existing vehicles longer or 

begin to use alternative modes of transportation. General Motors has announced its intent 

to close its Janesville plant, which primarily makes SUVs, resulting in the loss of 2,390 

jobs. Major restructuring and downsizing of airlines are also taking place due to 

increasing costs, thereby impacting routes, availability, and shipping. 

The May unemployment rate for Wisconsin increased from 4.2 percent in 2007 to 4.7 

percent in 2008. 5 Yet, the State rate was a full one percent below the national average in 

May 2008; and unemployment in Wisconsin has risen at a slower rate during the past 

year than the national average. Since mid 2007, employment numbers in Wisconsin have 

been relatively flat, while the employment growth rate has been diminishing since 2004. 

Even though unemployment has increased and the housing- and automotive-related 

industries have suffered, the previously referenced Office of Economic Advisors’ 

analysis does state that other sectors in Wisconsin are doing relatively well. “The weak 

dollar is benefitting exports of machinery, equipment, and agricultural commodities. 

Milk and grain prices are at or near record highs, although high feed prices are cutting 

into dairy profits.” The report goes on to note that during the previous year, 9,600 new 

jobs were created in the service sector, particular in the health-care industry. Business 

and professional services showed an annual increase of 1,800 jobs. 

The combination of a slowing economy and inflating prices is an added challenge to 

address. Interest rate cuts, a primary tool for avoiding an economic recession, can add to 

economic pressure. Meanwhile, the reduction in tax revenues related to decreasing 

development and new housing starts, combined with quickly escalating gas and 

commodity prices, has created a budgetary conundrum for many state, county, and local 

governments. 

Wisconsin’s Economic Outlook 

Forecasting the economy is difficult at best and such projections are based on historical 

economic fluctuations, current trends, and a variety of economic indicators. The 

Wisconsin Economic Outlook report issued by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue- 

Division of Research and Policy in May 2008 states that the Wisconsin economy is 

expected to slow for 2009 with the number of jobs slightly decreasing in 2008 and being 

steady in 2009. The following is a brief summary of the report’s employment outlook by 

some key industry sectors based on the most likely forecast scenario: 

4 Isidore, Chris. CNN Money.com. Inflation: Price Jump Worst Since ’91. June 16, 

2008. 

5 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. May 2008 Local Unemployment Rates Announced. 

press release. June 25, 2008. 


Construction - continue to decline to reach bottom by the end of 2008 and 

recovering positive growth toward 2010. 

Education, Health, Professional, & Business Services - continued growth of 1.6% 

to 2.4% for 2008 and 2009. 

Trade Transportation & Utilities - mild decreases of 0.2% to 0.5%, then 

recovering positive growth in 2010. 

Manufacturing – loss of 2% of jobs in 2008 and 2009, 0.2% loss in 2010, then 

recovering job growth in 2011. 

Natural Resources & Mining – job losses in 2008 and 2009, with growth in 2010. 

Leisure & Hospitality – 1.1% decline in 2009, then healthy growth rate thereafter. 

Financial Sector – no growth in 2008, slight growth in 2009, then healthy growth 

thereafter. 

Information Sector – slight declines or no increases until 2011. 

Government – 0.6% decline in 2008, slight decrease in 2009, peak in 2010 as the 

2010 Census is carried out. 

While the economy adjusts, opportunities do arise. Consumers are turning more to fuelefficient 

vehicles, and the sale of hybrid vehicles is increasing. Research and 

development funding for alternative energy and energy-reducing technology is on the 

increase. Greater attention is being given to the planning and use of alternative means of 

passenger and commercial transportation. For instance, many public transit and Amtrak 

services are setting new records. And increased energy costs have increased attention on 

land-use patterns, alternative building materials, and other related sustainability concepts. 

In response to these trends, the West Central Wisconsin Regional Comprehensive Plan, 

under development by WCWRPC, will include an energy and sustainability section 

analyzing and providing advisory recommendations on how these concepts may be 

applied within our region. 

Clark County Economic Profile 

Economic Data 

There is a significant amount of background data and information that is available from 

various public and private sources that is integrated into this document, including 

information from the following sources: 

U.S. Census Bureau data 

o 

o 

o 

American Fact Finder Fact Sheets 

County Business Patterns 

Misc. demographic and other data 

State of Wisconsin Department of Administration 

o 

Demographics Services Center 

State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development 

o County Workforce Profiles 


o 

o 

County Snapshots 

Office of Economic Advisors 

State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue 

o 

Wisconsin Economic Outlook 

State of Wisconsin Department of Commerce 

University of Wisconsin-Extension 

West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (WCWRPC) 

o 

o 

County summaries available at www.wcwrpc.org 

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 

Indiana Business Research Center USA County Profiles 

Clark County and other local agencies 

Given the wealth of economic data available at the State, regional, county, and local 

levels, the plethora of specialized business studies, and the wide variety of economic 

models, no such compilation can truly be comprehensive in scope. As such, a 

community may need to consider additional studies focusing on a specific and pertinent 

issue or topic as their planning efforts proceed. 

Further, there has been no clear consensus to date in the region on a single particular data 

source and those economic indicators which should be used to measure economic vitality, 

challenges, and progress, and to allow for comparison between communities and regions. 

The State of Wisconsin, through the Department of Workforce Development-Office of 

Economic Advisors, has developed Wisconsin Regional Metrics Benchmarks with a 

common set of core economic, demographic, and labor market indicators. 

Certain types of economic data and 

forecasts are only available at a county 

or regional level, and inferences must be 

made as to how it may be applicable for 

individual communities. However, 

earlier in the issues and opportunities 

section of this report, a variety of 

demographic, education, and labor force 

data tables were provided for Clark 

County and its municipalities. This 

section does not restate the data tables 

and maps provided earlier, but, instead, 

builds upon this data to provide an 

economic “snapshot” of Clark County. 

Relationship to the 

Issues & Opportunities Section 

This section relies heavily on data provided 

previously in the Issues and Opportunities 

section (Section 1). The State Comprehensive 

Planning Law requires that the 

issues and opportunities element includes a 

variety of economic background 

information, including employment 

forecasts, educational levels, income levels, 

and employment characteristics. As 

appropriate, this section refers back to these 

data tables instead of repeating them here. 


Demographic Overview 

Current demographic trends, including population changes and educational attainment, 

are important foundational factors in many economic development initiatives. The 

population profile describes the existing and potential labor force that may fill the jobs 

located in the region. Educational attainment statistics are a proxy for the general skill 

level of the population. And household income allows inferences to be made about 

discretionary spending in Clark County as a whole. 

Population and Labor Force 

As of January 1, 2008, Clark County had an estimated population of 34,589. 6 

This was a 3.1 percent increase since 2000. As shown previously in Table 1.3 and 

Map 1.2, many incorporated communities experienced decreasing population 

from 2000 to 2007, while the highest rates of growth occurred in some 

unincorporated towns, most notably the towns of Dewhurst, Pine Valley, 

Fremont, and Sherwood. 

Between 2000 and 2030, the Wisconsin Department of Administration has 

projected that Clark County’s population will increase by 7,276 residents (or 

21.7%). 7 For additional population statistics by municipality, please see Tables 

1.3 to 1.15 in Section 1 of this report. 

Between 1990 and 2000, the County’s median age increased from 33.9 years to 

35.9 years. The aging population of the region and County is a significant 

concern for the future and will place a greater emphasis on job training in the 

region. 8 Figure 6.3 provides a visual representation of Clark County’s labor force 

using Wisconsin Department of Administration population projections. 

Currently, most of the Clark County labor force is between the ages of 20 and 44, 

with a very similar number of residents ages 19 and under. Figure 6.3 shows that 

Clark County is expected to have a relatively young population overall compared 

to most counties in the region, though the number of residents ages 65 and over 

are increasing at the fastest pace. 

In short, while the County’s overall population is expected to increase 18.5 

percent from 2005 to 2030, the size of the primary workforce (ages 20-64) to 

support the local economy will only increase by 14.1 percent. Meanwhile, the 

number of seniors age 65 and over increases significantly. 

For additional insight into the Clark County labor force, the Office of Economic 

Advisors’ County Workforce Profiles are an excellent source and are updated 

annually. 

6 Wisconsin Department of Administration. Final Population Estimates. October, 2008. 

7 Wisconsin Department of Administration. Pre-Release Population Projections. October 2008. 

8 Dane, Andrew and Gary Paul Green. Labor Market Conditions in Barron County. University of 

Wisconsin-Extension. January 12, 2005. 


Figure 6.3 – Clark County Age/Labor Force Projection (2005-2030) 

Population by Age Group 

12,000 

10,000 

8,000 

6,000 

0-19 

20-44 

45-64 

65+ 

Age Groups 

4,000 

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 

Year 

source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, January 2004 

Housing Market 

According to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the estimated 

number of single-family residential building permits issued in 1998 was 110 

compared to 78 in 2007, a 29 percent decrease. Clark County has had very 

limited multi-family unit construction during this timeframe. Building permits 

numbers reflect larger economic trends and can vary significantly from year to 

year. For instance, the highest number of units issued permits during the past 

decade occurred in 2004 when 152 total units valued at $17.6 million were 

permitted. This was about $6.7 million more in estimated construction value 

compared to 2007. 

Education 

As shown in Table 6.1, of the 2000 Clark County population that is 25 years and 

over, 75.4 percent had a high school education or higher and 10.3 percent of 

residents had a bachelor’s degree or higher, both of which were significantly 

below State averages. 

The demand for labor in the region is shifting toward more skilled work, although 

not as quickly as some other regions in the State. This trend increases the need 

for worker training opportunities. A strong, traditional secondary educational 

system and a variety of worker training programs are important factors in 

economic development. 

For more detailed data on educational attainment by municipality in Clark 

County, please see Table 1.15 in Section 1 of this report. The utilities and 

community facilities section indentifies public schools and post-secondary 

institutions which play key roles in supporting the training needs of Clark County 

businesses. 


Table 6.1 – Clark County Educational Attainment (1990, 2000) 

Educational Attainment (residents 

Clark County 

Wisconsin 

25 years or older) 

1990 2000 90 to '00 2000 

% % % Change % 

Less than high school diploma 32.5 24.6 -24.3 15.0 

High school graduate 43.2 42.6 -1.4 34.6 

Some college, no degree 10.5 16.2 54.3 20.6 

Associate degree 5.2 6.2 19.2 7.5 

Bachelor’s degree or higher 8.6 10.3 19.8 22.5 

High school graduate or higher 67.5 75.4 11.7 85.1 

source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990, 2000. 

Income and Wages 

Summarizing income statistics yields insight on purchasing power. The 2005 

median household income for Clark County was $39,593 which was 55 th in the 

State of Wisconsin and 84 percent of the State average. Figure 6.4 compares 

Clark County’s per capita personal income 9 to State averages. 

Figure 6.4 – Clark County vs. State Per Capita Personal Income (1997-2006) 

$36,000 

$34,000 

$32,000 

$30,000 

$34,405 

$29,022 

$28,000 

$26,000 

$24,000 

$22,000 

$20,000 

$18,000 

$16,000 

$24,514 

$20,734 

$17,507 

source: U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Economic Analysis. 

Wisconsin (all) 

Wisc. (non-metro) 

Clark County 

About 12.0 percent of individuals in the County were below the poverty level in 

2005, up from 10.9 percent in 2000. For household income data by municipality, 

please see Tables 1.25 and 1.27 in Section 1. 

$24,376 

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

9 Personal income is the income received by persons from all sources. 


Overall average annual wages for Clark County increased by 16.2 percent in the 

six years from 2001 to 2006 as shown in Table 6.2. The biggest percentage 

increase was in the professional and business services industry. 

Table 6.2 – Clark County Average Annual Wages by Industry (2001-2006) 

for covered employment and wages 

Industry 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

% change 

'01-'06 

Natural Resources $18,755 $18,389 $19,395 $20,183 $21,484 $21,765 16.0% 

Construction 29,145 30,796 33,691 34,058 34,742 36,388 24.9% 

Manufacturing 29,010 30,179 29,923 32,374 33,181 33,267 14.7% 

Trade, Transportation, Utilities 21,057 21,652 21,979 22,642 23,625 24,367 15.7% 

Financial Activities 22,252 21,451 23,161 25,197 27,337 27,725 24.6% 

Education & Health 24,394 24,773 26,694 27,142 28,248 28,670 17.5% 

Information supressed 23,074 23,897 25,773 24,784 26,284 n.a. 

Leisure & Hospitality 6,806 7,023 7,128 7,136 7,313 7,437 9.3% 

Professional & Business Services 22,557 23,859 27,147 30,646 27,911 29,712 31.7% 

Other Services 14,574 15,281 15,123 14,280 14,734 16,487 13.1% 

Public Admininistration 21,692 23,594 24,656 25,553 26,172 26,771 23.4% 

All Industries $23,690 $24,229 $24,877 $26,008 $26,973 $27,533 16.2% 

source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Office of Economic Advisors 

The 2006 average annual wage in Clark County was $27,533 or about 75 percent 

of the average Wisconsin wage for all industries ($36,830). For 2004 estimated 

salary and wages by occupation, please see Table 6.8 later in this section. 

Employment Trends 

Of Clark County residents 16 years of age and over, 70.6 percent were in the 

labor force as of 2006, above the State average of 70 percent. As the monthly 

employment rates presented in Figure 6.5 show, Clark County experiences a 

significantly higher amount of employment seasonality compared to State 

averages, with increased unemployment during the winter months. For example, 

in February 2008, the Clark County unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, but this 

dropped to 4.8 percent by May 2008. 

Historically since 1990, unemployment in Clark County has been above the State 

average, with the County average dropping to a low of 2.9 percent in October 

1999 during this timeframe. The County’s annual average unemployment rate has 

been fairly unchanged since 2001, hovering between 5.7 percent to 6.1 percent, 

and has been much improved relative to the State averages. 


