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Extra Census Bulletin
No. 49. WASHINGTON, D. C. June 15, 1893.
STATISTICS OF FARMS, HOMES, AND MORTGAGES.
OWNERSHIP AND DEBT IN WISCONSIN.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Census Office,
Washington, D. C, June 2, 1893.
Sir:
The leading results of the investigation of farm and home proprietorship in Wisconsin are contained in this
bulletin. In regard to farms, the conclusion is that 13.10 per cent of the farm families hire and 86.90 per cent own
the farms cultivated by them; that 42.85 per cent of the farm owning families own subject to incumbrance and .57.15
per cent own free of incumbrance. Among 100 farm families, 13 hire their farms, 37 own with incumbrance, and
50 without incumbrance. On the owned farms of this state there are liens amounting to $55,304,686, which is
33.31 per cent of their value, and this debt bears interest at the average rate of 6.64 per cent, making the average
annual interest charge $66 to each family. Each owned and incumbered farm, on the average, is worth $3,005, and
is subject to a debt of $1,001.
The corresponding facts for homes are that 45.45 per cent of the home families hire and 54.55 per cent own
their homes ; that of the home owning families 70.47 per cent own free of incuinbrance and 29.53 per cent with
incumbrance. In 100 home families, on the average, 46 hire their homes, 16 own with incumbrance, and 38 without
incumbrance. The debt on owned homes aggregates $22,786,623, or 32.68 per cent of their value, and bears interest
at the average rate of 6.70 per cent, so that the annual amount of interest to each home averages $51. An average
debt of $756 incumbers each home, which has the average value of $2,314.
There are 16 cities in the state in the class of those having a population of 8,000 to 100,000, and in these cities
44.80 per cent of the home families liire and 55.20 per cent own their homes ; and of the home owning families
31.52 per cent own with incumbrance and 68.48 per cent own free of incumbrance. In 100 home families, on the
average, are found 45 that hire their homes, 17 that own with incumbrance, and 38 that own without incumbrance.
The liens on the owned homes are 32.33 per cent of the value of those subject to lien. Several averages show that
the rate of interest is 7.02 per cent; value of each owned and incumbered home, $2,127 ; lien on the same, $688,
and yearly interest charge on each home, $48.
In Milwaukee, which is the only city in the state having a population of more thau 100,000, 57.87 per cent of
the home families hire and 42.13 per cent own their homes ; 45.59 per cent of the home owning families have
incumbrance on their homes, and 54.41 per cent own and occujjy homes free of incumbrance. Among 100 home
families, on the average, 58 hire, 19 own with incumbrance, and 23 without incumbrance. Averages for each
owned and incumbered home : incumbrance, $1,117 ; value, $3,398 ; interest charge for 1 year, $69 ; rate of interest,
6.18 per cent. Homes are incumbered for 32.86 per cent of their value.
Real estate purchase and improvements, when not associated with other objects, caused 74.76 per cent of the
farm families to incur 80.47 per cent of the farm debt and 81.22 per cent of the home families to incur 80.85 per
cent of the home debt.
Very respectfully,
ROBERT P. PORTER,
I Superintendent of Census.
The Seceet.\ry of the Interior.
STATISTICS OF FARMS, HOMES, AND MORTGAGES.
OWNERSHIP AND DEBT IN WISCONSIN.
BY i:e(ih<!E k. holmes A.NH JOHN
Selections from the results of the investigation of farm and home proprietorship and indebtedness in Wisconsin
are presented in this bulletin. Elvery family in the state is regarded as occupying a farm or a home not on a farm,
and as hiring such farm or home, or owning it free of incumbrance, or owning it subject to incumbrance. In the
class last named, and in no other, account has been taken of the incumbrance, its rate of interest and object, and
the value of the farm or home.
