How many people live in Washburn County, WI?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 17,000 people living in Washburn County, WI. That makes Washburn County the 60th-most populous county in Wisconsin. It is home to 0.28% of people living in the state.
17K
population of Washburn County, WI (2024)
0.28%
County share of the Wisconsin population (2024)
About 17,000 people lived in Washburn County, WI in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Washburn County, WI’s age demographics?
About 5,000 Washburn County, WI residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 29.6% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 19.6% of Wisconsin’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 2,900 Washburn County residents, or 17.2% 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 Washburn County, WI's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Washburn County, WI’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 93.5% of the Washburn County, WI population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Washburn County, WI also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (1.5%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Washburn County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.39% 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.
Washburn County, WI has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Wisconsin as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Washburn County, WI is Spooner with about 2,500 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Washburn County, WI ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Spooner | 2,494 |
| 2. | Shell Lake | 1,393 |
| 3. | Evergreen | 1,229 |
| 4. | Bashaw | 1,079 |
| 5. | Minong | 1,026 |
| 6. | Trego | 936 |
| 7. | Spooner | 844 |
| 8. | Beaver Brook | 834 |
| 9. | Long Lake | 646 |
| 10. | Birchwood | 619 |
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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.