Figure 6.5 – Clark Co. & Wisconsin Monthly Unemployment Rate (1990-June 2008) 

not seasonally adjusted 

12.0 

11.0 

10.0 

Clark County 

Wisconsin 

9.0 

Unemployment (%) 

8.0 

7.0 

6.0 

5.0 

4.0 

3.0 

2.0 

Lines are averaged 

trend lines (polynomial method) 

for relative comparison 

purposes only. 

1990 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 


Unemployment is not only a reflection of job availability, but total available labor 

force. Figure 6.6 shows that the Clark County average annual labor force grew by 

3,079 persons or 19.8 percent from 1900 to 2007. According to the UW- 

Extension 2005 labor market conditions report, the region’s labor market remains 

tight, with most employers having a difficult time attracting and retaining 

qualified workers. 10 Tables 1.16 and 1.17 in Section 1 provides unemployment 

statistics for the 1990 and 2000 labor force by municipality. 

10 Dane, Andrew and Gary Paul Green. Labor Market Conditions in Barron County. University 

of Wisconsin-Extension. January 12, 2005. 


Figure 6.6 – Clark Co. Monthly Total Potential Labor Force (1990-June 2008) 

not seasonally adjusted 

19,500 

19,000 

18,500 

Monthly Labor Force 

Average Trend Line 

Total Potential Labor Force 

18,000 

17,500 

17,000 

16,500 

16,000 

15,500 

15,000 

14,500 

1990 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Red line is the 

averaged 

trend line 

(polynomial method). 



Commuting Patterns 

In 2000, Clark County workers 16 years of age and over had a mean travel time of 

20.8 minutes; and 68.7 percent of commuting workers drove to work alone. 

Figure 6.7 shows that commuting distances and travel time for Clark County 

resident workers have been increasing, especially for those travelling farther, with 

fewer persons working at home. In 2000, 32.8 percent of the Clark County 

workforce were employed outside of Clark County. 

Figure 6.7 – Clark County Travel Time to Work (1990, 2000) 

8,000 

7,000 

1990 

2000 

7,300 

6,000 

# of Commuters 

5,000 

4,000 

3,000 

3,669 3,803 3,761 

4,915 

3,002 

4,139 

2,000 

1,000 

1,733 

1,268 

1,905 

0 

Worked at home < 10 min. 10-19 min. 20-29 min. 30+ min. 

Travel Time to Work 


Tables 1.23 and 1.24 provide statistics on travel time to work and place of work 

for the County and by municipality. Commuting patterns are discussed in greater 

detail within the transportation discussion (See Section 3. Transportation). 


Economic Base 

While the previous sub-section focused on general economic indicators for Clark County, 

the following information focuses more on the different industry sectors and occupations 

which constitute the County’s economic base. 

Industry Composition 

According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and Bureau of 

Economic Analysis for Clark County: 

In 2000, about 70.6% of the employed workforce were private-sector wage 

and salary workers; about 11.0% were government workers. About 16.6% 

of the workers were self-employed in a non-incorporated business 

In 2006, the average income per job in sole proprietorships was about 58% 

of the County’s total average wages and salaries per job, including 

employer contributions. 

Annual average earnings per job in 2006 was $24,503. Annual average 

earnings per farm proprietor was $324. 

As shown in Table 6.3, the construction industry has the largest number of 

establishments, though this number has fluctuated since 2002. 

Table 6.3 – Clark County Number of Establishments by Industry (1998-2006) 

Industry Code 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

% change 

'98-'06 

Forestry, fishing, hunting, and agri. support 7 7 9 8 9 10 10 10 11 57.1% 

Mining 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 0.0% 

Utilities 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 0.0% 

Construction 100 99 109 107 124 122 115 124 119 19.0% 

Manufacturing 88 88 87 85 88 86 86 85 82 -6.8% 

Wholesale trade 51 47 48 50 51 44 45 47 49 -3.9% 

Retail trade 133 120 121 121 126 123 121 120 114 -14.3% 

Transportation & warehousing 62 66 64 61 66 65 71 76 69 11.3% 

Information 10 10 11 10 10 10 12 12 11 10.0% 

Finance & insurance 44 43 43 43 44 45 43 41 44 0.0% 

Real estate & rental & leasing 16 14 15 14 15 14 13 12 13 -18.8% 

Professional, scientific & technical services 31 33 37 35 34 34 32 31 35 12.9% 

Management of companies & enterprises 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 n.a. 

Admin, support, waste mgt, remediation 12 11 8 13 11 12 11 12 15 25.0% 

Educational services 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 33.3% 

Health care and social assistance 67 62 65 65 65 59 61 66 64 -4.5% 

Arts, entertainment & recreation 10 11 11 11 10 12 11 13 11 10.0% 

Accommodation & food services 63 62 57 52 62 61 62 69 64 1.6% 

Other services (except public administration) 90 90 89 92 102 99 98 100 94 4.4% 

Unclassified/Auxillary establishments 9 11 16 11 3 2 6 4 3 -66.7% 

Total 802 783 800 788 829 806 805 832 808 0.7% 

source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 


The construction industry also had the largest number of new establishments 

between 1998 and 2006 with 19. Numerous industries experienced a loss in the 

number of establishments during the time period, including retail, real 

estate/leasing, and manufacturing. 

Employment by Industry 

As shown in Table 6.4 below, employment in the services sectors (e.g., 

professional, leisure, financial, and education/health) has been growing at a faster 

rate than the goods-producing sectors in Clark County. Only public 

administration saw a decrease in employment from 2001 to 2006. Employment in 

the natural resources industry, which is dominated by forestry and logging in 

Clark County, grew at the second fastest pace during the timeframe. 

Table 6.4 – Clark County Employment by Industry (2001-2006) 

Industry 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

% change 

'01-'06 

Natural Resources 274 300 304 318 341 347 26.6% 

Construction 519 514 531 528 552 561 8.1% 

Manufacturing 2,835 2,709 2,818 2,809 2,922 2,969 4.7% 

Trade, Transportation, Utilities 1,920 1,909 1,915 2,016 2,058 2,149 11.9% 

Financial Activities 220 274 278 264 273 263 19.5% 

Education & Health 1,743 1,698 1,627 1,655 1,810 1,787 2.5% 

Information supressed 84 91 88 94 94 n.a. 

Leisure & Hospitality 532 634 712 703 668 647 21.6% 

Professional & Business Services 120 141 145 144 150 235 95.8% 

Other Services 148 146 159 176 173 171 15.5% 

Public Admininistration 1,044 1,011 984 977 987 974 -6.7% 

All Industries 9,434 9,419 9,564 9,679 10,027 10,198 8.1% 

source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development-Office of Economic Advisors 

These trends are consistent with the historical employment data provided 

previously for Clark County and its municipalities in Tables 1.19 and 1.20. 

However, while the historical data is arranged by Standard Industrial 

Classification (SIC) code, most industry data available today is organized by the 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), often making 

comparisons between newer and older industry data challenging. 

Manufacturing remains the largest industry by employment as represented in 

Figure 6.8. If the trends in Table 6.4 continue, the second largest employment 

sector—trade, transportation, and utilities—may eventually become the top 

employment industry in the County. Retail trade employment constitutes the 

largest component of the trade, transportation, and utilities industry. 


Figure 6.8 – Clark County Employment by Industry (2006) 

Manufacturing 

30% 

Trade, 

Transportation, 

& Utilities 

18% 

Construction & 

Nat. Resources 

6% 

Public 

Admininistration 

4% 

Information & 

Other Services 

4% 

Leisure & 

Hospitality 

Prof., Business, 10% 

& Financial Services 

8% 

Education & Health 

18% 

source data:: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development-Office of Economic Advisors 

As of March 2007, Clark County had 21 employers with 100 or more employees 

(see Table 6.5). However, the top employer on that list, Fleet Guard, Inc. has 

since closed. The recently opened OEM Fabricating, Inc. plant in Neillsville has 

somewhat lessened the impact, and likely now has over 100 employees itself. 

Eleven of Clark County’s top employers in Table 6.5 were manufacturing or 

processing companies. Four of the top employers were school districts and 

hospitals were two of the top 21 employers on the list. Of note, Clark County 

government was the second largest employer in the County in 2007. 

All industry groups had annual average wages below State averages. The 

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in the 2007 Polk County 

Workforce Profile notes that rural jobs do tend to pay less than their urban 

counterparts, explaining the lower wages locally in the County. Somewhat 

unique to Clark County however is that jobs in the construction industry, and not 

manufacturing, had the highest annual wage in 2006. 

As of 2006, 15.5% percent of Clark County jobs were in farming, of which 74.4% 

were sole proprietors. Clark County ranked 5 th of Wisconsin’s 72 counties in the 

total value of agricultural products sold in 2002. 


Table 6.5– Clark County Top Employers as of March 2007 

(with 100+ employees) 

Rank Employer Name Industry Type 

Employee 

size range 

1 Fleet Guard Inc Miscellaneous general purpose machinery mfg. 500-999 

2 County of Clark Executive & legislative offices, combined 500-999 

3 Memorial Hospital Inc General medical & surgical hospitals 250-499 

4 Grassland Dairy Products Inc Creamery butter manufacturing 100-249 

5 Abbyland Pork Pack Inc Animal, except poultry, slaughtering 100-249 

6 Colby Public School Elementary & secondary schools 100-249 

7 School District of Neillsville Elementary & secondary schools 100-249 

8 Marathon Electric Mfg Corp Motor & generator manufacturing 100-249 

8 Our Lady of Victory Hospital Inc General medical & surgical hospitals 100-249 

10 Weather Shield Mfg Inc All other plastics product manufacturing 100-249 

11 Blume Farms Land & Cattle Co Inc General freight trucking, long-distance TL 100-249 

12 Kerry Inc Spice & extract manufacturing 100-249 

13 Weyerhaeuser Company Miscellaneous wood product manufacturing 100-249 

14 Abby Vans Inc Charter bus industry 100-249 

15 School District of Abbotsford Elementary & secondary schools 100-249 

16 Loyal Public School Elementary & secondary schools 100-249 

17 Packaging Corp of America Corrugated & solid fiber box manufacturing 100-249 

18 Colonial House Health Resort Nursing care facilities 100-249 

19 Liberty Homes Inc Manufactured home, mobile home, manufacturing 100-249 

19 Thorp Public School Elementary & secondary schools 100-249 

21 Lynn Dairy, Inc. Cheese manufacturing 100-249 

21 Wisconsin Bench Institutional furniture manufacturing 100-249 


As noted in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Censuses, and as discussed 

previously in Section 5, the number of farms in Clark County continues to 

decrease, while average farm size has been increasing. Even with these changes 

in agriculture, Clark County farmers sold nearly $174.5 million worth of 

agricultural products in 2002, which has a significant economic impact. 

Ninety-one percent of this value was in livestock, poultry, and related products, 

rather than crop and nursery products. Clark County ranked second in the State in 

the sale of milk and dairy products from cows in 2002 and 19 th in the United 

States. The County also ranked third among Wisconsin counties in the number of 

cattle and calves; and ninth in the value of cattle and calf sales. The County also 

rank fifth in the number of mink livestock; and eighth in pheasant livestock. The 

top crop item was forage for hay and grass silage, etc., ranking second in the State 

in the production. Clark County also ranked third in the State in the production of 

oats and 14 th in the nation. 

For a more detailed discussion of employment and wage trends in Clark County, 

please refer to the 2007 Clark County Workforce Profile compiled by the 

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. 


Employment by Occupation 

Like employment by industry, employment by occupation is also difficult to 

compare across years due to changing definitions and data-gathering approaches. 

Employment by occupation for 1990 and 2000 for each Clark County 

municipality is included in Tables 1.21 and 1.22 in Section 1 of this report. 

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, of the Clark County employed civilian 

population 16 years of age and over (15,869): 

28.1% were employed in management, professional, and related 

occupations 

26% were employed in production, transportation, and material moving 

occupations 

16.7% were employed in sales and office occupations 

14.6% were employed in service occupations 

Together, these four general occupation categories constitute 85.4 percent of the 

County’s workforce. 

Table 6.6 provides additional insight into the occupations of our area, but this 

information is available at a regional scale. Even so, these numbers are similar to 

the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau occupation statistics for Clark County. 

In the West Central 

Wisconsin Workforce 

Development Area (see 

Figure 6.9) which 

includes Clark County, 

office and administrative 

support and 

production are the most 

frequent occupations, 

though they are below 

the average annual 

salary for the region. 

Figure 6.9 – West Central Wisconsin 

Workforce Development Area 



Table 6.6 – West Central Wisconsin WDA Region 

Estimated Employment and Salary by Occupation (2004) 

Occupation 

2004 

Employ- 

Average 

Annual 

% of Total 

Employ- 

ment ment Salary 

Office and Administrative Support 27,090 15.6% $27,099 

Production 21,580 12.4% $28,765 

Sales and Related 17,120 9.8% $27,743 

Food Preparation and Serving Related 16,870 9.7% $16,748 

Transportation and Material Moving 14,670 8.4% $26,349 

Education, Training, and Library 11,010 6.3% $39,300 

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 8,580 4.9% $49,793 

Construction and Extraction 7,480 4.3% $39,111 

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 6,700 3.9% $34,441 

Management 6,070 3.5% $74,714 

Healthcare Support 5,830 3.4% $23,325 

Business and Financial Operations 5,560 3.2% $48,430 

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance 5,380 3.1% $22,256 

Personal Care and Service 4,570 2.6% $19,567 

Protective Service 3,260 1.9% $33,184 

Architecture and Engineering 2,960 1.7% $55,024 

Community and Social Services 2,800 1.6% $38,992 

Computer and Mathematical 2,060 1.2% $54,277 

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,930 1.1% $33,885 

Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,410 0.8% $49,461 

Legal 670 0.4% $63,731 

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 270 0.2% $24,922 

Total 173,880 100.0% $32,266 

West Central WDA includes Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties. 