H.\BiTATioN PKOPRiETOKSHip. — Amoug the 335,456 families of the state there are 104,482, or 31.15 per cent of
the total, which hire their farms and homes and 230,974, or 68.85 per cent, which own them. Of the families which
own, 85,376, or 36.96 per cent, have farm or home incumbrance and 145,598, or 63.04 per cent, are free of
incumbrance. In 100 families, on the average, 31.15 hire their farms or homes, 25.45 own with incumbrance, and
43.40 own without incumbrance.
Farm proprietorship. — There are 148,349 farm families in Wisconsin, which are 44.22 per cent of the total
number of families. Of these 128,913, or 86.90 per cent, own and 19,436, or 13.10 per cent, hire the farms cultivated
by them, while of the owning families 55,242, or 42.85 per cent, have incumbrances on their farms and 73,671, or
57.15 per cent, have no incumbrances. The average 100 fai-m families are composed of 13.10 that hire, 37.24 that
own with incumbrance, and 49.66 that own without incumbrance.
In 1880, 9.05 per cent of the farms were hired, so that there is an apparent relative increase of farm tenancy
during the decade ; but the sources of the statistics for 1880 and 1890 are not the same, since the figures for 1880
represent farms and those for 1890 farm families, and this may somewhat affect the comparison.
Home proprietorship. — The 187,107 home families are 55.78 per cent of the families of the state, and are
divided into the several classes as follows : hiring families, 85,046, or 45.45 per cent of the total number of home
families; owning families, 102,061, or 54.55 per cent; families owning free of incumbrance, 71,927, or 70.47 per
cent of the total number owning ; families owning subject to incumbrance, 30,134, or 29.53 per cent of the owning
families. Of 100 home families, on the average. 45.45 hire their homes, 16.11 own with incumbrance, and 38.44
own without incumbrance.
City homes are hired in a greater degree than is found outside of cities. In the 16 cities of the state having a
population of 8,000 to 100,000, there are 43,627 home families, of which 19,547, or 44.80 per cent, hire and 24,080,
or 55.20 per cent, own their homes. Homes subject to incumbrance are occupied by 7,589 owning families, or 31.52
per cent of the total owning families, and 16,491 families, or 68.48 per cent of the owning families, have no home
iucumbrance. In 100 of these city home families, on the average, 44.80 hire their homes, 17.40 own with
incumbrance, and 37.80 own without incumbrance. In Superior 74.44 per cent of the home families hire their
homes, and this is the largest percentage found among the 16 cities ; Ashland comes next with 57.41 per cent. The
smallest percentage is 29.01 for Watertown, and next to this is 36.50 for Oshkosh.
Milwaukee has a population of 204,468, and this is the onlj' city having a population greater than 100,000. Of
the 41,436 home families of Milwaukee, 23,977, or 57.87 per cent, hire their homes and 17,459, or 42.13 per cent,
own their homes. Of the owning families, 9.500, or 54.41 per cent, have no incumbrance on their homes and 7,959,
or 45.59 per cent, own subject to incumbrance. Among 100 families, on the average, 57.87 hire their homes, 22.92
own free of iucumbrance, and 19.21 own with incumbrance. The smallest degree of home owning is found in ward
3. where 23.51 families in 100 own their homes, and the highest is found in ward 14, where the owning fiimilies are
57.16 in 100.
In the state outside of the 17 cities referred to 40.69 per cent of the home families hire and 59.31 per cent own
their homes, 24.10 per cent of the home owning families own with incumbrance and 75.90 per cent without
incumbrance, while among 100 home families, on the average, 40.69 hire their homes, 14.29 own subject to
incumbrance, and 45.02 own free of incumbrance.
Value and incumbrance. — Liens amounting to $78,091,309 incumber the 85,376 owned farms and homes of
the state that are subject to incumbrance, $55,304,,686 of which is on 55,242 farms and $22,786,623 on 30,134 homes.
