Somerset, Wisconsin

Somerset, Wisconsin
—  Village  —
Location of Somerset, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 45°8′30″N 92°42′9″W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	St. Croix
Area
• Total	2.75 sq mi (7.12 km2)
• Land	2.75 sq mi (7.12 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	961 ft (293 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	2,635
• Estimate (2011)	2,653
• Density	958.2/sq mi (370.0/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	715 & 534
FIPS code	55-74700
GNIS feature ID	1584175

Somerset is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, along the Apple River. The population was 2,635 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Somerset.

Government

Somerset's current Village President is Jeffrey Johnson.

Geography

Somerset is located at 45°7′30″N 92°40′30″W (45.125189, -92.6752).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.75 square miles (7.12 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,635 people, 990 households, and 654 families residing in the village. The population density was 958.2 inhabitants per square mile (370.0 /km²). There were 1,102 housing units at an average density of 400.7 per square mile (154.7 /km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.1% White, 1.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.

There were 990 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.

The median age in the village was 29.6 years. 32.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 36.3% were from 25 to 44; 17.4% were from 45 to 64; and 5.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,556 people, 635 households, and 391 families residing in the village. The population density was 844.1 people per square mile (326.5/km²). There were 659 housing units at an average density of 357.5 per square mile (138.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.85% White, 0.77% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 635 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the village the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $45,194, and the median income for a family was $47,426. Males had a median income of $36,827 versus $25,605 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,170. About 6.3% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 29.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

• Somerset High School is the local high school. Students in grades ninth through twelfth go here. Right now, the interim principle is Brad Nemec. Somerset Middle School is the local middle school. Students in grades fifth through eighth attend the middle school. The current principal is Sarah Eichten. Somerset Elementary School is the local elementary school, in which students starting in junior kindergarden up through fourth grade attend. The current principal is Darren Kern.

History

Somerset has a lengthy and colorful history. Before the turn of the century Somerset was bordered on the south by cranberry bogs. The terrain naturally lent itself to the production of cranberries as a result of the hilliness of the area, which is dotted with ponds, sloughs, swamps and bogs. These wet areas became of greater interest to the local population during Prohibition. These same low spots where water collected became ideal for collecting water for the production of moonshine (homemade alcoholic beverages). Indeed Somerset already had a history of being a rough logging town, and it was only a natural progression to become the supplier of bootlegged alcohol to the twin cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. After Prohibition ended, the citizens of Somerset returned to the more humble activities of logging and farming.

Tourism

Somerset has several campsites along the Apple River. Every summer they host a series of concerts including rock, rap, and country music. The campsites bring thousands of people to Somerset every summer, which brings business to the many bars in town.

Culture

• On the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode, Alien from LA, Tom mentions to Mike, that Mike grew up in Somerset.
• On an episode from Pinky and the Brain, they fly over a map of the U.S. with Somerset being the only highlighted city.
• During the 2002-2003 Season, Somerset High School's Football Team, led by longtime coach Bruce Larson, won the WIAA Division 5 State Championship, the first state title the school had ever won in football. Since then, the Somerset Football team has been to the state championship game four times, winning the WIAA Division 4 title over the Big Foot Chiefs, in 2012.
• The TV Show 'Wife Swap' featured the Schachtner family from Somerset, Wisconsin, switching with a family from Florida. (Schachtner/Martincak). The show aired in 2006, and is shown in re-runs.

Notable people

• Jenny Hansen, NCAA All-Round Gymnastic Champion
• Samuel Harriman, Union Army general
• Michael Schachtner, basketball player

External links

• Village of Somerset, Wisconsin
• Town of Somerset, Wisconsin