We analyzed research using Saturday Night Science from Virginia Commonwealth University that mapped Klaverns by city from 1915-1940. This report analyzes the locations of historic KKK organizations to see where they were the most prevalent in Wisconsin.
The city in Wisconsin with the most number of Klaverns was Ellsworth with 3 Klaverns. The city with the most number of Klaverns per capita was Goodman with 0.0037 Klaverns. There were historically 18 Klaverns in Wisconsin, across 12 places in Wisconsin with at least 1 Klavern during the period of reference.
Hate groups can be hard to measure because, typically, there’s no record of where they exist. But there is data on where there were distinct Klaverns of the Ku Klux Klan in each state. These cities have historically been the most racist in Wisconsin based on the number of KKK Klaverns.
This report does not speak to the current people who live there or the current state of the KKK in the same towns or areas.
1 Klaverns · #1 most historically racist in Wisconsin
3 Klaverns · #2 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1 Klaverns · #3 most historically racist in Wisconsin
1 Klaverns · #4 most historically racist in Wisconsin
1 Klaverns · #5 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Located in
Waupaca County, Wisconsin
New London is a city in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Founded in 1851, the population was 7,295 at the 2010 census. Of this, 5,685 were in Waupaca County, and 1,640 were in Outagamie County. The city has a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, Irish Fest, and week-long festivities, when the city’s name is changed to “New Dublin” for the week.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1 Klaverns · #6 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Located in
Marinette County, Wisconsin
Marinette is a city in and the county seat of Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the south bank of the Menominee River, at its mouth at Green Bay, part of Lake Michigan; to the north is Stephenson Island, part of the city preserved as park. During the lumbering boom of the late 19th century, Marinette became the tenth-largest city in Wisconsin in 1900, with its peak population of 16,195.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1 Klaverns · #7 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Located in
Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. The population was 12,368 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1 Klaverns · #8 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Located in
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2 Klaverns · #9 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Located in
Racine County, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is located 22 miles south of Milwaukee. As of the 2013 U.S. census, the city had a population of 78,199, making it the fifth-largest city in Wisconsin. Its median home price of $103,625 makes it one of the most affordable cities in Wisconsin to buy a home. In January 2017, it was rated “the most affordable place to live in the world” by the Demographia International Housing Affordability survey. Also in 2017, Racine was ranked the fourth worst city in America for black residents.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1 Klaverns · #10 most historically racist in Wisconsin
Located in
Kenosha County, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city in and the county seat of Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States. Kenosha is on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. With an estimated population of 99,889 as of July 1, 2013, it is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin and the fourth-largest city on Lake Michigan. The city is part of the United States Census Bureau’s Chicago Combined Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Wisconsin’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Wisconsin’s historic Klaverns were
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Measured The Most Historically Racist Places In The Badger State
While there are surveys and public polls on what places might be the most racist, we didn’t want to rely on speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from where KKK organizations have existed.
Specifically, we analyzed research out of Virginia Commonwealth University that mapped the Klans in each area and gave a history of their recruitment from 1915-1940.
- Number of historic KKK Klaverns (1915-1940) per current resident
Using Saturday Night Science, we analyzed the locations of historic KKK organizations per capita using current population data.
The full plate
Cities With Historically High KKK Membership In Wisconsin
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Klaverns | Klaverns /100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goodman | 267 | 1 | 375 |
| 2 | Ellsworth | 3,248 | 3 | 92 |
| 3 | Cornell | 1,401 | 1 | 71 |
| 4 | Clinton | 1,997 | 1 | 50 |
| 5 | New London | 7,091 | 1 | 14 |
| 6 | Marinette | 10,890 | 1 | 9 |
| 7 | Fort Atkinson | 12,436 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Chippewa Falls | 13,803 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Racine | 78,347 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Kenosha | 99,709 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Madison | 239,848 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | Milwaukee | 598,078 | 3 | 1 |
Source: VCU Mapping the Klan, 1915-1940; current population data. 12 cities with at least one Klavern.
Summary
There You Have It – The Most Historically Racist Cities In Wisconsin
When you’re looking at the places in Wisconsin with the highest number of historical KKK Klaverns per capita, this is an accurate list.
Below is a chart that lists all cities in Wisconsin with at least one KKK organization from 1915-1940.
The cities with the largest number of KKK Klaverns per capita were Goodman, Ellsworth, Cornell, Clinton, New London, Marinette, Fort Atkinson, Chippewa Falls, Racine, and Kenosha. Not sold on Wisconsin? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Historic KKK Presence In Wisconsin FAQs
What is the most historically racist city in Wisconsin?
Goodman had the most KKK Klaverns per capita of any Wisconsin city between 1915 and 1940, which puts it at the top of this historical ranking. The measure is historic Klan chapters, not anything about residents today.
Which Wisconsin city had the most Klaverns overall?
Ellsworth had the most Klaverns in Wisconsin outright, with 3. Our ranking uses Klaverns per capita instead, so smaller towns with heavy Klan presence rank ahead of big cities on raw counts.
How many Klaverns did Wisconsin have?
Wisconsin had 18 documented Klaverns across 12 cities during the 1915-1940 period. Those are the cities that appear in this ranking.
Does this mean Goodman is racist today?
No. This ranking maps where the KKK organized a century ago, and says nothing about the people who live in Goodman now. Treat it as history, not a review of the current community.
Where does this data come from?
The numbers come from a historical archive of Klan chapters, called Klaverns, documented between 1915 and 1940. We divided each city’s Klavern count by its population to get the per-capita ranking.