The value of the incumbered farms and homes is 1235,742,557 : farms, §166,012.998 ; homes, $69,729,559. Katios of
debt to value: farms and homes, 33.13 per cent; farms, 33.31 per cent; homes, 32.68 per cent.
49— 2 3
4 FARMS, HOMES, AND MORTGAGES.
A clel)t of So. 218, 618 incumbers 7,589 owned homes of the 16 cities containing a population of 8,000 to 100,000,
and these incumbered homes are worth 116,141,612, so that the debt is 32.33 per cent of the value. The 7,959
owned and incumbered liomes of Milwaukee are worth $27,047,246 and are incumbered with a debt of $8, 887, 001, or
to the extent of 32.86 per cent of their value. The debt incumbering the owned homes in the state outside of the
17 cities is 32.71 per cent of the value of the homes subject to the incumbrance.
Average values and iNCUMBEAJfCES. — The average owned and incumbered farm of the state is worth S3, 005 ;
home, $2,314; of each home in the 16 cities. $2,127 ; of each home in Milwaukee, $3,398.
The average farm incumbrance for the state is $1,001 ; home, $756 ; hom6 incumbi-ance in the 16 cities, S688 ;
in Milwaukee, $1,117.
Douglas county has homes of the highest average value, namely, $5,279, and the least average value, $713, is
in Sawyer countJ^ In the state outside of the 17 cities the average home value is $1,820 ; incumbrance, $595. As
before stated, all values are confined to incumbered farms and homes occupied bj' owners.
Interest rates. — The chief rate of interest in this state in regard to number of mortgages is 7 per cent. This
rate is paid on 26.68 per cent of the farm incumbrance by 27.75 per cent of the farm debtor families ; on 30.52 per
cent of the home incumbrance by 36.05 per cent of the home debtor families ; in the 16 cities on 40.17 per cent of
the home incumbrance bj' 40.23 per cent of the families occupying owned and incumbered homes; in Milwaukee on
21.89 per cent of the home debt by 35.95 per cent of the home debtor families. These percentages ai-e contained in
the following table, and the facts from which they were computed are exhibited in Table 3 :
PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES OCCUPYING OWNED AND INCUMBERED FARMS AND HOMES AND
AMOUNT OF INCUMBRANCE THEREON, BY K.A.TES OF INTEREST.
ATE< OF INTEREST.
THE STATE.
of fami- amount.
Under 6 percent 8.81
6 per cent 22.09
7 per cent ' 27.7.5
8 per cent j 25.53
6 to 8 per cent, inclusive | 79.92
Over 6 percent ] 69.10
Overs percent
Over 10 percent
Over 12 per cent
11.27
0.07
0.03
14.26
31.19
26.68
15.19
80.78
54.55
4.96
0.03
O.OL
3.79
29.79
36.05
18.53
87.54
65.42
8.67
0.12
0.05
5.92
39.99
30.52
51.09
4.78
0.06
0.03
FOR HOMES IN
CITIES OF 8,000
TO 100,000 PEOPLE.
For
number
of fami-
lies.
3.86
23.94
40.23
21.27
O.IG
0.08
40.17
19.68
6.23
0.14
For '
number For
of fami- amount.
lies.
3.97
54.08
35.95
0.94
95.18
41.95
0.85
0.03
0.01
63.57
21.89
92.09
29.26
0.00
0.00
Kates that are less than 7 per cent are paid by 33.49 per cent of the farm debtor families on 50.62 per cent of
the farm debt, by 35.81 per cent of the home debtor families on 50.20 per cent of the liome debt ; in the 16 cities by
29.61 per cent of the home debtor families on 31.62 per cent of the home debt, and in Milwaukee by 62.01 per cent
of the home debtor families on 76.24 per cent of the home debt.
