How many people live in Sawyer County, WI?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 18,800 people living in Sawyer County, WI. That makes Sawyer County the 56th-most populous county in Wisconsin. It is home to 0.32% of people living in the state.
18.8K
population of Sawyer County, WI (2024)
0.32%
County share of the Wisconsin population (2024)
About 18,800 people lived in Sawyer County, WI in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Sawyer County, WI’s age demographics?
About 5,600 Sawyer County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 29.8% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 19.6% of Wisconsin’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 3,300 Sawyer County residents, or 17.7% 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 Sawyer County, WI's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Sawyer County, WI’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 78.3% of the Sawyer County, WI population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Sawyer County, WI also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (15.3%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Sawyer County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.6%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.47% 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.
Sawyer 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 Sawyer County, WI is Hayward with about 3,900 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Sawyer County, WI ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hayward | 3,929 |
| 2. | Bass Lake | 2,913 |
| 3. | Hayward | 2,587 |
| 4. | Lenroot | 1,397 |
| 5. | Round Lake | 1,153 |
| 6. | Winter | 1,068 |
| 7. | Sand Lake | 952 |
| 8. | Hunter | 797 |
| 9. | Edgewater | 598 |
| 10. | Spider Lake | 457 |
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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.
