Bayfield County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bayfield County, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 92% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bayfield County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,575 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.1 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.28% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.2 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,437 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bayfield County grew by 11.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,575 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bayfield County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.4% of residents. That is 11.6 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,415 14.6% -6.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,568 15.5% -5.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,842 23.2% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,881 29.4% +11.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Wisconsin, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.0% of the people living in Bayfield County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 51.0% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bayfield County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bayfield County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Bayfield County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,393 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.06% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bayfield County is about 8% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Bayfield County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $175,446 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $812 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bayfield County is about 18.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $812 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bayfield County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bayfield County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.3 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,823 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.4% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,229 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 222 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Bayfield County is about the same as in Wisconsin.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bayfield County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Bayfield County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.9% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Bayfield County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bayfield County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.4% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.1% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Bayfield County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bayfield County, WI compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield County, WI | 16,575 | $71,393 #2/2 | $175,446 #1/2 | 18.7 min #2/2 |
| Douglas County, WI | 44,229 | $75,125 | $148,025 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
How big is Bayfield County, Wisconsin by population?
About 16,575 people live in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, in 7,437 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 53.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is Bayfield County, Wisconsin urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bayfield County, Wisconsin has 8 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 9% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Bayfield County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($175,446 against $71,393), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $812 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Bayfield County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Bayfield County, Wisconsin is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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