Employment Projections 

In November 2003, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development 

(WDWD) released a publication entitled Wisconsin Projections, 2000-2010. This 

publication makes economic projections for the State regarding the labor force, 

industries, and occupations. This information was further supplemented by tenyear 

projections (2004-2014) by regional workforce development area (WDA). 

This sub-section relies, in large part, on these WDWD documents. 

Municipal units within Clark County have employment patterns that are similar to 

the State. It is anticipated that for the near future, Wisconsin’s total population 

will grow more slowly while average age will increase more rapidly than the 

nation as a whole, leading to lower participation rates in the workforce. 

Wisconsin is also having difficulty attracting international immigrants and 

domestic migrants and retaining its own citizens. Wisconsin will continue to face 

the challenge of filling job openings. 

As shown in Table 6.7, the region’s WDA industries that are projected to add the 

most jobs from 2004-2014 are education and health services. Ambulatory health 

case services jobs alone will grow 36.6 percent, reflecting, in part, our region’s 

aging demographic. The number of total jobs in the manufacturing industry is 

estimated to remain fairly unchanged during this timeframe. These projections 

account for anticipated changes in Wisconsin’s economy within the timeframe, 

though unanticipated events may impact accuracy. 

Education and 

health services 

jobs in the region 

are projected to 

increase 

greatly… 

…while 

manufacturing 

employment is 

projected to 

change little 

overall. 


Table 6.7 

West Central Wisconsin WDA Region Industry Projections (2004-2014) 

Industry Title 2004 

Estimated 

Employment 

2014 

Projected 

Employment 

2004-2014 

Employment 

Change 

2004-2014 

Percentage 

Change 

Total Non-Farm Employment 173,880 194,330 20,450 11.8% 

Construction/Mining/Natural 

Resources 

8,380 9,880 1,500 17.9% 

Manufacturing 31,990 32,030 40 0.1% 

Paper Manufacturing 1,720 1,720 0 0.0% 

Plastics and Rubber Products 

Manufacturing 

Computer and Electronic 

Product Manufacturing 

3,400 3,670 270 7.9% 

3,220 3,020 -200 -6.2% 

Trade 28,800 30,900 2,100 7.3% 

Food and Beverage Stores 5,040 5,250 210 4.2% 

Transportation and Utilities 

(Including US Postal) 

8,270 9,520 1,250 15.1% 

Financial Activities 7,010 7,710 700 10.0% 

Education and Health Services 

(Including gov’t) 

37,330 45,540 8,210 22.0% 

Ambulatory Health Care 5,540 7,570 2,030 36.6% 

Hospitals (Including gov’t) 7,050 8,640 1,590 22.6% 

Leisure and Hospitality 17,300 19,930 2,630 15.2% 

Information/Professional 

Services/Other Services 

Government (Excluding US 

Postal, State and Local Educ and 

Hospitals) 

21,470 24,920 3,450 16.1% 

13,310 13,930 620 4.7% 




Table 6.8 provides the estimated employment by occupation in 2004 and 

projected employment occupation for 2014 in the west central WDA. Overall, 

total employment is expected to increase by 11.8 percent in the region from 2004 

to 2014, with 2,050 new jobs created annually and 4,300 job replacements 

annually. The largest increase in the total number of jobs is expected in the food 

preparation- and serving-related occupations. Large employment growth (both 

total and percentage) is also expected in the health care practitioners and related 

technical occupations. Notably, these two occupation groups have very different 

salary and wage estimates. 

Table 6.8 – West Central Wisconsin WDA Region Occupation Projections and Estimated Wages 

(2004-2014) 

Estimated Employment ( 

Estimated Average 

Annual Openings 

Average 

Annual 

Salary 


source: Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development – Office of Economic Advisors 

Estimated Salary and Wages 

(2005) 

Entry 

Level Experienced 

Hourly Hourly 

Wage Wage 

Occupational Title 

2004 2014 Change 

% 

Change 

New 

Jobs 

Replacements 

Total 

Management 6,070 6,860 790 13.0% 80 110 190 $74,714 $18.55 $44.61 

Business and Financial Operations 5,560 6,530 970 17.4% 100 100 200 $48,430 $13.84 $28.01 

Computer and Mathematical 2,060 2,570 510 24.8% 50 30 80 $54,277 $16.17 $31.06 

Architecture and Engineering 2,960 3,230 270 9.1% 30 70 100 $55,024 $16.79 $31.29 

Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,410 1,640 230 16.3% 20 30 50 $49,461 $14.58 $28.38 

Community and Social Services 2,800 3,300 500 17.9% 50 50 100 $38,992 $12.79 $21.73 

Legal 670 780 110 16.4% 10 10 20 $63,731 $13.59 $39.17 

Education, Training, and Library 11,010 12,740 1,730 15.7% 170 240 410 $39,300 $10.82 $22.93 

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,930 2,190 260 13.5% 30 40 70 $33,885 $8.74 $20.06 

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 8,580 10,920 2,340 27.3% 230 160 390 $49,793 $11.44 $30.19 

Healthcare Support 5,830 7,510 1,680 28.8% 170 90 260 $23,325 $8.91 $12.37 

Protective Service 3,260 3,480 220 6.7% 20 100 120 $33,184 $9.02 $19.42 

Food Preparation and Serving Related 16,870 19,260 2,390 14.2% 240 670 910 $16,748 $5.91 $9.12 

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance 5,380 6,290 910 16.9% 90 110 200 $22,256 $7.26 $12.42 

Personal Care and Service 4,570 5,640 1,070 23.4% 110 110 220 $19,567 $6.80 $10.71 

Sales and Related 17,120 18,320 1,200 7.0% 120 610 730 $27,743 $6.74 $16.64 

Office and Administrative Support 27,090 28,170 1,080 4.0% 110 640 750 $27,099 $8.57 $15.26 

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 270 300 30 11.1%

Table 6.9 - West Central Wisconsin WDA Region Occupation Projections (2014) 

Fastest Growth 

Most Openings 

Top 10 Occupations 

Typically Required 

Education/Training 

Average 

Wage 

Home Health Aides 1-month on-the-job training $9.29 

Medical Assistants 1-12 mo. on-the-job training $12.63 

Network and Data Analysts Bachelor’s degree $22.19 

Computer Software 

Engineers/Applications 

Bachelor’s degree $37.08 

Personal and Home Care Aides 1-month on-the-job training $8.82 

Dental Assistants 1-12 mo. on-the-job training $12.50 

Dental Hygienists Associate degree $23.34 

Employment, Recruitment & 

Placement 

Bachelor’s degree $19.67 

Medical Records & Health Information Associate degree $12.71 

Occupational Therapists Master’s degree $25.53 

Cashiers 1-month on-the-job training $7.64 

Retail Salespersons 1-month on-the-job training $11.06 

Comb Food Prep/Serv Wrk/Incl Fast 1-month on-the-job training $7.04 

Waiters/Waitresses 1-month on-the-job training $7.34 

Registered Nurses 

Laborers/Freight/Stock/Material 

Movers/Handlers 

Janitors/Cleaners, except 

Maids/Housekeeping 

Associate’s or Bachelor’s 

degree 

$25.83 

1-month on-the-job training $10.09 

1-month on-the-job training $10.67 

Team Assemblers 1-12 mo. on-the-job training $12.94 

Stock Clerks/Order Fillers 1-month on-the-job training $9.47 

Bartenders 1-month on-the-job training $8.16 




Tourism 

The “Fastest Growth” occupations are often referred to as “hot jobs,” with more 

training requirements and better wages. There are often fewer openings in these 

jobs since the list is based on the greatest percent change in employment; for 

example, an occupation that increases from 5 to 10 jobs increased 100 percent 

whereas an occupation that increases from 2,000 to 2,200 jobs increased only 10 

percent. A 2005 University of Wisconsin-Extension study states that the largest 

demand in the region continues to be for assemblers, processors, and laborers. 11 

Clark County offers a wide variety of natural, historical, and entertainment amenities and 

attractions. Tourism and outdoor recreation in the County often revolve around the 

133,000-acre County forest and other natural features, as well as local artisans, 

community events, and farming. 

The Clark County Visitor’s Guide available from the Clark County Economic 

Development Corporation and Tourism Bureau provides an excellent overview of the 

tourism opportunities in the County. Hunting and fishing are very popular, along with a 

variety of trails. ATV use continues to increase in popularity and the Clark County 

Forest boasts more than 135 miles of ATV trails. Residents and visitors can also enjoy 

three golf courses in the County and downhill skiing, snowboarding, and tubing at the 

Bruce Mound Winter Sports area. 

In 2000, 6.2 percent of the County’s total housing supply were seasonal or recreational 

units, which ranks the County 39 th in the State in the number of seasonal units, but 47 th 

in the State in the total of all housing units. Concentrations of seasonal housing can be 

found along lakes in the western and southern portions of the County, such as near Mead 

Lake, Rock Dam, and Lake Arbutus. 

Travelers also can experience the area’s history through museums and historical sites, 

such as the Rural Arts Museum in Colby, Reed School in the Town of Grant, and the 

1897 Clark County Jail Museum in 

Neillsville. The Highgrounds Veterans 

Memorial along Highway 10 west of 

Neillsville draws visitors from across the 

nation and throughout the world. Visitors can 

also explore the County’s many antique stores 

and specialty shops, perhaps following the 

Yellowstone Trail across the northern portion 

of the County. Residents and visitors alike 

also enjoy local, fresh foods at a variety of 

different farmer’s markets, roadside stands, 

cheese shops, and numerous specialty farms 

The Highgrounds Korean War Memorial 

and outlets. 

11 Ibid. 


The Economic Impact of Expenditures by Travelers on Wisconsin 2007, compiled by 

Davidson-Peterson & Associates, provides insight into the positive economic impacts of 

tourism on the Clark County economy. As shown in Figure 6.10, traveler expenditures in 

Clark County increased by 77 percent in the ten years between 1998 and 2007, with large 

increases between 2004 to 2006. 

Figure 6.10 - Traveler Expenditures in Clark County (1998 to 2007) 

$45,000,000 

$40,000,000 

$40,756,939 

$40,447,925 

$35,000,000 

$36,106,383 

$30,000,000 

$25,240,721 

$29,689,178 

$29,806,662 

$31,513,531 $32,021,971 $31,734,748 

$25,000,000 

$22,846,534 

$20,000,000 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

source: Davidson-Peterson & Associates. Economic Impact of Expenditures by Travelers on Wisconsin 2007. 

In 2007, travelers spent an estimated $40.4 million in Clark County, ranking the County 

59 th in the State for traveler spending. This was a $17.6-million increase from the 

amount spent ten years earlier. The study goes on to estimate that employees in Clark 

County directly earned over $11.1 million in wages generated from traveler spending, 

supporting an estimated 506 full-time equivalent jobs in 2007. Additionally, an estimated 

$724,230 in local revenues (e.g., sales taxes, property taxes) were collected in 2007 as a 

direct result of travelers in Clark County. 


As Figure 6.11 shows, travelers are an 

important year-round contributor to the 

Clark County economy with 17 

percent of traveler expenditures made 

during the winter, 18 percent during 

the spring, 41 percent during the 

summer, and 24 percent in the fall in 

2007. 

Figure 6.11 - Seasonality of Traveler Expenditures 

in Clark County (2007) 

41% 

In summary, tourism and travelers are 

a significant part of the Clark County Winter Spring 

18% 

Summer Fall 

economy, though it does not have the 

source: Davidson-Peterson & Associates. Economic Impact of 

large events or hospitality industry Expenditures by Travelers on Wisconsin 2007. 

found in some parts of the State. This 

part of the economy is built upon the County’s heritage, natural resources, large county 

forest, and Highways 10 and 29. The Clark County Agribusiness Campus under 

development would provide a potential large event destination in the County significantly 

increasing local tourism dollars. 

Tourism in Clark County is promoted by the Clark County Economic Development 

Corporation and Tourism Bureau, along with the Chambers of Commerce or tourism 

entities of individual communities. For more information on tourism in Clark County, 

please contact the Clark County EDC & Tourism Bureau: 

Clark County Economic Development Corporation & Tourism Bureau 

212 South Main Street P.O. Box 236 

Greenwood, WI 54437 

1-715-267-3205 

http://www.clark-cty-wi.org/ 

24% 

17% 

Environmentally Contaminated Sites 

The State Comprehensive Planning Law (§66.1001) states that the economic 

development element “shall also evaluate and promote the use of environmentally 

contaminated sites for commercial or industrial uses.” 

Clark County has no properties actively receiving long-term remedial action financed 

under the federal Superfund program. However, numerous smaller leaking underground 

storage tank, environmental repair, and spill sites are located throughout the County. The 

Wisconsin Bureau for Remediation and Redevelopment Tracking System (BRRTS) 

provides an inventory of the contaminated properties and other activities related to the 

investigation and cleanup of contaminated soil or groundwater in Wisconsin. 


Table 6.10 at the end of this section is a list of the 199 sites in Clark County where 

contamination has occurred requiring significant attention, 12 including closed sites where 

clean-up has been completed. Of these, 73.3 percent (or 146) are associated with leaking 

underground storage tanks (LUSTs). The remaining 53 records are environmental repair 

(ERP) sites which have contaminated soil or groundwater requiring long-term attention 

ranging from non-LUST activities, such as industrial spills, dumping, buried containers, 

and landfills. The largest concentration of the sites (37) in Table 6.10 was located within 

the Neillsville area. Of the 199 sites, 51 remain open with some type of monitoring, 

investigation, or clean-up yet underway. 

