Balsam Lake is a village in, and the county seat of Polk 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 ...

, United States. The population was 1,009 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Balsam Lake.

History

The area in and around Balsam Lake was originally inhabited by a large band of Chippewa Indians. They referred to the area as "Innenehinduc," which means "place of the evergreen." This may have been due to the large amount of Canadian Yew, an evergreen shrub, which grew in abundance there. The town was organized on January 8, 1870, and was named after the lake that lay within its borders. The first businesses included a blacksmith shop, a bank, a creamery, two sawmills, a hardware store, and a general store. Governmental buildings included a courthouse and a log schoolhouse. Today, Balsam Lake is the home of the Polk County Government Center. The town celebrates its history, and the history of the United States, with its annual Freedom Festival, which takes place on the Thursday through Sunday surrounding the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

Geography

Balsam Lake is located at (45.45805, -92.454872). 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. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water.

Wisconsin Highway 46 State Trunk Highway 46 (often called Highway 46, STH-46 or WIS 46) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in north–south in west-central Wisconsin from Cylon to Milltown. Other towns connected to Highway 46 are Bals ...

and Polk County Road I are main routes in the community. U.S. Highway 8 and

Wisconsin Highway 65 State Trunk Highway 65 (often called Highway 65, STH-65 or WIS 65) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs north–south in west central Wisconsin from St. Croix Falls to Ellsworth. Route description WIS 65 beg ...

are nearby.

Demographics

2010 census

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,009 people, 434 households, and 257 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 732 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.2%

White White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.9%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

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 were 0.7% of the population. There were 434 households, of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% 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 ...

living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.8% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.66. The median age in the village was 45 years. 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.7% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 21.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 950 people, 428 households, and 264 families living in the village. The

was 469.1 people per square mile (180.7/km²). There were 673 housing units at an average density of 332.3 per square mile (128.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.00%

, 2.95% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.21%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 428 households, out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were

living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.62. In the village, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $34,276, and the median income for a family was $42,708. Males had a median income of $31,397 versus $24,028 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 village was $19,576. About 4.8% of families and 7.7% 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 7.0% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

* Unity School District

Historic Sites

* Polk County Courthouse

References

External links

Balsam Lake Wisconsin - Official Website

Balsam Lake Homeowners Association
{{authority control Villages in Polk County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin