Bayfield County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a population of 16,575 across 1,478 square miles, up 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $586.8 m in 2024, 469 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $2.5 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bayfield County
How many people live in Bayfield County
- Population16,575
- Households7,437
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$71,151
- Median age54.6
- Median gross rent$812 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$240,800
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,972
- Population under 182,707
- Share under 1816.3 percent
- Population 65 and over5,185
- Share 65 and over31.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,683
- Civilian labor force7,496
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over54.1 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties61st of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2066th
Bayfield County is the 61st largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.3 percent against 16.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bayfield County
Is Bayfield County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.82 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,218
- Births, 2024120
- Deaths, 2024169
- Natural change, 2024-49
- Net domestic migration, 202469
- Net international migration, 202411
- Total net migration, 202480
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024818
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents721st
The county has grown 3.82 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bayfield County
Where people moving to Bayfield County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving487
- People arriving, from those returns812
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$92,534
- Largest single originBayfield County Non-migrants (6,770 households)
- Largest single destination (6,770 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield County Non-migrants | 6,770 | 12,882 | $521.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 219 | 381 | $25.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 124 | 217 | $17.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 121 | 189 | $9.8 m |
| Ashland County | 85 | 140 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 48 | 77 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 47 | 87 | $3.3 m |
| Douglas County | 41 | 69 | $3.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bayfield County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bayfield County
What the Bayfield County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$586.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$563.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years31.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties67th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2295th
- GDP per resident$35,402
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 31.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bayfield County
Who employs people in Bayfield County
- Covered employment, annual average4,194
- Establishments reporting578
- Average annual pay$42,107
- Average weekly wage$810
- Sector 72, employment717
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,586
- Sector 44-45, employment393
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,188
- Sector 23, employment332
- Sector 23, average annual pay$80,719
- Sector 31-33, employment216
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$44,960
- Sector 71, employment161
- Sector 11, employment77
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 717 | 98 | $20,586 |
| Sector 44-45 | 393 | 54 | $30,188 |
| Sector 23 | 332 | 68 | $80,719 |
| Sector 31-33 | 216 | 20 | $44,960 |
| Sector 71 | 161 | 19 | $29,422 |
| Sector 11 | 77 | 14 | $42,331 |
| Sector 81 | 70 | 28 | $34,830 |
| Sector 51 | 69 | 5 | $93,478 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 717 jobs, 17.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bayfield County
What businesses operate in Bayfield County
- Establishments, all industries469
- Employment at those establishments2,612
- Annual payroll$146.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bayfield County
What is being built in Bayfield County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024104
- Declared construction value permitted$27.7 m
- Single family units authorised104
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$266,240
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bayfield County
How much SBA lending happens in Bayfield County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$225,373
- Median 7(a) approval$205,700
- 10th percentile approval$70,000
- 90th percentile approval$450,000
- Largest single approval$456,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)129
- Jobs per approval11.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderNortheast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc. (3)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.3 m
- Average 504 approval$667,125
- Median 504 approval$694,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.8
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals57.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$7.8 m
The average approval of $225,373 sits close to the median of $205,700, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 27.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bayfield County
Do SBA loans in Bayfield County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bayfield County
Which parts of Bayfield County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Iron River, approvals4
- BAYFIELD, approvals3
- Washburn, approvals2
- Cable, approvals1
- Mason, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Iron River | 4 | $423,700 |
| BAYFIELD | 3 | $1,037,700 |
| Washburn | 2 | $550,000 |
| Cable | 1 | $205,700 |
| Mason | 1 | $262,000 |
Iron River accounts for 4 approvals against 3 in BAYFIELD. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bayfield County
How big is Bayfield County
- Land area1,478 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties2nd of 72
- Width, east to west37.9 mi
- Height, north to south55.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land11
- Establishments per square mile0.32
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bayfield County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bayfield County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,575
- Households7,437
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$71,151
- Median age54.6
Common questions
Bayfield County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bayfield County, Wisconsin?
16,575, in 7,437 households, ranking 61st of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bayfield County growing?
The population has grown 3.82 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 120 births against 169 deaths, with net migration of 80. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bayfield County?
$71,151. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $240,800, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $812 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bayfield County?
469 establishments, employing 2,612 people with an annual payroll of $146.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bayfield County?
Average annual pay is $42,107, or $810 a week, across 4,194 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bayfield County?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $2.5 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $205,700, plus 8 504 approvals worth $5.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bayfield County?
104 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $27.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bayfield County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bayfield County come from?
The largest single origin is Bayfield County Non-migrants, with 6,770 households. Arriving households report an average income of $92,534 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bayfield County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bayfield County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.