Many, if not most, of the sites identified in Table 6.10 are currently in active use and may 

not be available for redevelopment activities. Further, communities will need to consider 

the appropriateness and land use compatibility of the redevelopment of such sites for 

commercial or industrial use. 

Redevelopment opportunities are not limited to contaminated sites. Local comprehensive 

planning efforts may need to identify those deteriorating structures and under-utilized 

properties within their communities which have potential for re-use. 

Summary 

The data presented in this report should be kept in mind as communities develop their 

economic development strategies. This information can highlight certain weaknesses to 

be mitigated, as well as existing and potential opportunities to encourage economic 

growth and diversification. 

For convenience, here are some of the highlights of the economic development section: 

The Clark County economy is impacted by regional, State, national, and 

international decisions and fluctuations. At the State level, growth has slowed, 

while the price of gas and commodities has inflated. Home purchases and new 

home construction in Wisconsin have also decreased in recent years, though 

foreclosure rates remain well below national averages. 

Clark County’s population is projected to increase 21.7% between 2000 and 2030, 

with the primary labor force (ages 20-64) projected to increase by 15%. The 

aging population of the County and region poses both labor force concerns and 

economic opportunities for certain industries. 

There is increasing demand for skilled workers in the region. Post-secondary 

educational attainment of County residents is significantly below the State 

average. 

Average per capita personal income and wages both remain well below the State 

averages, though they have been improving. The 2006 average annual wage in 

Clark County ($27,533) was about 75% of the average Wisconsin wage for all 

industries. 

12 Table 6.10 excludes abandoned containers and spills for which no discharge to the environment has been 

identified or were cleaned up quickly. 


Clark County’s unemployment has most often been above the State average 

during the past twenty years with greater seasonal fluctuations, but has been 

improving relative to the State average since 2000. 

In 2000, 32.8% of the County’s resident labor force worked outside of Clark 

County, which is relatively low for the region. The average travel times to work 

have increased to a mean travel time to work of 20.8 minutes in 2000. 

The construction industry had the largest number of establishments in 2006 and 

the largest number of new establishments between 1998 and 2006. 

In 2006, 30% of employment in the County was in the manufacturing industry, 

which is a relatively high percentage. Natural resources industries, primary 

forestry, saw the largest percent increase in employment from 2001 to 2006. 

Public administration industry experienced a decrease in employment during the 

same time period. 

Eleven manufacturing firms were among Clark County’s employers with 100 or 

more employees, as well as four school districts and two hospitals. 

The number of farms in Clark County continues to decrease. In 2002, Clark 

County ranked 5 th in the State in total value of agricultural products sold, of which 

91% were livestock, poultry, and related products. Clark County ranked 2 nd in the 

State and 19 th in the U.S. in the sale of milk and dairy products. 

In 2006, 15.5% of Clark County jobs were in farming. 

The education and health services industry is expected to have the largest increase 

in jobs (+22%) from 2004 to 2014 in our region. 

The overall number of manufacturing jobs in the region is expected to remain 

fairly unchanged between 2004 and 2014. 

28.1% of the potential labor force is employed in management, professional, and 

related occupations and 26% are in production, transportation, and material 

moving occupations. 

The food services and the health care practitioners/technicians occupations are 

expected to have the greatest total number of job increases in the region from 

2004 to 2014. 

Tourism in Clark County is strongly connected to its many natural, historical, and 

cultural resources, County Forest, and its agricultural and dairy economy. 

The State BRRTS database includes 199 sites in Clark County which have had 

significant contamination, though many of these sites have been remediated and 

are now closed. Environmentally contaminated sites are sometimes left vacant 

and deteriorating following remediation and offer opportunities for 

redevelopment. Communities may identify other redevelopment opportunities at 

locations which are not contaminated, but may also be vacant or deteriorating. 

In response to economic conditions and goals, there are a variety of economic 

development tools that are available to municipalities, including tax incentives, creative 

financing and loan guarantees, and business incubator industrial parks. As shown in 


Addendum: Inventory of Programs, Plans, and Land Use Policies in West Central 

Wisconsin, communities and economic development agencies have been very active in 

utilizing many of these tools and programs. This list is not all-inclusive and communities 

may have additional community-specific reports and services. 

In numerous cases, these programs will prove more accessible as municipalities band 

together with other organizations and jurisdictions to collaborate and mutually pursue 

economic development efforts. Such collaboration will maximize a municipality’s ability 

to catalyze additional investment and meet shared economic development goals. 


Table 6.10 – Contaminated Sites in Clark County (open & closed) 

Municipality or 

Nearest Post 

Location Activity Status 

Office 

ABBOTSFORD ALL METAL STAMPING INC LUST CLOSED 

KALEPP IMPLEMENT LUST CLOSED 

MEIGS ASPHALT TERMINAL LUST CLOSED 

FOREMOST FARMS USA LUST CLOSED 

LAMONT PROPERTY LUST CLOSED 

PETRO PANTRY LUST OPEN 

ABBOTSFORD AUTO STOP LUST OPEN 

CLIFFS SERVICE LUST OPEN 

MCKEE AUTO SALES LUST OPEN 

TRI COUNTY SOIL SERVICE CENTER ERP CLOSED 

FOREMOST FARMS USA ERP CLOSED 

LAMONTS BULK PLT ERP CLOSED 

KALEPP BROTHERS OIL INC FORMER ERP CLOSED 

KALEPP BROTHERS OIL INC FORMER ERP OPEN 

BEAVER BEAVER TN SHED LUST CLOSED 

CHILI E FREMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LUST CLOSED 

CHILI CORNERS LUST CLOSED 

CHILI TN LUST OPEN 

DAIRY CONCEPTS LUST OPEN 

WOLF PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

CHILI SERVICE & STREY PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

CHRISTIE KOCH REFINING CO - CHRISTIE PUMPING STATION ERP CLOSED 

COLBY LES MOBIL LUST CLOSED 

PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA LUST CLOSED 

COLBY CHEESE HOUSE LUST CLOSED 

COLBY JR SR HIGH SCHOOL LUST CLOSED 

PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA LUST CLOSED 

LARRY OEHMICHEN ERP CLOSED 

CURTISS ERDMANS SERVICE LUST CLOSED 

OLDE SALOON RESTAURANT LUST CLOSED 

BOWEN, LESTER FARM LUST CLOSED 

BOWEN PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

WALTERS GARAGE ERP CLOSED 

HEARTLAND COOPERATIVE SERV-CARLSON PIT SITE ERP CLOSED 

DORCHESTER HEARTLAND COOP CONVENIENCE STORE LUST CLOSED 

HEARTLAND COOP CONVENIENCE STORE LUST CLOSED 

DORCHESTER STATE BANK LUST CLOSED 

NORTHWEST HARDWOODS -A WEYERHAEUSER BUSINESS LUST CLOSED 

HEARTLAND COOP LUST CLOSED 

BAKERS GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

HEARTLAND ERP CLOSED 

HEARTLAND ERP CLOSED 

NORTHWEST HARDWOODS -A WEYERHAEUSER BUSINESS ERP CLOSED 

PURE OIL FORMER AST SITE ERP CLOSED 

EATON SUSA HOWARD LUST CLOSED 

FAIRCHILD Y BAR ESTHER LUNA ESTATE LUST OPEN 

FOSTER BAR TWO LUST OPEN 

GRANT GRANT TN SHOP LUST CLOSED 


Table 6.10 – Contaminated Sites in Clark County (open & closed) continued 


Nearest Post 


Office 

GRANTON GRANTON AREA SCHOOL DIST LUST CLOSED 

GRANTON VIL GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

GRANTON HARDWARE STORE FORMER LUST CLOSED 

CENEX SUPPLY LUST CLOSED 

GRANTON AREA SCHOOL DIST LUST CLOSED 

GRANTON VIL LUST CLOSED 

HUBING STANDARD LUST OPEN 

ZAWISLAN PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

KUHL IMPLEMENT LUST OPEN 

GRANTON VIL ERP CLOSED 

GRANTON INVESTIGATION ERP OPEN 

GARBISCH BULK PLT OLD ERP OPEN 

GRANTON DIESEL SPILL ERP OPEN 

GREENWOOD UNION 76 FORMER LUST CLOSED 

KWIK TRIP #315 LUST CLOSED 

LAND O LAKES CHEESE PLT LUST CLOSED 

WI DOT BRANSTITER BROS INC LUST CLOSED 

ARTACS PLUMBING LUST CLOSED 

GRASSLAND DAIRY PRODUCTS LUST CLOSED 

WARNER TN SHOP LUST CLOSED 

WEATHER SHIELD MFG INC LUST CLOSED 

PINES SUPER SERVICE LUST CLOSED 

REDVILLE DAIRY LUST CLOSED 

WI DOT FORD GARAGE FORMER LUST OPEN 

ELMDALE CHEESE FACTORY INC LUST OPEN 

LAND O LAKES CHEESE PLT ERP CLOSED 

COOPERATIVE SERVICES ERP CLOSED 

CENEX AST BULK FACILITY ERP OPEN 

GREENWOOD CTY COOPERATIVE SERVICES INC LUST CLOSED 

COOPERATIVE SERVICES INC ERP OPEN 

HUMBIRD LARSON PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

STANDARD BARREL CO ERP CLOSED 

LOYAL LOYAL CTY LUST CLOSED 

DAIRYLAND TRANSIT LUST CLOSED 


CLARK CNTY GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

MIKES TIRE SERVICE INC LUST CLOSED 

NORTHSIDE ELEVATOR CO LUST CLOSED 

LENNIES SALES & SERVICE LUST CLOSED 

D C 66 SERVICE LUST CLOSED 

LOYAL SCHOOL COMPLEX LUST CLOSED 

LOYAL TN GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

LOYAL CANNING CORP LUST CLOSED 

SMITH FEED SERVICE INC LUST CLOSED 

ROTH MFG LUST CLOSED 

SEEMAN OIL LUST OPEN 

WI DOT 7040-04-72 DAHL MOTORS LUST OPEN 

PERNSTEINER GAS & OIL CO ERP CLOSED 

BRENNER OIL ERP CLOSED 

LOYAL OIL ERP CLOSED 

VITA PLUS CORP-SMITH FEED SERV SHOP ERP CLOSED 

VITA PLUS CORP-SMITH FEED SERV SHOP ERP CLOSED 

NORTHSIDE ELEVATOR CO ERP OPEN 

NORTHSIDE ELEVATOR INC - DEPOT ST ERP OPEN 




Nearest Post 


Office 

NEILLSVILLE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER LUST CLOSED 

ROSS AUTO CLINIC LUST CLOSED 

NELSON PROPERTY LUST CLOSED 


SUNBURST YOUTH HOME LUST CLOSED 

M & I BANK OPELT LUST CLOSED 

THOMAS PROPERTY LUST CLOSED 

GAIER CONST LUST CLOSED 

JEPSEN RESIDENCE LUST CLOSED 

G STORE INC LUST CLOSED 

VAN GORDENS INC LUST CLOSED 

TUFTS MUSEUM LUST CLOSED 

BOB & CARYLS IGA LUST CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE CEMETERY LUST CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE CTY LUST CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE CTY LUST CLOSED 

MARY LOUS RESTAURANT LUST CLOSED 

ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH LUST CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE ROW LUST CLOSED 

EISENTRAUT PROPERTY LUST CLOSED 

ELROY INVESTMENTS LUST CLOSED 

LARSEN RESIDENCE LUST CLOSED 

OUTPOST PUB & GRUB LUST CLOSED 

NSPW NEILLSVILLE OFFICE LUST CLOSED 

CLARK CNTY HWY DEPT LUST CLOSED 

CLARK CNTY HWY DEPT GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

WI ARMY NATL GUARD NEILLSVILLE LUST CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE 76 STATION LUST OPEN 

AUTO STOP NEILLSVILLE LUST OPEN 

DRESCHER OIL LUST OPEN 

WEDGES CREEK RESEARCH FARM ERP CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE FOUNDRY (FORMER) ERP CLOSED 

CLARK CNTY HWY DEPT ERP CLOSED 

CENEX SUPPLY ERP CLOSED 

NEILLSVILLE OIL CO ERP CONDITIONALLY CLOSED 

DRESCHER OIL CO ERP OPEN 

BOON TRUCKING & CONSTRUCTION LLC ERP OPEN 

OWEN AWE FARM LUST CLOSED 

CLARK CNTY HEALTH CARE CENTER LUST CLOSED 

KNAACK ESTATE LUST CLOSED 

GTE NORTH INC LUST CLOSED 

BADGER PRECISION INC LUST CLOSED 

WORDEN WACHSMUTH LAW OFC LUST CLOSED 

KERRY INGREDIENTS LUST CLOSED 

OWEN WITHEE SCHOOL DIST LUST CLOSED 

PAITEL CITGO LUST CLOSED 

RIVER COUNTRY COOP FEED MILL LUST CLOSED 

DELS EQUIPMENT & SERVICE LUST CLOSED 

ZAGER PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

OW SPORTS LUST OPEN 

LAKEHEAD OWEN PUMPING STATION ERP CLOSED 

HEARTLAND COOP ERP OPEN 

OWEN CTY LF/COMPOST SITE ERP OPEN 

COOP SERVICES CLARK CO-OWEN FERTILIZER PLT ERP OPEN 

BIG BILL'S AG SERVICE - OWEN ERP OPEN 




Nearest Post 


Office 

SHORTVILLE WI DOT SHORTVILLE STORE SITE LUST OPEN 

THORP THORP TN GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

COURTESY AUTO & TRUCK CNTR LUST CLOSED 

HAAS TRANSPORT INC LUST CLOSED 

TURENNE PROPERTY LUST CLOSED 

LARRYS SERVICE LUST CLOSED 

COZY CORNER BAR LUST CLOSED 

WINKLER, DAVID PROPERTY LUST CLOSED 

GLORY MOTOR SALES LUST CLOSED 

EXPRESS MART LUST CLOSED 

TONYS CORNER SERVICE & BAIT LUST CLOSED 

EXPRESS MART LUST CLOSED 

CLOVERDALE MFG LUST CLOSED 

ST BENARDS ST HELWIG PARISH LUST CLOSED 

DELS MOBIL LUST OPEN 

ACE OIL CO LUST OPEN 

GRABOWSKI FARM ERP CLOSED 

FERMANICH FUEL CO BULK FACILITY FORMER ERP CLOSED 

WISCONSIN CENTRAL LTD (FORMER ROYAL OIL CO) ERP CLOSED 

THORP BULK PLT COOP SERVICE ERP OPEN 

HAAS TRANSPORT INC ERP OPEN 

413 W BIRCH ST ERP OPEN 

UNITY UNITY TN HALL LUST CLOSED 

HARMONY COUNTRY COOP ERP OPEN 

WILLARD WILLARD FARM & AUTO REPAIR LUST CLOSED 

HENDREN TN SHOP LUST CLOSED 

ARLENES INN LUST OPEN 

ARTAC PROPERTY LUST OPEN 

WILLARD SNOWMOBILE CLUB LUST OPEN 

KIRN ROGER PROPERTY ERP CLOSED 

WITHEE ISAACS PRINT SHOP LUST CLOSED 

RYONA GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

WITHEE GARAGE LUST CLOSED 

HAYLOFT BAR LUST CLOSED 

TRI COUNTY EQUIPMENT INC LUST CLOSED 

HENE SUPPLY LUST CLOSED 

GERMAN HAROLD & EDNA RESIDENCE LUST CLOSED 

POGOS HARDWARE PLUS LUST OPEN 

WITHEE OIL BULK PLT ERP CLOSED 

PAITEL OIL CO ERP OPEN 

WORDEN WILLIAMS PIPELINE ERP CLOSED 

STANLEY CTY LF ERP OPEN 

source: Wisconsin BRRTS database, April 21, 2008. 



