Blanchard is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Lafayette County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States. The population was 300 at the 2020 census. The town was founded in the 1840s by a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints led by

James Jesse Strang James Jesse Strang (March 21, 1813 – July 9, 1856) was an American religious leader, politician and self-proclaimed monarch. He served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1853 until his assassination. In 1844, he said he ...

. It was named for Alvin Blanchard, who jointly owned the site along with Cyrus Newkirk.

Geography

Blanchard occupies the northeast corner of Lafayette County. It is bordered to the north by Iowa County and to the east by Green County. The village of Blanchardville is in the northeast part of the town. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which , or 0.12%, are water. The

East Branch Pecatonica River The East Branch Pecatonica River is a tributary of the Pecatonica River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 in southwest Wisconsin in the ...

flows southward through the east side of the town.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 261 people, 96 households, and 74 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 14.9 people per square mile (5.8/km²). There were 103 housing units at an average density of 5.9 per square mile (2.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.38% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 96 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% 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 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $48,068, and the median income for a family was $48,295. Males had a median income of $28,472 versus $22,344 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,160. About 2.5% of families and 3.1% 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 none of those under the age of eighteen and 10.3% of those 65 or over.

Notable people

* Melvin Olson, farmer, businessman, and legislator'Wisconsin Blue Book 1954,' Biographical Sketch of Melvin Olson, pg. 28

References

{{authority control Towns in Lafayette County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin es:Bloom (Wisconsin)