1. Redistricting in Wisconsin
Presentation to the
Wisconsin Land Information Association Conference
February 16, 2012
Sarah Kemp, Researcher
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Phone: 608-256-6781
Email: kemp@wisc.edu

2. Redistricting in Wisconsin
• Summary of the State Population
• Review of Redistricting History
• Research Question
• Data and Methodology
• Results
• Future Research

3. Total Population for the State of Wisconsin
by Race/Ethnicity
2000 2010 2000 to 2010 Change
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total Population 5,363,675 100.0% 5,686,986 100.0% 323,311 6.0%
Race/Ethnicity
One race 5,296,780 98.8% 5,582,669 98.2% 285,889 5.4%
Non-Hispanic White 4,769,857 88.9% 4,902,067 86.2% 132,210 2.8%
African American 304,460 5.7% 359,148 6.3% 54,688 18.0%
American Indian 47,228 0.9% 54,526 1.0% 7,298 15.5%
Asian 88,763 1.7% 129,234 2.3% 40,471 45.6%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 192,921 3.6% 336,056 5.9% 143,135 74.2%
 The percentage of non-Hispanic white decreased while the percentage of
all other race/ethnic groups increased from 2000 to 2010.
 All race/ethnic population groups increased from 2000 to 2010.
 Non-Hispanic white population increased the least (3%) while Hispanic
population increased the most (74%).

6. Redistricting
Redistricting prior to 2011
State Statutes (1980s) - Reflect a good faith effort to apportion the
legislature giving due consideration to the maintenance of the integrity of
political subdivisions and of communities of interest. [4.001(3)]
Assembly and Senate districts were determined by the courts and not the
legislature in the 1990s and 2000s.
Summer of 2011
Act 39 (August 8, 2011) Local Redistricting - Wards and Supervisory Districts
Act 43 (August 23, 2011) Redistricting of Senate and Assembly Districts

7. Redistricting
Act 39 Section 5.15 (1) (a) 2. indicates that wards are to be
created in such a way that aldermanic and supervisory
districts can be created allowing enhanced participation by
members of racial or language minority groups.
Act 43 created the 2011 assembly and senate districts and
repealed the language regarding communities of interest.
2001 Blocks Wards Legislative Districts
2011 Blocks Legislative Districts Wards

8. Research Question
How does the concentration of racially and ethnically
distinct groups within Wisconsin’s legislative districts
compare between 2001 and 2011?
Data
• Census Block data, 2000 and 2010
• Assembly District data, 2002 and 2011
Methodology
• ArcGIS

9. Percent Population (over 18 years old)
by Race/Ethnicity
Majority Race/Ethnicity, 2000
Non-Hispanic African Native
White American Hispanic Asian American
Non-Hispanic White 94.0% 18.2% 26.2% 27.2% 14.9%
African American 1.6% 73.7% 7.5% 9.6% 0.1%
Hispanic 2.1% 4.5% 61.1% 6.5% 1.7%
Asian 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 54.1% 0.0%
Native American 0.7% 0.6% 1.7% 0.9% 82.9%
Total 99.8% 99.0% 99.1% 98.3% 99.6%
Majority Race/Ethnicity, 2010
Non-Hispanic African Native
White American Hispanic Asian American
Non-Hispanic White 91.5% 15.6% 23.0% 24.1% 13.4%
African American 2.1% 75.0% 9.2% 11.6% 0.3%
Hispanic 3.3% 5.1% 63.7% 5.3% 2.4%
Asian 2.0% 2.8% 2.3% 57.3% 0.1%
Native American 0.8% 0.6% 1.4% 0.8% 83.4%
Total 99.8% 99.1% 99.6% 99.0% 99.7%

10. Majority Race/Ethnicity, 2000
By Census Block
100.0%
Non-Hispanic White
90.0%
African American
80.0%
Hispanic
70.0% Asian
Native American
60.0%
Percent Population
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Non-Hispanic White African American Hispanic Asian Native American
Race/Ethnicity Majority Population

11. Majority Race/Ethnicity, 2010
By Census Block
100.0%
Non-Hispanic White
90.0%
African American
80.0%
Hispanic
70.0% Asian
Native American
60.0%
Percent Population
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Non-Hispanic White African American Hispanic Asian Native American
Race/Ethnicity Majority Population

12. 2000 Minority Population (over 18) by Census Block

13. 2010 Minority Population (over 18) by Census Block

14. Results
Majority Minority Population by Assembly District, 2000
African Native
American Hispanic Asian American
Non-Hispanic White 18.3% 26.5% 28.6% 14.9%
African American 74.4% 7.6% 10.1% 0.1%
Hispanic 4.6% 61.6% 3.3% 1.7%
Asian 2.1% 2.6% 57.0% 0.0%
Native American 0.6% 1.7% 0.9% 83.3%
District Count 64 77 79 47
Majority Minority Populaton by Assembly District, 2010
African Native
American Hispanic Asian American
Non-Hispanic White 15.7% 23.1% 24.3% 13.5%
African American 75.7% 9.2% 11.7% 0.3%
Hispanic 5.1% 64.0% 5.3% 2.4%
Asian 2.8% 2.3% 57.8% 0.1%
Native American 0.6% 1.4% 0.8% 98.5%
District Count 93 94 92 74

15. Results
Top 5 Assembly Districts with Greatest Population Totals
African American Hispanic Asian Native American
2000 2010 2000 2010 2000 2010 2000 2010
10 10 8 8 77 77 36 36
16 16 9 9 18 11 74 74
17 18 61 66 78 18 5 87
11 17 64 47 85 16 34 5
18 11 88 65 81 98 92 6

16. Findings
• Percent minority population increased while percent non-Hispanic
white population decreased from 2000 to 2010.
• Persons of color appear to be more dispersed throughout the
State of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2010.
• Percent population (over 18) of majority minority population has
increased for African American, Hispanic and native American
populations within assembly districts.
• Asian American percent population (over 18) remained the same
within assembly districts.

17. Future Research
• Evaluate population in assembly districts with a
higher concentration of minority populations.
• Compare 2000 & 2010 minority population by local
wards.
• Compare 2010 population by 2001 assembly districts
to 2000 population by 2001 assembly districts.

18. THANK YOU !
Sarah Kemp
Applied Population Laboratory
University of Wisconsin-Madison
608-256-6781
kemp@wisc.edu