WISCONSIN 1 : Southeast - Racine; Kenosha

From the shores of Lake Michigan to the center of Green County, the 1st blends rural communities with some of the state's largest industrial areas. A Chrysler plant closing in 1988 hurt the Kenosha area. But it and Walworth County are now growing twice as fast as the state average, with much of the expansion attributable to affordable land prices attracting Chicago workers.

While farms dot the rural areas, crop growers outnumber dairy farmers. Lake Geneva, just north of the Illinois border, attracts a second-home population from both the district and northwest Illinois.

A socially diverse population has made this once firmly Republican district the most- contested in the state. While Democrats draw a firm level of support from the four manufacturing cities, Republicans look to the suburban and rural areas for a conservative base.

Major Industry
Automotive manufacturing, heavy machine manufacturing, farming

Population
543,380 (1990)

Cities
Kenosha, 86,888; Racine, 82,572; Janesville, 58,960 (1996)

People
58% urban; 13% age 65+ (ranks seventh of nine in state; middle third nationally); 60% married couples, 28% married couples with children; 15% college educated (ranks sixth of nine in state; bottom third nationally); 49% white collar (ranks fifth of nine in state; bottom third nationally), 34% blue collar (ranks second of nine in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
92% white, 5% black, 1% Asian; 3% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$31,431 (ranks third of nine in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Kenosha is home to Dairyland, the nation's largest greyhound dog racing track; Orson Welles born in Kenosha.

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