Washburn County, Wisconsin

WI · FIPS 55129 Republican

Located in Wisconsin, Washburn County has a population of 16,854 residents and a median age of 52.7 years, making it the #2,047 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.5%. The median home value is $226,100, and the median household income is $63,441, which is 16% below the national median.

16,854
Population
#2,047 of 3,222
$63,441
Median Income
-15.6% #1,757 of 3,222
52.7 years
Median Age
+35.5% #116 of 3,222
11.5%
Poverty Rate
-8.3% #1,146 of 3,222

Demographics

Washburn County has a population of 16,854, making it the #2,047 most populous county in the US. The median age is 52.7 years, which is 35.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.5%
Native Born
1.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washburn County is $63,441, ranking #1,757 out of 3,222 counties — 15.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.5% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.

Income#1,757
$63,441
-15.6%
vs nation
45th percentile
Per Capita#952
$38,951
-5.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poverty#1,146
11.5%
-8.3%
vs nation
64th percentile
Unemployment#1,279
3.9%
-26.1%
vs nation
60th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washburn County is $226,100 (-19.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $795/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.2%.

Home Value#1,122
$226,100
-19.8%
vs nation
65th percentile
Rent#2,143
$795
-31.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Homeownership#340
82.2%
+27.6%
vs nation
89th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washburn County, 25.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.3% below the national average, ranking #1,167 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.5% −24.3% vs nation
Rank #1,167 of 3,222
64th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washburn County is 76.0 years. 16.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,294
76.0
+1.1%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,050
16.9%
-13.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Diabetes#443
8.8%
-20.9%
vs nation
86th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#983
35.2%
-5.6%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,305
5.5
-2.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,042
4.1
-7.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,302
8.4%
-20.2%
vs nation
59th percentile
Physical Inactivity#743
22.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Food Insecurity#925
12.3%
-14.6%
vs nation
71th percentile

Substance Use

19.5% of adults in Washburn County smoke , 35.7% are obese , and 25.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,144
19.5%
+8.6%
vs nation
32th percentile
Adult Obesity#862
35.7%
-5.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,077
25.4%
+27.9%
vs nation
2th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 28.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,257
28.2
+42.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,752
21.0
+17.4%
vs nation
29th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#433
10.7
-47.3%
vs nation
85th percentile

Families & Children

15.6% of children in Washburn County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#918
15.0
-31.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Child Poverty#1,209
15.6%
-17.9%
vs nation
62th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washburn County is 81.8%. The mean commute time is 24.7 min, which is 10.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
81.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.7 min −10.6% vs nation
Rank #2,012 of 3,222
38th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washburn County voted Republican with a margin of 28.3%. The vote was 35.3% Dem / 63.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +28.3%
35.3% 63.6%
Dem 10,953 votes Rep
2020 REP +23.7%
37.3% 61%
Dem 10,378 votes Rep
2016 REP +23.5%
36.2% 59.7%
Dem 9,059 votes Rep
2012 REP +2.8%
48% 50.8%
Dem 9,242 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.3%
51.5% 47.2%
Dem 9,112 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washburn County, Wisconsin

Washburn County, Wisconsin has a total population of 16,854, making it the 2,047th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washburn County is 52.7 years, which is 35.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washburn County is $63,441, which ranks #1,757 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 15.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.

The median home value in Washburn County is $226,100, 19.8% below the national median. Renters in Washburn County pay a median gross rent of $795 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washburn County, 25.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.7 min.

Washburn County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.1%).

All data for Washburn 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.