In the state, rates higher than 7 per cent are paid by 38.76 per cent of the farm debtor families on 22.70 per cent
of the farm debt, by 28.14 per cent of the home debtor families on 19.28 per cent of the liome debt ; in the 16 cities
by 30.16 per cent of the home debtor families on 28.21 per cent of the home debt, and in Milwaukee by 2.04 per
cent of the home debtor families on 1.87 per cent of the home debt.
The highest rate reported is 30 per cent, which is paid by 1 farm family on a debt of $275.
The legislature of Wisconsin- has limited the rate of interest as follows in the j'ears named : 1839, 12 per
cent; 1849, no limit; 1851, 12 per cent; 1852, 10 per cent for banks until 1860 and 7 per cent thereafter; 1860, 10
per cent; 1863, 7 per cent; 1866, 10 per cent; 1876 no limit for building and loan associations.
Interest charge and average rates of interest. — The total interest charge for 1 j'ear on the debt
incumbering the owned farms of the state is $3,671,534, on the homes $1,526,974 ; total, $5,198,508.
The average interest charge for 1 year on each farm is $66 ; home, $51 ; on each home in the 16 cities, $48 ;
on each home in Milwaukee, $69.
On farm loans the average rate of interest is 6.64 per cent ; on home loans, 6.70 per cent ; on homo loans in the
16 cities, 7.02 per cent ; on home loans in Milwaukee, 6.18 per cent. Hence, tiie average annual interest value of
each owned and incumbered farm in this state is $200 ; of each home, $155 ; of each liome in the 16 cities, $149 ; of
OWNERSHIP AND DEBT IN WISCONSIN. 5
each home in Milwaukee, $210. Outside of the 17 cities the average annual interest charge on each home is $42 •
average rate, 7.04 per cent; average annual interest value, $128.
Objects of indebtedness. — Investigation of the reasons why farm and home indebtedness was incurred
discloses the fact that 74.76 per cent of the farm debtor families of the state incurred 80.47 per cent of the farm
debt for the pupose of buying real estate and making real estate improvements, when these objects were not
associated with other objects, and that for the same objects, in the case of homes, 81.22 per cent of the home debtor
families incurred S0.8ri per cent of the home debt; in the 16 cities that 81.85 per cent of the home debtor families
incurred 79.88 per cent of the home debt, and in Milwaukee that 86.80 per cent of the home debtor families incurred
84.71 per ceut of the home debt.
The objects of real estate purchase and improvements, business, and the purchase of personal property when
not complicated with other objects, led 85.68 per cent of the farm debtor families of the state to incur 88.80 per
cent of the fiirni debt, 89.77 per cent of the home debtor families to incur 92.32 per cent of the home debt 89.76 per
cent of the home debtor families in the 16 cities to incur 92.24 per cent of the home debt, and 92.72 per cent of
the home debtor families in Milwaukee to incur 93.84 per cent of the home debt.
Farm and family expenses, standing alone, are represented by 4.84 per cent of the farm debtor families of
the state and 2.17 per cent of the farm debt; family expenses by 5.85 per cent of the home debtor families and 2.69
per cent of the home debt; family expenses in the 16 cities by 6.35 per cent of the home debtor families and 3.17
per cent of the home debt, and in Milwaukee by 3.92 per cent of the home debtor fiimilies and 1.92 per cent of the
home debt.
Table 1.— NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES OCCUPYING OWNED AND HIRED AND FREE AND INCUMBERED
FARMS AND HOMES.
For farms...
For homes .
Milwaukee, Milv
Sixteen cities (for liomes) .
iity (fur homes)..
Appleton, Outagamie county
Ashland, Ashland county
Chippewa Falls, Chippewa county..
Eauclaire, Eauclaire county
Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac county...
Green Bay, Brown county
Janesville, Rock county
Lacrosse, Lacrosse county
Madison, Dane county
Marinette; Marinette county ...
