United States › Wisconsin › Bayfield County COUNTY
Bayfield County Wisconsin · 16,787 residents (2025 est.) · 1,478 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Bayfield County is a county of 16,575 people in Wisconsin. The median age is 54.6, about 16 years above the US median. 84% of homes are owner-occupied. That puts it in the top 10% of US counties for household income. There are 11 people per square mile. The foreign-born share is 1%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 54.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 51%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 15,013 in 2000
16,787 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 10 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 42.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
14K 15K 15K 16K 17K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Bayfield County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $71,151
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,390 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,407 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 21.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 12.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.406 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 4.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing 1.1%
Education & health services 0.7%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$240,800
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $87,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$812
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $369 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 82.6% in 2000
16.1% rent
from 46.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.12 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 26.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.7 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 88.2%(13,247)
Hispanic / Latino 0.6%(91)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 83.7%(13,873)
Hispanic / Latino 2.1%(351)
from 28 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 50 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data from 21.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 86.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 6.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 59.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 77.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 76.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 90.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 91.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Women 15+
Never married 19.7%(1,394)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 47.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 22.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 29.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 21.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 67.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 48.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 14.9%(221)
Share of the 1,488 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Bayfield County Head to head
Compare Bayfield County to nearby counties BAYFIELD COUNTY VS
Ashland County
Income $62,462 −12%
Home value $170,300 −29%
Population 16,203 −3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAYFIELD COUNTY VS
Douglas County
Income $75,099 +6%
Home value $205,800 −15%
Population 43,990 +162%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAYFIELD COUNTY VS
Iron County
Income $60,625 −15%
Home value $165,900 −31%
Population 6,127 −64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAYFIELD COUNTY VS
Sawyer County
Income $60,801 −15%
Home value $236,200 −2%
Population 18,846 +12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Bayfield County, Wisconsin? Bayfield County, Wisconsin has about 16,575 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bayfield County, Wisconsin? The typical household in Bayfield County, Wisconsin earns about $71,151 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bayfield County, Wisconsin expensive? In Bayfield County, Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $240,800, and the typical rent is about $812 a month.
How educated are people in Bayfield County, Wisconsin? About 35.0% of adults age 25 and over in Bayfield County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bayfield County, Wisconsin? About 9.8% of people in Bayfield County, Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bayfield County, Wisconsin grown since 1990? Yes, Bayfield County, Wisconsin has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,567 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 