Brice Prairie is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in

La Crosse County La Crosse County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the county's population was 120,784. Its county seat is the city of La Crosse. La Crosse County is included in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropol ...

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 1,887 at the 2010 census. Brice Prairie is located in the Town of Onalaska.

History

Brice Prairie is named after pioneer farmers Alexander and Lucy Brice, who settled there in 1855. Alexander was a United States veteran of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

Geography

Brice Prairie is located on the east bank of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

waterway system. It is northwest of the center of the city of Onalaska and north of

La Crosse La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 20 ...

, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. Brice Prairie borders the Mississippi's

Lake Onalaska Lake Onalaska is a reservoir located on the Black River and Mississippi River between Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It is approximately across, and is the widest point on the Mississippi River. Located in La Crosse County in the state of Wisconsin ...

to the southwest and the Black River to the northwest. Halfway Creek empties into Lake Onalaska at the southeastern corner of Brice Prairie. The

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a , See also * Izaak Walton League * List of National Wildlife Refuges *Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge ...

, La Crosse District, borders the CDP to the west and north, and in part to the southeast. Historically, the area has been divided into Lower Brice Prairie and Upper Brice Prairie. 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 CDP has a total area of , all of it land.

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 1,804 people, 654 households, and 516 families residing in the CDP. 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 398.0 people per square mile (153.8/km²). There were 691 housing units at an average density of 152.4/sq mi (58.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.29%

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 ...

, 0.28%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.50% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population were

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. There were 654 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% 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, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.08. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $49,303, and the median income for a family was $49,952. Males had a median income of $31,766 versus $23,472 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 CDP was $19,295. 3.8% of the population and 2.7% of families 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 ...

. Out of the total population, 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

Brice Prairie holds an outdoor music festival the fourth Saturday in August. "Rockin' the Prairie" is held at the Brice Prairie 1st Responder building. Proceeds benefit Brice Prairie EMS and Rescue.

Parks and recreation

The Upper Brice Prairie Landing and Mosey Landing offer access to Lake Onalaska and the Mississippi River. Lytles Landing is a canoe landing offering access to the Black River. The Great River State Bike Trail runs along Brice Prairie, and the Midway Railroad Prairie State Natural Area encompasses the eastern entrance to the prairie. Neighborhood parks are in residential areas, including Swarthout Park.

Infrastructure

Brice Prairie is served by Brice Prairie EMS and Rescue and the Holmen Fire Department. Law enforcement coverage is provided by the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, with mutual aid provided by the Onalaska Police Department and Holmen Police Department.

Notes

External links

Brice Prairie Conservation Association

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, La Crosse District
{{authority control Census-designated places in La Crosse County, Wisconsin Census-designated places in Wisconsin