Oshkosh, Winnebago county
Racine, Racine county
Sheboygan, Sheboygan county
Superior, Douglas county
Watertown, Jefferson county
Wausau, Marathon county
148,349
187,107
Rest of state (for homes) 102 044
128,913
102,061
1 ,8.'51
1,668
879
1,315
2,617
1,406
1,241
2,973
2,407
1,765
488
1,214
1,149
73,671
71,927
1,267
1,344
619
1.027
1,642
1,044
900
2,016
1,.323
1,038
55,242
30,134
19,436
85,046
2,024
1,629
1,421
PERCENTAGE OF
FAMILIES OWNING
AND HIEING.
55.20
60.80
42.59
56.84
.53.95
63.06
53.18
59.31
51.73
51.18
56.77
63.50
54.32
52.00
25.56
70.99
13.10
45.45
44.80
39.20
57.41
43.16
46.05
36.94
46.82
40.69
48.27
48.82
43.23
36.50
45.68
48.00
74,44
29.01
36.97
I PERCENTAGE OF
PERCENTAGE OF , FAMILIES OWN-
FAMILIES OWNING ■ ING FREE AND
FREE AND INCCM- INCUMBERED OF
BERED OF TOTAL TOTAL OWNING
OWNING FAMILIES. AND HIRING FAM-
ILIES.
Incum-
bered.
57.15
70.47
68.48
40.69
63.29
70.62
79.43
68.45
80.58
70.42
78.10
62.74
74.25
72.52
67.81
54.96
58.81
62.09
78.17
73.63
42.85
29.53
31.52
36.71
29.38
20.57
31.55
19.42
29.58
21.90
37.26
25.75
27.48
32.19
45.04
41.19
37.91
21.83
26.37
49.66
38.44
.90
24.10
22.92
37.80
38.48
30.08
45.15
36.93
50.81
37.45
46.32
32.45
38.00
41.17
43.06
29.86
30.58
15.87
55.60
46.41
Incum-
bered.
37.24
16.11
45.02
19.21
17.40
22.32
12.51
11.69
17.02
12.25
15.73
12.99
19.27
13.18
15.60
20.44
24.46
21.42
9.69
15.49
16.62
FARMS, HOMES, AND MORTGAGES.
Table 2.— VALUE OF FARMS AND HOMES OCCUPIED BY OWNERS AND INCUMBERED
AND AMOUNT AND PERCENTAGE OF INCUMBRANCE THEREON.
CIVIL DIVISIONS.
Number
of families
with
incum-
brance.
Value.
Incumbrance.
Per-
centage
of incum-
brance
of value.
85,376
8235,742,557
878,091,309
33.13
55,242
30,134
166,012,998
69,729,559
55,304,686
22,786,623
33.31
32.68
Milwaukee, Milwaukee county (for homes).
7,959
27,047,246
8,887,001
32.86
Sixteen cities (for homes)
7,589
16,141,612
5,218,618
32.33
Appleton, Outagamie county
523 I 976,058
325,734 1 33.37
Chippewa Falls, Chippewa county
Eauclaire, Eauclaire county
Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac county
Green Bay, Brown county
Janesville, Rock county
191
581
324
260
288
975
362
341
957
1,084
727
397,253
974,200
642,729
523,392
760,086
2,249,167
1,289,761
493,514
1,575,937
2,376,500
1,583,580
114,892
306,631
168,52.5
143,228
276,480
698,782
430,723
148,569
544,041
810,638
.548,015
262,264
165,722
133,461
28.92
31.48
26.22
27.37
36.37
31.07
33.40
30.10
34.52
34.11
34.61
26.62
34.15
34.29
Marinette, Marinette county
Oshkosh, Winnebago county
Racine, Racine county
Sheboygan, Sheboygan county
Wausau, Marathon county
303
389,196
Rest of state (for homes)
14,586
26,540,701
8,681,004
32.71
J
OWNERSHIP AND DEBT IN WISCONSIN.
