How many people live in Bayfield County, WI?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 16,800 people living in Bayfield County, WI. That makes Bayfield County the 61st-most populous county in Wisconsin. It is home to 0.28% of people living in the state.
16.8K
population of Bayfield County, WI (2024)
0.28%
County share of the Wisconsin population (2024)
About 16,800 people lived in Bayfield County, WI in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Bayfield County, WI’s age demographics?
About 5,600 Bayfield County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 33.5% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 19.6% of Wisconsin’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 2,700 Bayfield County residents, or 16.1% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 20.8% of Wisconsin’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Bayfield County, WI's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Bayfield County, WI’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 85% of the Bayfield County, WI population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Bayfield County, WI also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (8.8%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Bayfield County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.4%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.64% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Bayfield County, WI has a higher share of a non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native population than Wisconsin as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Bayfield County, WI is Washburn with about 2,100 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Bayfield County, WI ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Washburn | 2,055 |
| 2. | Russell | 1,652 |
| 3. | Iron River | 1,282 |
| 4. | Cable | 893 |
| 5. | Barnes | 852 |
| 6. | Bayfield | 812 |
| 7. | Barksdale | 772 |
| 8. | Eileen | 749 |
| 9. | Bayfield | 592 |
| 10. | Washburn | 585 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
