Bayfield County, Wisconsin | |
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 Location within the U.S. state ofWisconsin | |
| Coordinates:46°38′N91°11′W / 46.63°N 91.18°W /46.63; -91.18 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1845 |
| Named after | Henry Bayfield |
| Seat | Washburn |
| Largest city | Washburn |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,042 sq mi (5,290 km2) |
| • Land | 1,478 sq mi (3,830 km2) |
| • Water | 564 sq mi (1,460 km2) 28% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 16,220 |
• Estimate (2024) | 16,838 |
| • Density | 10.97/sq mi (4.237/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Bayfield County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofWisconsin. As of the2020 census, its population is 16,220.[1] Itscounty seat isWashburn.[2] The county was created in 1845 and organized in 1850.[3] TheRed Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has a reservation in Bayfield County and is the county's largest employer.[4] The county is considered a high-recreation retirement destination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.[5]
Originally, in 1848 it was namedLa Pointe County, Wisconsin. AfterDouglas (1854) andAshland (1860) Counties were split off from the original La Pointe County, the remainder was renamed Bayfield County on April 12, 1866.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,042 square miles (5,290 km2), of which 1,478 square miles (3,830 km2) is land and 564 square miles (1,460 km2) (28%) is water.[6] It is the third-largest county in Wisconsin by total area and second-largest by land area.
Cable Union Airport (FAALID:3CU) serves Bayfield County and the surrounding communities.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 489 | — | |
| 1860 | 353 | −27.8% | |
| 1870 | 344 | −2.5% | |
| 1880 | 564 | 64.0% | |
| 1890 | 7,390 | 1,210.3% | |
| 1900 | 14,392 | 94.7% | |
| 1910 | 15,987 | 11.1% | |
| 1920 | 17,201 | 7.6% | |
| 1930 | 15,006 | −12.8% | |
| 1940 | 15,827 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 13,760 | −13.1% | |
| 1960 | 11,910 | −13.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,683 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 13,822 | 18.3% | |
| 1990 | 14,008 | 1.3% | |
| 2000 | 15,013 | 7.2% | |
| 2010 | 15,014 | 0.0% | |
| 2020 | 16,220 | 8.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 16,838 | [7] | 3.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[13] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 16,220.[14] The population density was 11.0 people per square mile (4.2 people/km2). There were 13,238 housing units at an average density of 9.0 units per square mile (3.5 units/km2).[14]
The median age was 54.2 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 29.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.7 males age 18 and over.[14]
The racial makeup of the county was 83.2%White, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 5.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.[15]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 7,432 households in the county, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.1% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
Of the 13,238 housing units, 43.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.8% were owner-occupied and 19.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.9%.[14]
As of the2010 census, there were 15,014 people living in the county. 86.7% wereWhite, 9.6%Native American, 0.3%Asian, 0.3%Black or African American, 0.2% of some other race and 2.9%of two or more races. 1.1% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race).
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 15,013 people, 6,207 households, and 4,276 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km2). There were 11,640 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.46%White, 0.13%Black orAfrican American, 9.39%Native American, 0.27%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.26% fromother races, and 1.49% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 23.3% were ofGerman, 10.4%Norwegian, 8.4%Swedish, 6.1%Irish, 5.9%Polish, 5.7%Finnish and 5.0%English ancestry. 96.8% spokeEnglish as their first language.
There were 6,207 households, out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% weremarried couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.70 males.
In 2017, there were 116 births, giving a general fertility rate of 66.6 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 23rd highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[18] Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Bayfield County residence in 2017.[19]
Bayfield County is aDemocratic bastion, having voted for the Democrat in every presidential election since1932 except for three nationwide Republican landslides in1952,1956, and1972.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 1,467 | 50.50% | 1,349 | 46.44% | 89 | 3.06% |
| 1896 | 2,244 | 72.57% | 770 | 24.90% | 78 | 2.52% |
| 1900 | 2,428 | 76.93% | 632 | 20.03% | 96 | 3.04% |
| 1904 | 2,665 | 84.98% | 350 | 11.16% | 121 | 3.86% |
| 1908 | 1,957 | 70.27% | 579 | 20.79% | 249 | 8.94% |
| 1912 | 514 | 23.03% | 666 | 29.84% | 1,052 | 47.13% |
| 1916 | 1,320 | 51.10% | 996 | 38.56% | 267 | 10.34% |
| 1920 | 2,536 | 73.34% | 589 | 17.03% | 333 | 9.63% |
| 1924 | 1,675 | 36.41% | 205 | 4.46% | 2,720 | 59.13% |
| 1928 | 3,279 | 63.41% | 1,709 | 33.05% | 183 | 3.54% |
| 1932 | 2,035 | 38.14% | 2,981 | 55.88% | 319 | 5.98% |
| 1936 | 2,071 | 31.08% | 4,366 | 65.53% | 226 | 3.39% |
| 1940 | 2,829 | 38.53% | 4,387 | 59.75% | 126 | 1.72% |
| 1944 | 2,475 | 42.02% | 3,362 | 57.08% | 53 | 0.90% |
| 1948 | 2,338 | 40.07% | 3,081 | 52.80% | 416 | 7.13% |
| 1952 | 3,419 | 55.98% | 2,616 | 42.84% | 72 | 1.18% |
| 1956 | 3,096 | 53.32% | 2,691 | 46.35% | 19 | 0.33% |
| 1960 | 2,841 | 46.88% | 3,196 | 52.74% | 23 | 0.38% |
| 1964 | 1,886 | 32.65% | 3,875 | 67.08% | 16 | 0.28% |
| 1968 | 2,333 | 40.92% | 3,036 | 53.24% | 333 | 5.84% |
| 1972 | 3,045 | 51.92% | 2,736 | 46.65% | 84 | 1.43% |
| 1976 | 2,624 | 39.21% | 3,885 | 58.05% | 184 | 2.75% |
| 1980 | 3,278 | 42.08% | 3,705 | 47.57% | 806 | 10.35% |
| 1984 | 3,474 | 45.91% | 4,034 | 53.31% | 59 | 0.78% |
| 1988 | 3,095 | 41.50% | 4,323 | 57.96% | 40 | 0.54% |
| 1992 | 2,393 | 29.50% | 3,873 | 47.74% | 1,846 | 22.76% |
| 1996 | 2,250 | 30.65% | 3,895 | 53.07% | 1,195 | 16.28% |
| 2000 | 3,266 | 39.54% | 4,427 | 53.60% | 566 | 6.85% |
| 2004 | 3,754 | 38.71% | 5,845 | 60.26% | 100 | 1.03% |
| 2008 | 3,365 | 35.54% | 5,972 | 63.08% | 131 | 1.38% |
| 2012 | 3,603 | 36.81% | 6,033 | 61.64% | 152 | 1.55% |
| 2016 | 4,124 | 42.90% | 4,953 | 51.53% | 535 | 5.57% |
| 2020 | 4,617 | 42.44% | 6,147 | 56.50% | 116 | 1.07% |
| 2024 | 4,860 | 43.24% | 6,107 | 54.33% | 273 | 2.43% |
Places adjacent to Bayfield County, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofBayfield County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Village | ||
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
