Ridgeway is a town in Iowa County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

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. The population was 563 at the 2020 census. The Village of Ridgeway is located within the town. The unincorporated community of

Hyde Hyde or Hydes may refer to: People *Hyde (surname) *Hyde (musician), Japanese musician from the bands L'Arc-en-Ciel and VAMPS American statutes *Hyde Amendment, an amendment that places well-defined limitations on Medicare spending on aborti ...

is also located in the town.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of 42.7 square miles (110.6 km²), of which, 42.7 square miles (110.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.07%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 581 people, 211 households, and 166 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 13.6 people per square mile (5.3/km²). There were 237 housing units at an average density of 5.6 per square mile (2.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.80%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.17%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.34% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 211 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $50,938, and the median income for a family was $54,500. Males had a median income of $35,455 versus $27,344 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $18,419. About 8.4% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

Ridgeway is also very well known for its ghost stories. From the 1840s to as late as the 1990s there have been many reportings of the "

Ridgeway Ghost The Ridgeway Ghost is a ghost of Wisconsin folklore. Legend According to legend, the Ridgeway Ghost is not only a ghost, but a “phantom that could change its appearance at will.” Anecdotes include people claiming to have seen the ghost of a ma ...

." The Ridgeway Phantom has even reportedly killed someone, which is rare for ghost stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society points to an article in ''The New York Times'', dated December 7, 1902. The stories number in the hundreds and include haunted houses, and even werewolf sightings.

References

External links

Town of Ridgeway, Wisconsin
{{authority control Towns in Iowa County, Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan statistical area Towns in Wisconsin