7. LAND USE INFORMATION 


Land use is a critical factor in managing the future growth of any community. Land use 

trends indicate what changes are occurring regarding type, location and intensity of uses 

over time. It is these land-use changes that have to be managed in a manner that is 

beneficial to the residents and environment of each community. 

In this section is the basic land use data necessary to further explore the land use issues 

facing those communities participating in this planning effort, and to begin the process of 

developing individual community land-use plans to meet the requirements of Wisconsin 

Comprehensive Planning Law (s. 66.1001 (2)(h), Stats.). 

Once developed, the resulting land-use plans will act as a sound basis for the orderly 

development of their communities, and will assist the communities in achieving their 

individual goals. Their plan, along with their selected implementation tools, will provide 

local governments with the ability to effectively and efficiently make public investment 

decisions and to work with developers to ensure private investments are compatible with 

the public interest. 

Existing Land Use and Land Use Trends 

The land use/land coverage acreage statistics were taken from the most recent assessment 

data collected by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. This is a consistent primary 

source data on land use/land cover acreage for all communities in Clark County, and 

allows for trend analysis. These classifications are: residential, commercial, industrial 

(manufacturing), agricultural, forest, undeveloped lands (vacant) and other. 

The predominant land use in the rural areas of Clark County is agriculture, as shown 

below in Table 7.1 (Source: Wisconsin Department of Revenue - based on assessment 

record). The 1987, 1998, and 2007 land uses based on reported assessments for all 

communities in Clark County are presented in Tables 7.11, 7.12, and 7.13, respectively. 

The percent of assessed acres assessed as agriculture range from highs of 84.6 percent, 

80.7 percent, 79.8 percent, 78.3 percent, 78.2 percent and 77.5 percent in the towns of 

Loyal, Mayville, Reseburg, York, Beaver, and Colby, respectively, to lows of 7.1 

percent, 16.7 percent, 20.6 percent, and 22.0 percent in the towns of Dewhurst, Hewett, 

Foster, and Sherwood, respectively. Twenty-one of Clark County’s 33 towns (64 percent 

of all towns) have more than half of their assessed land assessed as agriculture. It is clear 

that agriculture is a significant activity in Clark County. 


Table 7.1 - Clark County Land Use – 1997 and 2007 

Assessment Class 1997Acres Assessed 2007Acres Assessed ’97-’07% change 

Agricultural 376,697 363,127 -3.6 

Forest 160,907 126,755 -21.2 

Undeveloped 19,060 57,296 200.6 

Residential 10,485 15,053 43.5 

Commercial 1,249 1,571 25.8 

Manufacturing 1,714 1,720 0.4 

Other 5,754 5,720 -0.6 

Total 591,738 571,242 -3.5 

source: WiDOR 

Those towns that have lower agricultural acreage generally have at least one of the 

following factors present; higher non-farm acres, higher forested acres, or other 

significant natural resource lands. As expected, large amounts of commercial and 

industrial land occurs in the villages and cities. Incorporated communities also generally 

have a greater percentage and concentration of residential uses. 

The existing land uses in Clark County are summarized and discussed in the remainder of 

this section. 

Agricultural Land Use 

The assessed agricultural acreage declined by more than 55,000 acres from 1987 to 2007 

in Clark County. See Table 7.9. The largest acreage decrease of 5,306, 4,425 and 4,249 

acres occurred in the Towns of Pine Valley, Unity, and Hendren, respectively. The 

largest percentage decrease of 40.1 percent occurred in the Town of Dewhurst. Other 

substantial acreages losses occurred: 

Table 7.2 - Leading Acreage Loss of Agricultural Land by Municipality, 1987-2007 

Town Town City/Village 

Pine Valley -5,306 Thorp -2,796 Neillsville -343 

Unity -4,425 Washburn -2,437 Greenwood -226 

Hendren -4,249 Lynn -2,373 Owen -193 

Withee -4,062 Levis -2,194 Granton -118 

Grant -3,093 Fremont -2,029 Dorchester -104 

source: WiDOR 

There was a 13.2 percent reduction in agricultural land in Clark County from 1987 to 

2007. The largest percent of agricultural land reductions between 1987 and 2007 were 

seen by the following communities: 

166 Land Use Information

Table 7.3 - Leading Percentage Loss of Agricultural Land by Municipality, 1987-2007 

Town 

City/Village 

Dewhurst -40.1 Colby -100.0 

Hewitt -39.2 Neillsville -81.9 

Pine Valley -37.7 Granton -81.4 

Washburn -35.2 Owen -74.2 

Sherwood -34.1 Withee -45.5 

Foster -32.1 Greenwood -35.0 

Levis -32.1 Dorchester -33.7 

source: WiDOR 

Despite these losses, agriculture remains a significant use of the land in the towns of 

Clark County. The towns with the least percentage loss of assessed agricultural land from 

1987 and 2007 were: Warner (-1.2%), York (-2.7%), Green Grove (-4.5%), Beaver 

(-5.0%), and Hoard (-6.5%). Several communities experienced an increase in assessed 

agricultural land. 

The 2007 assessed agricultural acreage in the County was 363,127 or 64 percent of total 

assessed acreage. The towns with the greatest amount of assessed agricultural acres are 

listed in Table 7.4 below. 

Table 7.4 - Most Agricultural Acres by Municipality, 2007 

Town Acres Town Acres 

Loyal 18,459 Thorp 14,580 

Reseburg 18,088 Eaton 14,542 

York 17,859 Warner 14,432 

Beaver 17,776 Grant 14,370 

Sherman 16,684 Longwood 14,234 

Mayville 16,593 Worden 13,424 

Withee 16,344 Weston 13,183 

Colby 16,209 Unity 13,150 

Green Grove 15,685 Hixon 13,105 

Fremont 14,695 Hoard 12,258 

source: WiDOR 

In 1987, ten towns had less than 10,000 assessed acres in agricultural use. In 2007, the 

13 towns of Butler, Dewhurst, Foster, Hendren, Hewett, Levis, Lynn, Mead, Mentor, 

Pine Valley, Seif, Sherwood, and Washburn all had less than 10,000 assessed acres in 

agricultural use. In 1987, twenty-six towns of the County’s thirty-four towns (79%) had 

at least half of their assessed land assessed as agriculture. In 1987, twenty towns (61%) 

had more than two-thirds of their assessed land assessed as agriculture and 12 towns had 

at least three-fourths of their assessed land assessed as agriculture. In 2007, these 

numbers were 21 and eight, respectively. It is clear that over the past 20 years the 

agricultural land base in Clark County has stayed strong. 


Forest Land Use 

In 2007, the combined assessed acres in forestland amounted to 126,755 acres or 22 

percent of the total assessed acreage for the County. See Tables 7.10 and 7.13. 

Assessed forest acreage in Clark County decreased by 2,971 acres between 1987 and 

1998. The decrease in forested acreage between 1998 and 2007 quickened as assessed 

forest acreage decreased by 34,152 acres. 

Between 1987 and 2007 only one town experienced an increase in assessed forest land, 

Withee with 435 acres and an increase of 83.2 percent. Between 1987 and 2007 the 

Towns of York (-87.8 percent), Loyal (-77.1 percent), Colby (-76.9 percent), Beaver (- 

74.9 percent), Warner (-73.8 percent) and Fremont (-70.4 percent) experienced the 

greatest percentage declines in forested acreage. The City of Owen, with 18 acres, was 

the only incorporated community that reported assessed forested acreage in 1987. 

However, in 2007, the cities and villages accounted for 391 acres of assessed forest lands. 

In 2007, the Town of Sherwood had the greatest amount of assessed forested acreage 

(4,962 acres) followed by Dewhurst (4,463), and Levis (4,365). There are significant 

public holdings of forested lands contained in public natural resource lands which are 

described in the next section. 

Public Natural Resource 

Lands 

There are significant natural 

resource, forest and park lands in 

Clark County owned by the Clark 

County, the State of Wisconsin or 

a Town. These lands are not 

assessed taxes and are not recorded 

in the Wisconsin Department of 

Revenue Statement of 

Assessments. Table 7.5 shows the 

acres by town for those with more 

than 50 acres of public natural 

resource lands. 

Snyder Lake County Park in Town of Hewett 


Table 7.5 - Public Natural Resource Lands, 2006 

Town Acres Town Acres 

Foster 43,074 Levis 5,054 

Hewett 16,803 Mead 3,997 

Dewhurst 14,074 Hixon 1,365 

Butler 13,711 Hoard 1,084 

Seif 11,716 Green Grove 628 

Washburn 9,160 Worden 200 

Mentor 9,110 Colby 89 

Sherwood 7,548 Pine Valley 71 

source: WCWRPC 

Residential Land Use 

In 2007, the assessed residential acreage in the unincorporated areas of the County was 

14,224, or 94.5 percent of the total assessed residential acreage in the County. This is 

down from 98.3 percent in 1987. The assessed residential acreage increase in 

unincorporated areas from 1987 to 2007 was 5,587 acres or a 65 percent increase. The 

towns of Pine Valley, Fremont, and Grant had the most significant residential acreage 

(1,320, 728, and 706 respectively) in 2007. These towns are located in the southeast 

portion of the County. 

Regarding assessed residential acreage percentage increases between 1987 and 2007, the 

Town of Fremont (435 percent) had the greatest increase, followed by the towns of Mead 

(523 percent), Grant (227 percent), Warner (178 percent), and Butler (174 percent). Other 

towns that have at least doubled their residential acreage between 1987 and 2007 are 

Beaver, Hendren, Loyal, Pine Valley, Reseburg, Sherman, Unity, Weston, and Worden. 

The cities and villages in Clark County also saw dramatic growth in residential land. 

Since many communities had reporting discrepancies during the period and the 

assessment data are inconclusive for 1987, comparisons between 1998 and 2007 follow 

for incorporated areas. The communities with the largest percent change are: Abbotsford 

(700 percent), Neillsville (200 percent), Granton (120 percent), and Colby (108 percent). 

The other cities and villages experienced significant increases in residential land. See 

Table 7.6. 

Commercial Land Use 

Fifty-six percent of commercial lands are located in the County’s unincorporated 

communities. However, commercial land is often much more intensively developed and 

contain larger buildings in incorporated communities than the commercial land in the 

unincorporated areas. Current assessed commercial lands account for about three-tenths 

of one percent of the total County assessed acreage. Many towns have experienced a 

decrease in the amount of assessed commercial land use, likely due to annexation. See 

Table 7.7. 


In 2007, the towns with the largest commercial acreage were Reseburg (115), Pine Valley 

(74), Hixon (71), and Grant (62). Most of these towns see much of their commercial 

development within the fringe of their borders with incorporated communities 

There were very large percentage increases in assessed commercial acreage between 

1987 and 2007. This consisted of the towns Reseburg (423 percent), Hixon (318 percent), 

Green Grove (238 percent), Unity (150 percent), and Lynn (140 percent). 

Industrial Land Use 

Assessed manufacturing acreage in the 

County’s unincorporated areas is 

significant only in few areas, often near 

incorporated communities or associated 

with food production or non-metallic 

mining. The majority of manufacturing 

land (assembly, fabrication, processing, 

production, etc.) is in the County’s 

incorporated areas. Incorporated 

communities account for 71.4 percent of 

the land assessed for manufacturing in the 

County. See Table 7.8. 

Greenwood Milk Products 

Manufacturing acreage decreased between 1987 and 2007 in the County’s unincorporated 

areas with a decline of 719 acres from 1987 to 1997 followed by an increase of 33 acres 

from 1997 to 2007. The towns of Dewhurst and Thorp experienced increases of 63 

percent and 62 percent, respectively. 

Hewlett and Mentor experienced 100 

percent increases, but their increases were 

from zero acres to one acre. 

