Bayfield County, Wisconsin
Located in Wisconsin, Bayfield County has a population of 16,575 residents and a median age of 54.6 years, making it the #2,066 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.8%. The median home value is $240,800, and the median household income is $71,151, which is 5% below the national median.
Demographics
Bayfield County has a population of 16,575, making it the #2,066 most populous county in the US. The median age is 54.6 years, which is 40.4% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Bayfield County is $71,151, ranking #1,119 out of 3,222 counties — 5.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.8% and unemployment stands at 3.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Bayfield County is $240,800 (-14.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $812/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Bayfield County, 35.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 3.9% above the national average, ranking #463 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Bayfield County is 79.4 years. 14.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.7% of adults in Bayfield County smoke , 37.5% are obese , and 25.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 33.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.3 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.9% of children in Bayfield County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 9.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Bayfield County is 87.6%. The mean commute time is 24.9 min, which is 9.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Bayfield County voted Democratic with a margin of 11.1%. The vote was 54.5% Dem / 43.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Bayfield County, Wisconsin
Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a total population of 16,575, making it the 2,066th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bayfield County is 54.6 years, which is 40.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Bayfield County is $71,151, which ranks #1,119 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.6%.
The median home value in Bayfield County is $240,800, 14.6% below the national median. Renters in Bayfield County pay a median gross rent of $812 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Bayfield County, 35.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 3.9% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.9 min.
Bayfield County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.7% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (7.4%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
All data for Bayfield County, Wisconsin comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.