Table a.— NUMBER OF FAMILIKS OCCUPYING OWNED AND INCUMBERED FARMS AND HOMES AND OF THE
INCUMBRANCE THEKEON, BY KATES OF INTEREST.
[Rates of interest rcprcsentcti by mixed i
Qbers are combined into groups ; for instance, rates represented by " 1-2 " per cent include all rates greater than 1 per
cent and less than 2 per cent.]
RATES OP' INTEREST.
878,091,309
498,795
2,100
26,297
15,250
27,872
106,746
48,464
479,351
177.118
5,659,916
2,191,967
26,361,217
3,835,698
21.707,605
1,757,297
11,358,019
5'>3,867
499,814
142,931
2,607,249
2,619
3,320
500
11,800
2,200
2,390
3,672
1,400
THE STATE.
55,242 555,304,686
847
12,203
1,432
15,328
1,081
14,104
576
2,100
26.297
15,2U0
23,857
83j403
41,623
392,228
164,843
4,940,033
1,836,992
17,251,786
2,857,377
14,753,241
1,409,912
8,402,973
4.52,373
409,003
118,011
! 4,601
1,748,165
1 4
2,017
8
2,720
1
500
U
6,450
2
1,200
4
1,690
; 1
900
3
450
2
1,200
1
500
1 1
275
4,015
23,343
6,841
87,123
12,275
719,913
351 ,975
9,112,431
978,321
6,954,364
317,385
2,955,046
101,494
90,841
21,920
5,350
1,000
FOR HOMES IN
I'lTIKS OK 8,000 TO
100,000 PEOPLE.
Kiiinber
of
families.
5,606
1,220
9,962
5,221
135,658
53.510
1,191,847
220,5.37
2,096,492
120,051
1,026,774
35,438
32,901
11,122
238,434
150
2,613
1,000
$8,887,001
71,361
11,837
63, ISO
3,600
298,812
188,705
5,649,637
488,225
1,944,904
33,662
66,566
5,200
2,575
1,700
FARMS, HOMES, AND MORTGAGES.
Table -t AMOUNT OF ANNUAL INTEREST CHARGE AND AVERAGE VALUE, IN-
CUMBRANCE, ANNUAL INTEREST CHARGE, AND ANNUAL KATE OF INTEREST
FOR FARMS AND HOMES OCCUPIED BY OWNERS AND INCUMBERED.
Average
Average
Average
value of
ineiim-
Total
annual
Average
annual
cumbered
on each
interest
charge on
rate of
farm or
farm or
charge.
each farm
interest.
.
home.
home.
or home.
The State
82,761
$915
85,198,508
S6i
6.66
For farms
For homes
Milwaukee, Milwaukee county (for homes)..
Sixteen cities {for homes)
Appleton, 0.utagamie county
Ashland, Ashland county
Chippewa Falls, Chippewa county
Eauclaire, Eauclaire countj* ,
Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac county
Green Bay, Brown county
Janesville, Rock county
Lacrosse, Lacrosse county
Madison, Dane county
Marinette, Marinette county
Oshkosh, Winnebago county
Racine, Racine county
Sheboygan, Sheboygan county
Superior, Douglas county
AVatertown, Jefferson county
Wausau, Marathon county
Rest of state (for homes)
2,013
2.639
2,307
10.940
9,563
19,227
50,988
3,563 j
1,190
28,275
1,447
436
11,284
1,617
568
36,510
2,192
748
53,603
2,178
754
35,053
5,326
1,418
21,851
1,831
625
10,134
1.284
440
595
10,324
1,820
611,164
3,005
1,001
3,671,534
66
6.64
1 2,314
756
1,526,974
51
6.70
69
1 3,398
1,117
549,624
6.18
2,127
688
366,186
48
7.02
1,870
624
22,758
44
6.99
2,017
646
12,188
56
8.65
2,048
592
9,594
49
8.35
7.79
6.49
6.68
6.95
6.71
0.61
6.40
8.33
6.12
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