Parrett Windows, Dorchester 

Of the incorporated communities most 

gained assessed manufacturing land 

between 1987 and 2007. However, 

Neillsville (-31.5 percent) and Thorp (- 

19.4 percent) both experienced a decrease. 

Dorchester and Owen experienced 

increases of over 600 percent. 


Land Demand and Prices 

Two indicators of a dynamic economy and potentially changing land use patterns are land 

sales and prices. These two indicators show a demand to convert undeveloped or underdeveloped 

land to more intensive uses such as residential, commercial or industrial. In 

turn, additional community services may be needed to support this change. 

An indicator of the demand for various land types is the number of land sales during the 

year for a given community or the County. Tables 7.14 and 7.15 show the sales of 

agricultural lands and forested lands respectively. These lands, converted to other uses, 

would include those for residential development. It can be seen that there is a steady 

demand for these lands for their conversion to other uses. The price paid is also listed. 

Comparing the numbers in Table 7.15 reveals in 1998 there was a small premium (about 

five percent) paid for forested lands intended to stay as forest land. The trend of no 

significant premium has continued through 2007. 

In 1998, agricultural land sold for agricultural use sold for $113 more than if it was sold 

for other uses. In 2007, this number changed dramatically. Agricultural land sold for 

other uses was sold for $2,285 more than if sold for continued agricultural use. It should 

be noted that the number of transactions for agricultural land being sold to be converted 

to other uses has been roughly 10 to 20 percent of total agricultural land sales. These 

differences are significantly reduced when the property is without buildings. 

Assessment information can help indicate land prices; however, this information has 

certain limitations due to assessment methods, timing and whether a particular assessor 

has completely established current fair-market value comparables for a given community. 

The State of Wisconsin attempts to equalize values so communities whose assessments 

are in different years will have assessments that are fair. Eventually all assessments are 

supposed to reflect fully equalized, fair-market value of property. Tables 7.16 and 7.17 

presents the price per acre of various land types based on assessment. 

The assessments for agricultural land are dramatically altered through state law that 

provides for land-use value assessment. As can be seen comparing Table 7.14 with Table 

7.16, the use value assessment for agricultural land does not correspond to sale prices for 

agricultural land. Forested land in areas more suitable for conversion to residential use 

will generally have higher value than lands better suited for forest production. 

In general, land prices in Clark County have been increasing faster than the rate of 

inflation. This is particularly true in the last few years with annual inflation being quite 

low. One possible reason for this is the recent increased prices of certain crops, 

specifically corn. Forested land is also increasing in price at a significant rate. Tracts of 

forest land are often seen as lifestyle natural resource amenities, many are near public 

natural resource holdings, and these tracts are being converted to residential use. This is 

contributing to forest parcel fragmentation. 


Summary 

Land development, the demand for housing, the transportation system, the natural 

environment, the extent of public services and facilities, land ownership patterns, 

economic activity and governmental boundaries and actions, all guide and shape the built 

environment and determine its impact on the natural environment. Combining these 

factors determines the pattern of development that occurs throughout the County. Hence, 

the Housing; Transportation; Agricultural, Natural and Cultural Resources, Utilities and 

Community Facilities; Economic Development; and, Intergovernmental Cooperation 

elements also contain conditions and trends that affect land use. 

Land-use planning is concerned with properly combining development factors to attain 

the optimal or desired use of land. In total, the land-use element of each community will 

set the proposed pattern of the physical environment for the activities of people and 

organizations within that community. Land-use planning depends on population and 

economic projections and an understanding of the interrelationship of land-use activities 

and types for living, livelihood and leisure. It is the interrelated nature of the components 

that comprise a community that make a comprehensive plan worthwhile. 

In regards to total units, Clark County has experienced limited residential growth in the 

past two decades. However, it has experienced an increase of assessed residential 

acreage of approximately 70 percent. Due to their parcel size, this growth can have a 

dramatic impact on these communities. Often development of good productive farm or 

forest land impacts water resources, places greater demand on roads and schools, and 

causes conflicts between farm and non-farm uses and forest fragmentation. From 1987 to 

2007, assessed residential acreage increased by about 71.3 percent county-wide while the 

population increased 6.4 percent. Even though the County’s population growth is not as 

significant as other counties in the region, if this trend continues, it will have impacts on 

natural resources and productive lands, demands for services, and potentially conflicts 

between farm and non-farm uses in Clark County. 

While unincorporated communities in Clark County have 56 percent of the assessed 

commercial land in the County, commercial assessed value per acre is almost three times 

higher in villages and five times higher 

in cities than in the towns. This 

indicates commercial activity in cities 

and villages is more intensive and 

includes commercial uses much larger 

in scale than in the towns. However, 

scattered local-serving, resource-based 

and agriculturally related commercial 

enterprises in the rural area serve a 

useful purpose in those communities. 

Yet, cities and villages will continue to 

provide more shopping opportunities. 

Commercial Businesses in Downtown Neillsville 


Industrial activity will continue to be located throughout Clark County. More intensive 

activity is located in the cities and villages where urban services are available, with light 

fabricating and non-metallic resources extraction located in the unincorporated areas. 

The most prevalent land uses in Clark County are agriculture and forest. In fact, almost 

64 percent of the assessed land in the County is considered agricultural and 22 percent 

forest. When adding the acres of natural resource lands, almost 100 percent of the County 

is agricultural, forest, or natural resource lands. Land assessed as “undeveloped” accounts 

for another 10 percent of the assessed land in the County. 

The County experienced a 13.2 percent reduction in assessed agricultural land from 1987 

to 2007. It is evident that this has serious implications for towns that are losing large 

amounts of acreage. However, the County has not experienced as a significant decrease 

in agricultural land as many other counties throughout the State. 

Not all the land converted from agriculture is going to non-farm uses. It is likely that 

some of it was being converted to forested land due to programs like the Conservation 

Reserve Program. Productive forested land will continue to be an important part of Clark 

County’s landscape and economy, not only for forest products but also for recreational 

opportunities. 

Rural countryside, Town of Eaton 

Land-use projections are an important part of a comprehensive plan. They are a “best 

guess” of the amount of land that will be needed for future development and are based on 

population and household projections, community development standards (accepted 

density or intensity of various land uses) and community desires. Each community will 

prepare its 25-year land-use projections in five-year increments for its comprehensive 

plan land use element. These projections will be reflected in the individual community’s 

future land use maps that will show the general locations of different land uses for the 

next 25 years. It is from these projections and the future land use map that each 

community will communicate how land use change is likely to occur, influenced by how 

they would like it to occur. 


Land Use Tables 

Table 7.6 

Assessed Residential Acres by Municipality • 1987, 1997, and 2007 

Clark County 

Total Acres 87-07 Percent 97-07 Percent 

Town 1987 1997 2007 Change Change 

Beaver 156 240 375 140.4 56.3 

Butler 31 61 85 174.2 39.3 

Colby 256 334 350 36.7 4.8 

Dewhurst 310 473 610 96.8 29.0 

Eaton 229 271 321 40.2 18.5 

Foster 103 155 202 96.1 30.3 

Fremont 136 511 728 435.3 42.5 

Grant 216 327 706 226.9 115.9 

Green Grove 240 242 308 28.3 27.3 

Hendren 178 254 360 102.2 41.7 

Hewett 352 382 487 38.4 27.5 

Hixon 258 482 464 79.8 -3.7 

Hoard 351 342 326 -7.1 -4.7 

Levis 463 312 418 -9.7 34.0 

Longwood 262 293 375 43.1 28.0 

Loyal 137 219 309 125.5 41.1 

Lynn 307 333 372 21.2 11.7 

Mayville 337 387 644 91.1 66.4 

Mead 61 85 380 523.0 347.1 

Mentor 264 434 521 97.3 20.0 

Pine Valley 637 761 1,320 107.2 73.5 

Reseburg 134 316 315 135.1 -0.3 

Seif 122 130 130 6.6 0.0 

Sherman 208 319 520 150.0 63.0 

Sherwood 206 254 395 91.7 55.5 

Thorp 1,198 237 361 -69.9 52.3 

Unity 185 324 449 142.7 38.6 

Warner 131 248 364 177.9 46.8 

Washburn 225 257 364 61.8 41.6 

Weston 198 298 425 114.6 42.6 

Withee 318 279 549 72.6 96.8 

Worden 165 218 373 126.1 71.1 

York 263 290 318 20.9 9.7 

TOTAL 8,637 10,068 14,224 64.7 41.3 

Villages 

Curtiss n/a n/a 8 n/a n/a 

Dorchester 9 31 37 311.1 19.4 

Granton n/a 54 119 n/a 120.4 

Unity n/a 1 3 n/a 200.0 

Withee 21 31 46 119.0 48.4 

TOTAL 30 117 213 610.0 82.1 

Cities 

Abbotsford n/a 29 232 n/a 700.0 

Colby n/a 24 50 n/a 108.3 

Greenwood 23 66 72 213.0 9.1 

Loyal 26 62 62 138.5 0.0 

Neillsville 13 42 126 869.2 200.0 

Owen 59 66 69 16.9 4.5 

Stanley n/a n/a 1 n/a n/a 

Thorp n/a 1 4 n/a 300.0 

TOTAL 121 290 616 409.1 112.4 

COUNTY TOTAL 8,788 10,475 15,053 71.3 43.7 

Source: WI DOR 


Table 7.7 

Assessed Commercial Acres by Municipality • 1987, 1997, and 2007 

Clark County 



Beaver 8 4 7 -12.5 75.0 

Butler 1 1 1 0.0 0.0 

Colby 118 129 34 -71.2 -73.6 

Dewhurst 10 14 20 100.0 42.9 

Eaton 16 15 14 -12.5 -6.7 

Foster 5 6 8 60.0 33.3 

Fremont 112 95 23 -79.5 -75.8 

Grant 41 43 62 51.2 44.2 

Green Grove 16 45 54 237.5 20.0 

Hendren 4 5 8 100.0 60.0 

Hewett 34 34 35 2.9 2.9 

Hixon 17 20 71 317.6 255.0 

Hoard 2 2 2 0.0 0.0 

Levis 17 17 29 70.6 70.6 

Longwood 33 28 33 0.0 17.9 

Loyal 60 71 45 -25.0 -36.6 

Lynn 5 4 12 140.0 200.0 

Mayville 55 49 22 -60.0 -55.1 

Mead 7 9 7 0.0 -22.2 

Mentor 15 34 9 -40.0 -73.5 

Pine Valley 84 68 74 -11.9 8.8 

Reseburg 22 90 115 422.7 27.8 

Seif 1 1 1 0.0 0.0 

Sherman 18 18 13 -27.8 -27.8 

Sherwood 3 3 3 0.0 0.0 

Thorp 29 34 47 62.1 38.2 

Unity 10 24 25 150.0 4.2 

Warner 24 25 9 -62.5 -64.0 

Washburn 2 2 1 -50.0 -50.0 

Weston 27 27 27 0.0 0.0 

Withee 37 33 54 45.9 63.6 

Worden 52 48 14 -73.1 -70.8 

York 4 0 4 0.0 n/a 

TOTAL 889 998 883 -0.7 -11.5 

Villages 

Curtiss 9 8 71 688.9 787.5 

Dorchester 10 22 39 290.0 77.3 

Granton 6 1 2 -66.7 100.0 

Unity n/a 1 10 n/a 900.0 

Withee 4 7 22 450.0 214.3 

TOTAL 29 39 144 396.6 269.2 

Cities 

Abbotsford n/a 18 75 n/a 316.7 

Colby n/a 1 1 n/a 0.0 

Greenwood 2 33 88 4,300.0 166.7 

Loyal 71 28 47 -33.8 67.9 

Neillsville 11 53 229 1981.8 332.1 

Owen 23 25 37 60.9 48.0 


Thorp n/a 54 35 n/a -35.2 

TOTAL 107 212 544 408.4 156.6 

COUNTY TOTAL 1,025 1,249 1,571 53.3 25.8 



Table 7.8 

Assessed Industrial Acres by Municipality • 1987, 1997, and 2007 

Clark County 



Beaver 0 0 0 0 0 

Butler 0 0 0 0 0 

Colby 0 0 0 0 0 

Dewhurst 117 195 191 63.2 -2.1 

Eaton 411 80 86 -79.1 7.5 

Foster 79 0 0 -100.0 0 

Fremont 14 4 4 -71.4 0.0 

Grant 36 36 0 -100.0 -100.0 

Green Grove 0 0 0 0 0 

Hendren 13 9 9 -30.8 0.0 

Hewett 0 0 1 100 100 

Hixon 130 37 12 -90.8 -67.6 

Hoard 0 0 0 0 0 

Levis 194 194 230 18.6 18.6 

Longwood 89 0 0 -100.0 0 

Loyal 4 0 0 -100.0 0 

Lynn 83 88 88 6.0 0.0 

Mayville 1 1 0 -100.0 -100.0 

Mead 43 0 0 -100.0 0 

Mentor 0 1 1 100 0.0 

Pine Valley 77 38 40 -48.1 5.3 

Reseburg 2 3 3 50.0 0.0 

Seif 40 40 42 5.0 5.0 

Sherman 0 0 0 0 0 

Sherwood 0 0 0 0 0 

Thorp 79 79 128 62.0 62.0 

Unity 16 2 2 -87.5 0.0 

Warner 305 338 349 14.4 3.3 

Washburn 0 0 0 0 0 

Weston 172 39 39 -77.3 0.0 

Withee 0 0 0 0 0 

Worden 3 5 3 0.0 -40.0 

York 6 6 0 -100.0 -100.0 

TOTAL 1,914 1,195 1,228 -35.8 2.8 

Villages 

Curtiss n/a 4 4 n/a 0.0 

Dorchester 19 119 141 642.1 18.5 

Granton n/a 0 0 n/a 0 

Unity n/a 2 2 n/a 0.0 

Withee n/a 8 12 n/a 50.0 

TOTAL 19 133 159 736.8 19.5 

Cities 

Abbotsford 23 26 28 21.7 7.7 

Colby n/a 7 7 n/a 0.0 

Greenwood 49 114 114 132.7 0.0 

Loyal 21 35 36 71.4 2.9 

Neillsville 73 66 50 -31.5 -24.2 

Owen 10 84 73 630.0 -13.1 


Thorp 31 54 25 -19.4 -53.7 

TOTAL 207 386 333 60.9 -13.7 

COUNTY TOTAL 2,140 1,714 1,720 -19.6 0.4 

Source: WI DOR. 


