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Summary of Women's Representation on Wisconsin County Boards
While women's participation on county boards continues to rise gradually, leadership roles remain disproportionately held by men. Women make up one-quarter of all county board members, and hold a small fraction of Chair positions and remain underrepresented in most leadership roles.
Overall Representation (2005–2025)
The first chart shows a steady, gradual increase in the percentage of women serving on Wisconsin county boards over the past two decades.
- In 2005, women held about 19% of county board seats.
- Representation dipped slightly in 2010, but then steadily increased.
- By 2017, women held 20% of seats, rising to 21% in 2019.
- The most notable gains appear in the past few years:
- 24% in 2021
- 25% in 2025, the highest level to date.
- Overall, women's representation has grown by roughly six percentage points since 2005.
2025 County Board Leadership Roles
The second chart highlights gender representation in leadership positions—Chair, Vice Chair, and 2nd/3rd Vice Chair in 2025.
- There are only 3 county women Chairs in Wisconsin (about 4%).
- Women hold 13 of 72 Vice Chair positions (18%).
- In the 2nd and 3rd Vice Chair category, women hold 11 of 37 positions, or roughly 30%.
Counties with the Highest Percentage of Women Serving on County Boards
This chart highlights Wisconsin counties where women comprise more than 40% of county board supervisors, showing the number of women and men serving alongside the share of seats held by women. While women remain underrepresented statewide, these counties: Menominee, Milwaukee, Rock, Barron, Green, and Taylor, demonstrate that higher levels of gender balance in local governance are achievable, with women exceeding parity in Menominee and Milwaukee Counties.