• county
  • FIPS 55129
  • Largest town: Spooner

Washburn County, Wisconsin

Washburn County had 16,982 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 797.1 square miles of land. It ranks 60th of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 30th by land area.

Population
16,982
#60 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,977 in US
Area
797.1 sq mi
#30 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,075 in US
Density
21 / sq mi
#59 of 72 in Wisconsin · #2,198 in US
Median household income
$63,438
#56 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,520 in US

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

Washburn County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Washburn County

Washburn County population, land area and income

Washburn County had 16,982 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 797.1 square miles of land. It ranks 60th of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 30th by land area. That works out to 21.3 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

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

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $63,438 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

16,982

3144th1st

1977th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

797 sq mi

3144th1st

1075th of 3,144 (US)

Density

21.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

2198th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$63,438

3143rd1st

1520th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

16,982

72nd1st

60th of 72 (WI)

Land area

797 sq mi

72nd1st

30th of 72 (WI)

Density

21.3 / sq mi

72nd1st

59th of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$63,438

72nd1st

56th of 72 (WI)

How Washburn County's population changed since 2020

Washburn County gained 359 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.2%. That ranks 19th 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, Washburn County recorded 489 births and 1,095 deaths, a natural change of -606. Net international migration added +25 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +936. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 936 people.

16.6k202016.8k202116.9k202217.0k202317.0k2024
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
489
Deaths
1,095
Net international migration
+25
Net domestic migration
+936
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-14

Where Washburn County is

The Census internal point of Washburn County is at 45.892500, -91.796400. 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 Washburn 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: Washburn County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
45.892500, -91.796400
DMS
45°53'33.00"N 91°47'47.04"W
UTM
15N 593377.6E 5082807.9N
Geohash
cbntp47zh
Plus code
86QCV6R3+XC

Towns in Washburn County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Washburn County, 3,887 people together, or 23% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Washburn County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Spooner with 2,494.

  1. 01Spooner2,494
  2. 02Shell Lake1,393
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Washburn County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Washburn County. The most populous is Barron County, WI, with 46,810 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 228.1 miles SSE of Washburn County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is St. Paul, MN (population 307,465), 91.0 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Superior, WI (population 26,620), 56.9 miles away.

Washburn County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Washburn County is 55129: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 129. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $63,438.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Washburn County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 16,982. That is up 359 people (2.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,623.

What is the FIPS code of Washburn County?

55129. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (129) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Washburn County?

Spooner, with 2,494 residents inside Washburn County in 2024.

Which counties border Washburn County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Barron County, WI; Douglas County, WI; Sawyer County, WI; Burnett County, WI; Bayfield County, WI; Rusk County, WI.

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.