Sawyer County, Wisconsin
Located in Wisconsin, Sawyer County has a population of 18,476 residents and a median age of 52.8 years, making it the #1,963 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.6%. The median home value is $236,200, and the median household income is $60,801, which is 19% below the national median.
Demographics
Sawyer County has a population of 18,476, making it the #1,963 most populous county in the US. The median age is 52.8 years, which is 35.7% 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 Sawyer County is $60,801, ranking #2,007 out of 3,222 counties — 19.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.6% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Sawyer County is $236,200 (-16.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $712/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Sawyer County, 27.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 18.6% below the national average, ranking #970 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Sawyer County is 74.9 years. 17.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.7% of adults in Sawyer County smoke , 41.1% are obese , and 25.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 61.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 29.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.8% of children in Sawyer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Sawyer County is 79.0%. The mean commute time is 23.8 min, which is 13.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Sawyer County voted Republican with a margin of 16.3%. The vote was 41.4% Dem / 57.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Sawyer County, Wisconsin
Sawyer County, Wisconsin has a total population of 18,476, making it the 1,963rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sawyer County is 52.8 years, which is 35.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Sawyer County is $60,801, which ranks #2,007 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.
The median home value in Sawyer County is $236,200, 16.2% below the national median. Renters in Sawyer County pay a median gross rent of $712 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Sawyer County, 27.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 18.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.8 min.
Sawyer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 76.9% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (12.9%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
All data for Sawyer 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.