Oconomowoc Lake is a village in

Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its median income of $88,985 placed ...

, United States. The population was 566 at the 2020 census. Located just outside the City of Oconomowoc, the village includes the residential area encircling Oconomowoc Lake. The area became known as a summer retreat for wealthy residents of

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

at the turn of the 20th century and has remained one of the wealthiest municipalities in Wisconsin.

History

Development of the Oconomowoc lakeshore began in 1858 with the newly arrived Gifford family, who built a large summer home near the present-day site of the Oconomowoc Lake Club. Train service to Oconomowoc was initiated in the same year, allowing wealthy families from Chicago and Milwaukee to tour "Lake Country" on weekends. In 1878, the Giffords converted their property into the Gifford Hotel, a luxury summer retreat for Milwaukee's elite. When the hotel closed in 1910, it had lured many well-heeled families to build their own summer homes along the lakefront. By 1910, prominent homeowners along the lakefront included

Philip Armour Philip Danforth Armour Sr. (16 May 1832 – 6 January 1901) was an American meat packing industry, meatpacking industrialist who founded the Chicago-based firm of Armour & Company. Born on a farm in upstate New York, he initially gained financi ...

of Chicago's meatpacking conglomerate,

Frederick Pabst Johann Gottlieb Friedrich "Frederick" Pabst (March 28, 1836 – January 1, 1904) was a German-American ship's captain and brewer and the namesake of the Pabst Brewing Company. Pabst was born in Prussia and emigrated to the United States with his p ...

of the Pabst brewing family, and

Frederick Miller Frederick John Miller (November 24, 1824 – May 11, 1888) was a German-American brewery owner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He founded the Miller Brewing Company at the Plank Road Brewery, purchased in 1855. He learned the brewing business in Germa ...

of the

Miller Brewing Company The Miller Brewing Company is an American brewery and beer company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller. Molson Coors acquired the full global brand portfolio of Miller Brewing Company in 2016, and operates the ...

. In 1934, the "Unofficial Village of Oconomowoc Lake" was created. The incorporation process started in 1952. The area was initially a part of the towns of

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

and Oconomowoc. The incorporation process was made final after going through a number of courts and a resident vote was held. 234 votes were taken with 192 voting in favor of incorporation.

Geography

Oconomowoc Lake is located at (43.089780, −88.460587). 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 village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

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 2010, there were 595 people, 232 households, and 177 families residing in the village. 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 . There were 302 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.3%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.7% from other races, and 0.3% 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 1.8% of the population. There were 232 households, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the village was 50.7 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.3% were from 25 to 44; 37.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 564 people, 208 households, and 178 families residing in the village. The

was 298.4 people per square mile (115.2/km²). There were 246 housing units at an average density of 130.2 per square mile (50.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.23%

, 0.89% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population. There were 208 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.7% were

living together, 1.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.4% were non-families. 10.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 2.93. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 37.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $112,760, and the median income for a family was $126,406. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $51,875 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 village was $81,593. About 3.3% of families and 3.2% 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 5.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Oconomowoc Lake is an overwhelmingly Republican jurisdiction. All GOP candidates for president and governor since the incorporation of the village have carried Oconomowoc Lake with over 70% of the vote. The highest total being the 92.37% won by Philip Kuehn in 1962. The best result for a Democratic candidate for president or governor is the 25.06% won by

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

in 2020.

Education

It is in the

Oconomowoc Area School District Oconomowoc Area School District is a school district headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. , the district has 5,300 students. History The current () district superintendent is Kristen Taylor, superseding Roger Rindo, who served from July 2013 ...

Oconomowoc High School Oconomowoc High School is a public high school located in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Oconomowoc Area School District. As of the 2021–22 school year, it had 1,686 students. History The old Oconomowoc High School w ...

is the area high school.

References

External links

The Village of Oconomowoc Lake website
{{authority control Villages in Wisconsin Villages in Waukesha County, Wisconsin