Table 7.9 

Assessed Agricultural Parcels and Acreage by Municipality • 1987, 1997, and 2007 

Clark County 

Total Parcels Total Acres 1987-2007 

Acres 

1997-2007 

Acres 

Town 1987 1997 2007 1987 1997 2007 % Change % Change 

Beaver 603 623 650 18,706 17,679 17,776 -5.0 0.5 

Butler 88 93 98 2,045 1,768 2,230 9.0 26.1 

Colby 567 587 600 17,462 16,987 16,209 -7.2 -4.6 

Dewhurst 32 35 16 710 709 425 -40.1 -40.1 

Eaton 497 502 528 16,361 14,012 14,542 -11.1 3.8 

Foster 28 25 17 623 575 423 -32.1 -26.4 

Fremont 591 578 546 16,724 15,952 14,695 -12.1 -7.9 

Grant 680 688 584 17,463 16,403 14,370 -17.7 -12.4 

Green Grove 557 564 579 16,421 16,154 15,685 -4.5 -2.9 

Hendren 462 474 352 13,342 11,558 9,093 -31.8 -21.3 

Hewett 87 87 57 1,462 1,384 889 -39.2 -35.8 

Hixon 547 528 516 14,441 13,850 13,105 -9.3 -5.4 

Hoard 464 462 479 13,110 12,803 12,258 -6.5 -4.3 

Levis 246 248 243 6,840 5,144 4,646 -32.1 -9.7 

Longwood 548 554 577 15,855 15,537 14,234 -10.2 -8.4 

Loyal 654 656 655 19,844 18,875 18,459 -7.0 -2.2 

Lynn 441 469 388 10,817 10,516 8,444 -21.9 -19.7 

Mayville 608 613 607 18,268 17,655 16,593 -9.2 -6.0 

Mead 229 223 176 6,024 5,824 5,003 -16.9 -14.1 

Mentor 288 246 245 6,824 6,015 5,951 -12.8 -1.1 

Pine Valley 565 508 493 14,075 9,763 8,769 -37.7 -10.2 

Reseburg 597 588 596 19,445 18,588 18,088 -7.0 -2.7 

Seif 174 174 158 4,158 3,934 3,231 -22.3 -17.9 

Sherman 622 623 593 18,220 17,219 16,684 -8.4 -3.1 

Sherwood 128 117 102 3,503 2,827 2,310 -34.1 -18.3 

Thorp 625 635 603 17,376 17,107 14,580 -16.1 -14.8 

Unity 582 586 554 17,575 16,715 13,150 -25.2 -21.3 

Warner 502 499 513 14,607 14,408 14,432 -1.2 0.2 

Washburn 257 266 197 6,916 6,912 4,479 -35.2 -35.2 

Weston 484 486 537 12,144 11,805 13,183 8.6 11.7 

Withee 631 620 574 20,406 17,871 16,344 -19.9 -8.5 

Worden 527 531 537 15,418 15,227 13,424 -12.9 -11.8 

York 619 639 663 18,362 18,190 17,859 -2.7 -1.8 

TOTAL 14,530 14,527 14,033 415,547 389,966 361,563 -13.0 -7.3 

Villages 

Curtiss 10 13 10 115 203 135 17.4 -33.5 

Dorchester 18 16 17 309 274 205 -33.7 -25.2 

Granton 16 9 3 145 91 27 -81.4 -70.3 

Unity 5 5 5 112 70 90 -19.6 28.6 

Withee 13 16 11 165 188 90 -45.5 -52.1 

TOTAL 62 59 46 846 826 547 -35.3 -33.8 

Cities 

Abbotsford 6 4 4 74 117 94 27.0 -19.7 

Colby 13 2 0 66 36 0 -100.0 -100.0 

Greenwood 25 23 19 645 679 419 -35.0 -38.3 

Loyal 18 14 12 322 284 227 -29.5 -20.1 

Neillsville 36 18 3 419 352 76 -81.9 -78.4 

Owen 13 12 6 260 262 67 -74.2 -74.4 

Stanley n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 

Thorp 5 5 48 47 47 134 185.1 185.1 

TOTAL 116 78 92 1,833 1,777 1,017 -44.5 -42.8 

COUNTY TOTAL 14,708 14,664 14,171 418,226 392,569 363,127 -13.2 -7.5 



Table 7.10 

Assessed Forest Parcels and Acreage by Town • 1987, 1997, and 2007 

Clark County 

Total Parcels 

Total Acres 

Town 1987 1997 2007 1987-1997 

% Change 

1997-2007 

% Change 

1987 1997 2007 1987-1997 

% Change 

1997-2007 

% Change 

1987-2007 

% Change 

Beaver 203 251 44 23.6 -82.5 3,790 4,265 951 12.5 -77.7 -74.9 

Butler 183 180 84 -1.6 -53.3 4,921 4,858 2,084 -1.3 -57.1 -57.7 

Colby 213 211 36 -0.9 -82.9 2,877 2,706 665 -5.9 -75.4 -76.9 

Dewhurst 225 241 215 7.1 -10.8 6,384 5,806 4,463 -9.1 -23.1 -30.1 

Eaton 169 302 63 78.7 -79.1 3,584 5,341 3,379 49.0 -36.7 -5.7 

Foster 52 59 53 13.5 -10.2 1,675 1,443 1,113 -13.9 -22.9 -33.6 

Fremont 268 279 65 4.1 -76.7 5,009 4,629 1,483 -7.6 -68.0 -70.4 

Grant 252 350 122 38.9 -65.1 4,211 4,708 1,920 11.8 -59.2 -54.4 

Green Grove 284 262 72 -7.7 -72.5 4,383 4,418 1,376 0.8 -68.9 -68.6 

Hendren 267 384 174 43.8 -54.7 6,924 7,409 3,350 7.0 -54.8 -51.6 

Hewett 210 209 177 -0.5 -15.3 3,847 3,580 2,683 -6.9 -25.1 -30.3 

Hixon 293 280 114 -4.4 -59.3 4,581 4,416 1,999 -3.6 -54.7 -56.4 

Hoard 266 291 121 9.4 -58.4 5,935 6,550 2,848 10.4 -56.5 -52.0 

Levis 360 378 236 5.0 -37.6 7,575 7,689 4,365 1.5 -43.2 -42.4 

Longwood 228 240 98 5.3 -59.2 4,997 5,153 2,277 3.1 -55.8 -54.4 

Loyal 145 190 28 31.0 -85.3 1,918 2,425 439 26.4 -81.9 -77.1 

Lynn 364 357 191 -1.9 -46.5 8,652 7,507 3,549 -13.2 -52.7 -59.0 

Mayville 184 181 32 -1.6 -82.3 1,794 1,783 498 -0.6 -72.1 -72.2 

Mead 356 277 155 -22.2 -44.0 9,142 6,219 2,961 -32.0 -52.4 -67.6 

Mentor 280 266 130 -5.0 -51.1 5,461 5,397 2,723 -1.2 -49.5 -50.1 

Pine Valley 236 503 257 113.1 -48.9 5,215 8,499 3,911 63.0 -54.0 -25.0 

Reseburg 184 200 52 8.7 -74.0 3,288 3,254 1,063 -1.0 -67.3 -67.7 

Seif 219 200 103 -8.7 -48.5 5,834 5,125 2,225 -12.2 -56.6 -61.9 

Sherman 183 219 61 19.7 -72.1 2,228 3,668 1,283 64.6 -65.0 -42.4 

Sherwood 252 275 196 9.1 -28.7 6,944 7,140 4,962 2.8 -30.5 -28.5 

Thorp 214 258 65 20.6 -74.8 2,669 2,891 820 8.3 -71.6 -69.3 

Unity 229 227 84 -0.9 -63.0 3,069 3,142 1,317 2.4 -58.1 -57.1 

Warner 244 234 81 -4.1 -65.4 6,410 5,985 1,682 -6.6 -71.9 -73.8 

Washburn 267 256 175 -4.1 -31.6 5,114 4,882 3,164 -4.5 -35.2 -38.1 

Weston 381 390 154 2.4 -60.5 8,641 7,944 3,129 -8.1 -60.6 -63.8 

Withee 28 168 60 500.0 -64.3 523 2,475 958 373.2 -61.3 83.2 

Worden 279 267 91 -4.3 -65.9 6,261 5,702 2,209 -8.9 -61.3 -64.7 

York 234 241 36 3.0 -85.1 4,006 3,824 487 -4.5 -87.3 -87.8 

TOTALS 7,752 8,626 3,625 11.3 -58.0 157,862 160,833 72,336 1.9 -55.0 -54.2 



Table 7.11 

Land Use Acreage by Municipality • 1987* 

Clark County 

Town 

Residential 

Commercial 

Manufacturing 

Agricultural 

Undeveloped 

Forest 

Other 

Total 

Beaver 156 8 0 18,706 162 3,790 22,822 

Butler 31 1 0 2,045 580 4,921 7,578 

Colby 256 118 0 17,462 421 2,877 21,134 

Dewhurst 310 10 117 710 15 6,384 7,546 

Eaton 229 16 411 16,361 60 3,584 20,661 

Foster 103 5 79 623 48 1,675 2,533 

Fremont 136 112 14 16,724 599 5,009 22,594 

Grant 216 41 36 17,463 305 4,211 22,272 

Green Grove 240 16 0 16,421 713 4,383 21,773 

Hendren 178 4 13 13,342 692 6,924 21,153 

Hewett 352 34 0 1,462 129 3,847 5,824 

Hixon 258 17 130 14,441 678 4,581 20,105 

Hoard 351 2 0 13,110 399 5,935 19,797 

Levis 463 17 194 6,840 2,742 7,575 17,834 

Longwood 262 33 89 15,855 570 4,997 21,806 

Loyal 137 60 4 19,844 188 1,918 22,151 

Lynn 307 5 83 10,817 713 8,652 20,577 

Mayville 337 55 1 18,268 422 1,794 20,877 

Mead 61 7 43 6,024 217 9,142 15,494 

Mentor 264 15 0 6,824 404 5,461 12,968 

Pine Valley 637 84 77 14,075 347 5,215 20,435 

Reseburg 134 22 2 19,445 130 3,288 23,021 

Seif 122 1 40 4,158 51 5,834 10,206 

Sherman 208 18 0 18,220 1,774 2,228 22,448 

Sherwood 206 3 0 3,503 992 6,944 11,648 

Thorp 1,198 29 79 17,376 1,932 2,669 23,283 

Unity 185 10 16 17,575 1,056 3,069 21,911 

Warner 131 24 305 14,607 105 6,410 21,582 

Washburn 225 2 0 6,916 1,304 5,114 13,561 

Weston 198 27 172 12,144 407 8,641 21,589 

Withee 318 37 0 20,406 906 523 22,190 

Worden 165 52 3 15,418 508 6,261 22,407 

York 263 4 6 18,362 36 4,006 22,677 

TOTAL 8,637 889 1,914 415,547 19,605 157,862 604,457 

Villages 

Curtiss 0 9 0 115 0 0 124 

Dorchester 9 10 19 309 0 0 347 

Granton 0 6 0 145 0 0 151 

Unity 0 0 0 112 0 0 112 

Withee 21 4 0 165 0 0 190 

TOTAL 30 29 19 846 0 0 924 

Cities 

Abbotsford 0 0 23 74 0 0 97 

Colby 0 0 0 66 0 0 66 

Greenwood 23 2 49 645 0 0 719 

Loyal 26 71 21 322 0 0 440 

Neillsville 13 11 73 419 0 0 516 

Owen 59 23 10 260 7 18 377 

Stanley n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Thorp n/a n/a 31 47 0 0 78 

