Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 645 square miles, of which 638 square miles is land and 7.1 square miles is water.
The landscape is primarily rural, farms, forests, and some wetlands, except for residential and commercial development along the Fox River as it flows from Lake Winnebago northward into Green Bay. The top crops grown in Outagamie County, by acreage, are corn, soybeans, and wheat. See the table below.
The county is home to five cities (Appleton, Kaukauna, New London, and Seymour), 19 towns, and 12 villages. See the table below.
The county’s most distinct geographical feature is the Lower Fox River (the section of the river that is north of Lake Winnebago and ends in Green Bay), in the south-eastern corner of the county running through the cities of Appleton and Kaukauna. From end to end (not all of it in Outagamie County), the river has 17 locks and 12 dams that were built in the mid-1800’s to aid navigation or produce power. The 16 of the locks have been renovated and 15 are still hand-operated on weekends during the summer, making the Fox Locks the nation’s only hand-operated lock system. The Fox River’s importance for the history of Outagamie County was mentioned above, and its economic importance is stressed later in this section.
In addition to the Fox River, the county is home to the Wolf River (which runs through the city of New London and the Village of Shiocton), the Shioc River (which merges with the Wolf River in Shiocton), and the Embarrass River (which runs through the city of New London and merges with the Wolf River there).
Population
As of the 2020 Census, the population of Outagamie County was 190,705. The county’s population is growing faster than the state and nation. According to USA Facts (citing Census Bureau data), “the population of Outagamie County in 2021 was 191,545, 8.3% up from the 176,843 who lived there in 2010. For comparison, the U.S. population grew 7.3% and Wisconsin’s population grew 3.6% during that period.”
Ethnic groups settling here include Dutch, German, Polish, Irish and more recently Hmong, Laotian, Asian, and Hispanic. The racial makeup of the county in 2020 was 86.0% White, 3.5% Asian, 1.6% Native American, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 4.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to Data USA, the median age of Outagamie County residents in 2020 was 38.4.
Economy
The economy of Outagamie County, once heavily reliant on agriculture and the paper industry, has diversified to include a wide range of manufacturing, trade, and service industries. According to the Outagamie County government’s website,
The water power of the Fox River provided the beginnings of what would become, and still remains, a world renowned paper industry. The river provided the needed power for the first mills in the area, which were flour and woolen mills. These mills were later converted to paper production and the early giants of the paper industry, Kimberly-Clark, Appleton Papers, Wisconsin Tissue, now part of Georgia-Pacific, and Menasha Corporation, have earned this area its nickname, the Paper Valley.
While the paper industry dominates the strong local manufacturing sector, companies engaged in plastics, printing and graphics arts, machinery, metals, electronics and food processing contribute heavily to the diversified manufacturing economy. Dairy, farming and related enterprises anchor a strong agribusiness economy in the Outagamie County area. Due to the highly educated work force, trade and service industries flourish as well. Six insurance companies as well as a prospering network of financial and health institutions call the region home.
Retail development and sales continue to soar as a result of the vibrant economy and fast growth of the region. Downtown redevelopments in many communities have provided thriving downtown districts. Further, Outagamie County is home to the Fox River Mall, the second largest shopping mall in the state.
According to Data USA, the county’s median household income was $68,441, higher than the national average of $64,994. The county had a poverty rate of 7.12%, significantly lower than the national rate of 12.8%. The table below shows the distribution of household income in Outagamie County compared to the United States.
The median property value in Outagamie County was $176,900 in 2020; 71.3% of the housing units were owner-occupied and 61.5% of those homeowners had mortgages.
Also according to Data USA, the county’s workforce consists of 101,000 people. The largest employers are:
22,201Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Manufacturing
13,056Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Health Care & Social Assistance
11,036Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Retail Trade
The highest paying industries are Utilities ($82,266), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($56,502), and Manufacturing ($54,344).
