• county
  • FIPS 55007
  • Largest town: Washburn

Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Bayfield County had 16,838 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,477.9 square miles of land. It ranks 61st of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 2nd by land area.

Population
16,838
#61 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,985 in US
Area
1,477.9 sq mi
#2 of 72 in Wisconsin · #408 in US
Density
11 / sq mi
#68 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,515 in US
Median household income
$64,339
#53 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,425 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Bayfield County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Bayfield County

Bayfield County population, land area and income

Bayfield County had 16,838 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,477.9 square miles of land. It ranks 61st of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 2nd by land area. That works out to 11.4 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Wisconsin has 41,821 residents, so Bayfield County has 40% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $64,339 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

16,838

3144th1st

1985th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,478 sq mi

3144th1st

408th of 3,144 (US)

Density

11.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

2515th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$64,339

3143rd1st

1425th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

16,838

72nd1st

61st of 72 (WI)

Land area

1,478 sq mi

72nd1st

2nd of 72 (WI)

Density

11.4 / sq mi

72nd1st

68th of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$64,339

72nd1st

53rd of 72 (WI)

How Bayfield County's population changed since 2020

Bayfield County gained 600 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 3.7%. That ranks 5th of 72 in Wisconsin for growth. The median Wisconsin county changed by +1.0%, and the state as a whole by +1.1%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Bayfield County recorded 477 births and 753 deaths, a natural change of -276. Net international migration added +23 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +862. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 862 people.

16.2k202016.3k202116.7k202216.8k202316.8k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
477
Deaths
753
Net international migration
+23
Net domestic migration
+862
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+29

Where Bayfield County is

The Census internal point of Bayfield County is at 46.634200, -91.177300. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Bayfield County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Barron County: +0.2%Green County: +0.4%Dunn County: +1.5%Jefferson County: +0.0%Lincoln County: +0.1%Rusk County: -0.1%Fond du Lac County: +0.1%Marquette County: +1.0%Outagamie County: +2.3%Waupaca County: -1.2%Oneida County: +0.8%Eau Claire County: +2.8%Washington County: +1.4%Portage County: +2.3%Menominee County: +0.7%Clark County: +0.5%Monroe County: +0.2%Milwaukee County: -1.5%Buffalo County: +1.1%Lafayette County: +4.2%Ozaukee County: +2.5%Rock County: +1.0%Sheboygan County: +0.2%Green Lake County: +1.8%Waukesha County: +2.3%Calumet County: +2.1%Dodge County: -0.8%Wood County: -0.3%Winnebago County: +0.9%Sawyer County: +4.0%Dane County: +4.6%Sauk County: +1.1%Pepin County: +2.9%Adams County: +3.2%Price County: +0.4%Taylor County: +1.1%Grant County: +0.7%Trempealeau County: -0.0%Vernon County: +2.1%Waushara County: +2.2%Iowa County: +1.0%Crawford County: -0.5%Kenosha County: -0.3%Shawano County: +1.1%Juneau County: -0.7%Jackson County: -0.3%Vilas County: +3.7%Bayfield County: +3.7%Chippewa County: +1.5%Iron County: +1.5%Racine County: +0.3%Door County: +1.3%Ashland County: +1.1%Kewaunee County: +0.9%Polk County: +1.8%Florence County: +2.4%Douglas County: -0.2%Forest County: +3.7%Columbia County: -0.7%Walworth County: +0.7%La Crosse County: +0.1%Manitowoc County: +0.1%Oconto County: +2.5%Langlade County: +0.4%Marathon County: +0.7%Washburn County: +2.2%Brown County: +1.8%Richland County: -0.9%Marinette County: +1.1%St. Croix County: +4.3%Pierce County: +2.7%Burnett County: +3.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.1%
  2. < +0.7%
  3. < +1.3%
  4. < +2.3%
  5. ≥ +2.3%
no data

Orange pin: Bayfield County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
46.634200, -91.177300
DMS
46°38'3.12"N 91°10'38.28"W
UTM
15N 639513.4E 5166128.9N
Geohash
cbr1m1qxy
Plus code
86RCJRMF+M3

Towns in Bayfield County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Bayfield County, 2,055 people together, or 12% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Bayfield County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Washburn with 2,055.

  1. 01Washburn2,055
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Bayfield County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Bayfield County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Douglas County, WI, with 44,276 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 261.1 miles SSE of Bayfield County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is St. Paul, MN (population 307,465), 148.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Superior, WI (population 26,620), 43.0 miles away.

Bayfield County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Bayfield County is 55007: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 007. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $64,339.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Bayfield County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 16,838. That is up 600 people (3.7%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,238.

What is the FIPS code of Bayfield County?

55007. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (007) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Bayfield County?

Washburn, with 2,055 residents inside Bayfield County in 2024.

Which counties border Bayfield County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Douglas County, WI; Sawyer County, WI; Washburn County, WI; Ashland County, WI; Lake County, MN.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.