TOTAL 121 107 207 1,833 7 18 2,293 

COUNTY TOTAL 8,788 1,025 2,140 418,226 19,612 157,880 607,674 

Source: WI DOR * Based on assessment records 


Table 7.12 

Land Use Acreage by Municipality • 1997* 

Clark County 

Town 

Residential 

Commercial 

Manufacturing 

Agricultural 

Undeveloped 

Forest 

Other 

Total 

Beaver 240 4 0 17,679 255 4,265 225 22,668 

Butler 61 1 0 1,768 225 4,858 37 6,950 

Colby 344 129 0 16,987 582 2,706 238 20,986 

Dewhurst 473 14 195 709 71 5,806 1 7,269 

Eaton 271 15 80 14,012 153 5,341 194 20,066 

Foster 155 6 0 575 100 1,443 10 2,289 

Fremont 511 95 4 15,952 984 4,629 246 22,421 

Grant 327 43 36 16,403 209 4,708 302 22,028 

Green Grove 242 45 0 16,154 629 4,418 223 21,711 

Hendren 254 5 9 11,558 817 7,409 205 20,257 

Hewett 382 34 0 1,384 229 3,580 14 5,623 

Hixon 482 20 37 13,850 701 4,416 208 19,714 

Hoard 342 2 0 12,803 311 6,550 166 20,174 

Levis 312 17 194 5,144 1,802 7,689 89 15,247 

Longwood 293 28 0 15,537 485 5,153 201 21,697 

Loyal 219 71 0 18,875 264 2,425 228 22,082 

Lynn 333 4 88 10,516 824 7,507 230 19,502 

Mayville 387 49 1 1,783 534 1,783 288 20,697 

Mead 85 9 0 5,824 122 6,219 110 12,369 

Mentor 434 34 1 6,015 603 5,397 75 12,559 

Pine Valley 761 68 38 9,763 670 8,499 173 19,972 

Reseburg 316 90 3 18,588 265 3,254 287 22,803 

Seif 130 1 40 3,934 51 5,125 60 9,341 

Sherman 319 18 0 17,219 990 3,668 196 22,410 

Sherwood 254 3 0 2,827 1,083 7,140 52 11,359 

Thorp 237 34 79 17,107 1,384 2,891 278 22,010 

Unity 324 24 2 16,715 1,473 3,142 193 21,873 

Warner 248 25 338 14,408 106 5,985 n/a 21,110 

Washburn 257 2 0 6,912 1,211 4,882 85 13,349 

Weston 298 27 39 11,805 229 7,944 192 20,534 

Withee 279 33 0 17,871 1,147 2,475 374 22,179 

Worden 218 48 5 15,227 500 5,702 196 21,896 

York 290 0 6 18,190 51 3,824 354 22,715 

TOTAL 10,078 998 1,195 389,966 19,060 160,833 5,730 587,860 

Villages 

Curtiss 0 8 4 203 0 9 4 228 

Dorchester 31 22 119 274 0 4 4 454 

Granton 54 1 0 91 0 0 0 146 

Unity 1 1 2 70 0 0 2 76 

Withee 31 7 8 188 0 0 0 234 

TOTAL 117 39 133 826 0 13 10 1,138 

Cities 

Abbotsford 29 18 26 117 0 18 0 208 

Colby 24 1 7 36 0 0 0 68 

Greenwood 66 33 114 679 0 43 5 940 

Loyal 62 28 35 284 0 0 4 413 

Neillsville 42 53 66 352 0 0 3 516 

Owen 66 25 84 262 0 0 2 439 

Stanley n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Thorp 1 54 54 47 0 0 0 156 

TOTAL 290 212 386 1777 0 61 14 2,740 

COUNTY TOTAL 10,485 1,249 1,714 392,569 19,060 160,907 5,754 591,738 

Source: WI DOR * Based on assessment records 


Table 7.13 

Land Use Acreage by Municipality • 2007 

Clark County 

Town 

Residential 

Commercial 

Manufacturing 

Agricultural 

Undeveloped 

Forest + 

Other 

Total 

Beaver 375 7 0 17,776 818 3,537 219 22,732 

Butler 85 1 0 2,230 403 2,996 30 5,745 

Colby 350 34 0 16,209 1,195 2,787 331 20,906 

Dewhurst 610 20 191 425 257 4,476 0 5,979 

Eaton 321 14 86 14,542 683 3,379 175 19,200 

Foster 202 8 0 423 243 1,170 8 2,054 

Fremont 728 23 4 14,695 2,761 3,323 225 21,759 

Grant 706 62 0 14,370 1,660 4,417 264 21,479 

Green Grove 308 54 0 15,685 1,493 3,766 187 21,493 

Hendren 360 8 9 9,093 3,837 4,743 200 18,250 

Hewett 487 35 1 889 600 3,279 32 5,323 

Hixon 464 71 12 13,105 1,319 4,273 180 19,424 

Hoard 326 2 0 12,258 1,714 5,287 194 19,781 

Levis 418 29 230 4,646 2,555 6,193 74 14,145 

Longwood 375 33 0 14,234 1,553 5,093 178 21,466 

Loyal 309 45 0 18,459 1,171 1,614 232 21,830 

Lynn 372 12 88 8,444 3,597 5,371 202 18,086 

Mayville 644 22 0 16,593 1,059 1,844 408 20,570 

Mead 380 7 0 5,003 1,460 4,011 103 10,964 

Mentor 521 9 1 5,951 1,045 4,015 109 11,651 

Pine Valley 1,320 74 40 8,769 2,172 6,982 91 19,448 

Reseburg 315 115 3 18,088 955 2,976 224 22,676 

Seif 130 1 42 3,231 1,399 3,342 77 8,222 

Sherman 520 13 0 16,684 1,206 3,142 174 21,739 

Sherwood 395 3 0 2,310 1,909 5,804 58 10,479 

Thorp 361 47 128 14,580 3,388 2,982 222 21,708 

Unity 449 25 2 13,150 4,817 2,715 289 21,447 

Warner 364 9 349 14,432 616 3,700 178 19,648 

Washburn 364 1 0 4,479 3,454 3,929 71 12,298 

Weston 425 27 39 13,183 662 5,893 169 20,398 

Withee 549 54 0 16,344 2,554 2,095 302 21,898 

Worden 373 14 3 13,424 2,337 4,859 148 21,158 

York 318 4 0 17,859 1,904 2,371 353 22,809 

TOTAL 14,224 883 1228 361,563 56,796 126,364 5,707 566,765 

Villages 

Curtiss 8 71 4 135 18 3 0 239 

Dorchester 37 39 141 205 20 0 2 444 

Granton 119 2 0 27 1 0 0 149 

Unity 3 10 2 90 0 0 2 107 

Withee 46 22 12 90 84 40 0 294 

TOTAL 213 144 159 547 123 43 4 1,233 

Cities 

Abbotsford 232 75 28 94 23 19 0 471 

Colby 50 1 7 0 0 0 0 58 

Greenwood 72 88 114 419 163 127 5 988 

Loyal 62 47 36 227 18 0 4 394 

Neillsville 126 229 50 76 1 186 0 668 

Owen 69 37 73 67 100 0 0 346 

Stanley 1 32 0 0 8 0 0 41 

Thorp 4 35 25 134 64 16 0 278 

TOTAL 616 544 333 1,017 377 348 9 3,244 

COUNTY TOTAL 15,053 1571 1,720 363,127 57,296 126,755 5,720 571,242 

Source: WI DOR * Based on assessment records. + Includes Forest and Ag Forest 


Table 7.14 

Agricultural Land Sales • 1998 - 2007 

Clark County 

Agricultural land continuing in Agricultural land being diverted Total of all agricultural land 

Year 

agricultural use 

to other uses 

2007 Number of Acres Sold Dollars per Number of Acres Sold Dollars per Number of Acres Sold Dollars per 

transactions 

acre transactions 


acre 

All 85 6,511 2,285 7 238 4,019 92 6,749 2,346 

Without 37 2,371 1,700 2 69 1,779 39 2,440 1,702 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 82 5,778 2,201 7 278 4,174 89 6,056 2,292 

Without 32 1,586 1,608 3 195 1,847 35 1,781 1,634 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 66 5,803 1,927 12 394 2,367 78 6,197 1,955 

Without 20 1,242 1,329 5 131 1,445 25 1,373 1,340 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 88 6,589 1,746 24 909 2,106 112 7,498 1,790 

Without 39 1,943 1,184 12 323 2,025 51 2,266 1,304 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 90 7,376 1,361 22 661 1,618 112 8,037 1,382 

Without 44 2,478 976 17 445 1,280 61 2,923 1,022 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 93 8,042 1,501 14 478 1,368 107 8,520 1,493 

Without 38 1,997 1,054 8 247 1,011 46 2,244 1,049 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 101 8,001 1,405 13 479 1,105 114 8,420 1,388 

Without 39 1,954 893 8 190 973 47 2,144 901 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 119 9,664 1,212 21 735 1,585 140 10,399 1,238 

Without 42 1,964 854 12 275 939 54 2,239 864 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 112 8,234 1,061 15 526 1,054 127 8,760 1,061 

Without 45 2,295 651 9 191 838 54 2,486 665 

Buildings 


transactions 



acre 

All 142 12,868 888 20 949 775 162 13,817 880 

Without 59 3,184 546 15 565 537 74 3,749 545 

Buildings 

Source: USDA 


Table 7.15 

Forested Land Sales • 1998, 2001, 2005, and 2007 

Clark County 

Forested land continuing in forest 

Forested land being diverted to Total of all forested land 

land 

other uses 

Number of Acres Sold Dollars per Number of Acres Sold Dollars per Number of Acres Sold Dollars per 

Year transactions 



acre 

2007 39 1,275 1,876 3 99 1,854 42 1,374 1,874 

2005 27 984 1,580 9 365 1,677 36 1,349 1,606 

2001 80 2,341 1,157 13 311 1,210 93 2,652 1,163 

1998 94 2,545 688 20 674 652 114 3,219 681 

Source: USDA 

Table 7.16 

Land Assessed Value per Acre by Town (dollars) • 2007* 

Clark County 

Town 

Residential 

Commercial 

Manufacturing 

Agricultural 

Undeveloped 

Ag Forest 

Forest 

Beaver 2,143 2,229 0 158 148 751 1,504 

Butler 2,318 1,000 0 150 265 778 1,559 

Colby 3,252 3,003 4,900 151 315 697 1,242 

Dewhurst 34,734 10,580 756 129 180 485 1,162 

Eaton 1,830 2,193 721 151 144 555 1,071 

Foster 8,443 4,275 0 114 191 465 960 

Fremont 4,380 9,657 2,975 168 413 875 1,629 

Grant 1,810 2,427 0 140 262 540 1,073 

Green Grove 2,371 1,667 0 153 189 559 1,129 

Hendren 2,414 7,688 1,089 134 409 490 1,001 

Hewett 3,515 1,629 3,900 137 409 770 1,557 

Hixon 4,427 3,463 1,683 131 150 598 1,200 

Hoard 2,173 2,250 0 153 252 456 935 

Levis 2,630 2,034 972 118 223 658 1,318 

Longwood 1,913 1,855 0 177 322 743 1,533 

Loyal 2,162 2,031 0 140 138 466 978 

Lynn 2,718 2,458 240 188 492 759 1,639 

Mayville 2,756 2,700 7,600 177 535 698 1,110 

Mead 19,948 1,714 0 116 446 582 1,175 

Mentor 4,775 5,144 4,300 154 156 763 1,525 

Pine Valley 4,736 3,414 1,013 135 287 683 1,358 

Reseburg 1,941 1,681 4,533 137 197 651 1,300 

Seif 2,428 2,000 8,860 141 284 687 1,372 

Sherman 2,639 2,100 0 154 173 650 1,122 

Sherwood 1,648 1,167 0 131 250 687 1,371 

Thorp 3,145 2,636 1,520 146 230 637 1,142 

Unity 2,452 3,328 4,850 163 245 532 1,053 

Warner 1,927 2,467 1,274 138 242 749 1,465 

Washburn 1,868 2,500 0 120 262 597 1,227 

Weston 2,667 3,274 1,190 150 203 703 1,481 

Withee 3,009 2,087 0 158 238 800 1,589 

Worden 3,186 2,557 7,400 165 293 751 1,507 

York 1,599 975 0 147 201 600 1,158 

Average for all Towns 4,362 3,027 3,750 146 265 649 1,286 

Source: WI DOR * Based on assessment records. 


Table 7.17 

Land Assessed Value per Acre by Village or City (dollars) • 2007* 

Clark County 

Village or 

City 

Residential 

Commercial 

Manufacturing 

Villages 

Curtiss +2,844 8,093 6,475 217 233 0 900 

Dorchester +5,421 +11,522 3,409 163 305 0 0 

Granton 7,233 +3,726 0 185 100 0 0 

Unity +7,710 5,380 8,250 160 0 0 0 

Withee +6,168 +11,870 4,975 133 470 0 1,290 

Average for all Villages 5,875 8,118 5,777 172 277 0 1,095 

Cities 

Abbotsford 34,001 29,933 6,836 165 943 0 2,084 

Colby +8,820 +8,209 15,957 0 0 0 0 

Greenwood 43,640 7,024 1,261 161 112 0 456 

Loyal 53,116 24,927 2,722 111 261 0 0 

Neillsville +9,909 18,878 3,680 145 30,000 0 2,360 

Owen 37,454 16,405 2,745 207 387 0 0 

Stanley 10,600 903 0 0 863 0 0 

Thorp +8,025 +18,465 8,160 177 584 1,813 0 

Average for all Cities 25,696 15,593 5,909 161 4,736 1,813 1,633 

Source: WI DOR * Based on assessment records. + per parcel, acreage incomplete 

Agricultural 

Undeveloped 

Ag Forest 

Forest 


Municipality Land Use Maps 

The final component of the land-use element includes a series of maps that show current 

land uses, productive agricultural soils, natural limitations for building site development, 

floodplains, and wetlands. Resource and development limitations maps are described in 

the Agricultural, Natural and Cultural Resources section and previously within this 

section. The city, village, and town maps themselves are found in Adobe Acrobat .pdf 

format in the Clark County Resource and Land Use Atlas DVD-ROM. 

Limitations to Development Maps 

The existence of some natural features in the physical environment, such as water, 

topography, and soil conditions, can act as constraints on development. Understanding 

the physical characteristics of the County can help identify areas that are more conducive 

to development activities and areas that may be better suited for non-developed land uses, 

such as agriculture and natural resource management. The Clark County Resource and 

Land Use Atlas DVD-ROM contains maps of the resources, development limitations, and 

other environmentally sensitive lands within each community. County level maps are in 

Appendix A (Maps 7.1-7.5) and in the Atlas DVD-ROM. 

In a number of instances, some of these development limitations may be overcome by 

more extensive and costly development methods; however, development should be 

encouraged in areas in which it can be best accommodated and have the least impact on 

environmentally sensitive and valued resource areas. 

Existing Land Use Maps 

The existing land-use maps are derived from a windshield survey done in 1998 and plat 

maps. The Clark County Resource and Land Use Atlas DVD-ROM contains the existing 

land use maps which depict the general land uses in each community by approximate 

location in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format for each local jurisdiction in Clark County.

clark county - West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

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