Sawyer County, WI

County

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2024 Population

18,476

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

52.8

1.15% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

15.6%

4.33% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$60,801

2.96% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$236,200

5.78% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

7,782

0.0514% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Sawyer County, WI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99% of the residents in Sawyer County, WI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sawyer County, WI are Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (47 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Sawyer County, WI was $236,200, and the homeownership rate was 76.7%.

Most people in Sawyer County, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Sawyer County, WI was 2 cars per household.

Sawyer County, WI borders Ashland County, WI, Barron County, WI, Bayfield County, WI, Douglas County, WI, Price County, WI, Rusk County, WI, and Washburn County, WI.

United States Wisconsin

Population & Diversity

Sawyer County, WI is home to a population of 18.5k people, from which 99% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.56% of Sawyer County, WI residents were born outside of the country (288 people).

In 2024, there were 5.96 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.2k people) in Sawyer County, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.39k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 921 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99%

2024 Citizenship

99.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99% of Sawyer County, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sawyer County, WI was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sawyer County, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sawyer County, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.2k ± 151
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
2.39k ± 172
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
921 ± 182

2.44%

Hispanic Population

450 people

2.44% of the people in Sawyer County, WI are hispanic (450 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Sawyer County, WI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Wisconsin.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
89,915 ± 7,306 people
India
21,992 ± 3,634 people
China
14,287 ± 2,931 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 89,915 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 21,992 and China with 14,287.

Foreign-Born Population

1.56%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

288 people

1.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

219 people

As of 2024, 1.56% of Sawyer County, WI residents (288 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sawyer County, WI was 1.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Sawyer County, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
523 ± 90
Gulf War (2001-)
225 ± 114
Gulf War (1990s)
196 ± 82

Sawyer County, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.32 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Sawyer County, WI.

Economy

The economy of Sawyer County, WI employs 7.78k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sawyer County, WI were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,364 people), Retail Trade (1,119 people), and Manufacturing (753 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($82,581), Information ($74,063), and Manufacturing ($61,719).

Employment

Occupations

7.78k

2024 Value

± 453

−0.0514%

1 Year decline

± 7.91%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sawyer County, WI declined at a rate of −0.0514%, from 7.79k employees to 7.78k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sawyer County, WI, are Management Occupations (827 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (820 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (703 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sawyer County, WI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

7.78k

2024 Value

± 453

−0.0514%

1 Year decline

± 7.91%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sawyer County, WI declined at a rate of −0.0514%, from 7.79k employees to 7.78k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sawyer County, WI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,364 people), Retail Trade (1,119 people), and Manufacturing (753 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sawyer County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Sawyer County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,043

Median earning men ± $3,662

$37,143

Median earning women ± $1,889

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($102,981), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($97,188), and Public Administration ($68,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($73,021), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,188), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($48,750).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Y-Axis

1.6%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.95M people employed in Wisconsin. This represents a 1.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Wisconsin.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

74
Construction
61
Accommodation and Food Services
45
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$61.6k
Manufacturing
$51.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$36.6k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing the state of Wisconsin. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Sawyer County, WI. Showing the available data for Wisconsin.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.6%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.518%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wisconsin for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Wisconsin

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Ron Johnson

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tammy Baldwin

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing Wisconsin.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Wisconsin over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Sawyer County, WI awarded 47 degrees. The student population of Sawyer County, WI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 49 male students and 185 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sawyer County, WI are American Indian or Alaska Native (40 and 85.1%), White (5 and 10.6%), and Black or African American (2 and 4.26%).

The largest universities in Sawyer County, WI by number of degrees awarded are Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (47 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Sawyer County, WI are General Human Services (10 and 21.3%), Registered Nursing (7 and 14.9%), and Small Business Administration & Management (6 and 12.8%).

The median tuition cost in Sawyer County, WI for a public four year colleges is $6,000 for in-state students and $6,000 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 234 students enrolled in Sawyer County, WI, 20.9% men and 79.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in American Indian or Alaska Native with 185 records, of which 78.4% were women and 21.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Small Business Administration & Management
6 degrees awarded
General Human Services
4 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
7 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Sawyer County, WI was Small Business Administration & Management with 6 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Sawyer County, WI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

47 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University with 47 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 10 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sawyer County, WI, which is 0.27 times less than the 37 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was American Indian or Alaska Native students. These 40 degrees mean that there were 8 times more degrees awarded to American Indian or Alaska Native students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 5 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($6,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($30) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sawyer County, WI was $236,200 in 2024, which is 0.71 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $223,300 to $236,200, a 5.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Sawyer County, WI is 76.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sawyer County, WI have an average commute time of 21.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sawyer County, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sawyer County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.14%.

Housing

Property

$236,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,775

$6,759

Median Property Taxes

±$359

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Sawyer County, WI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Sawyer County, WI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76.7%

Homeownership

2024

65.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.7% of the housing units in Sawyer County, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 77.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sawyer County, WI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,801

Median Household Income

± $3,776

8.81k

Number of Households

± 460

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.81k households in Sawyer County, WI grew to $60,801 from the previous year's value of $59,055.

The following chart displays the households in Sawyer County, WI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sawyer County, WI is from Wisconsin.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.443

2022 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2023, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.492% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wisconsin in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Wisconsin across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (70.5%)
Worked At Home (12.7%)
Carpooled (11.7%)

In 2024, 70.5% of workers in Sawyer County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.7%) and those who carpooled to work (11.7%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sawyer County, WI have a shorter commute time (21.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.03% of the workforce in Sawyer County, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sawyer County, WI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Sawyer County, WI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sawyer County, WI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sawyer County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.14%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

15.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sawyer County, WI (2.81k out of 18k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sawyer County, WI is White, followed by Native American and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 18.8% of the children was living in poverty in Sawyer County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 186 in Sawyer County, WI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 26.4 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.5% of the population of Sawyer County, WI has health coverage, with 36.3% on employee plans, 18.1% on Medicaid, 21.7% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 2.46% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sawyer County, WI see 1,307 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,307 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1856 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 309 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,307 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sawyer County, WI

Primary care physicians in Sawyer County, WI see an average of 1,307 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,307 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Sawyer County, WI in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.8% under 18 years, 14.2% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 28.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.53%

Uninsured

36.3%

Employer Coverage

18.1%

Medicaid

21.7%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

2.46%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sawyer County, WI grew by 1.93% from 6.41% to 6.53%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Sawyer County, WI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.