BarksdaleWI
A town of 763, settled in 1904.
Is Barksdale a good place to live?
Barksdale’s median age is 51.2 years, above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 49% of the land in Barksdale is conserved, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 3.8% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, at 313 acres. Barksdale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
763 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Barksdale: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barksdale, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Barksdale.
Protected land: nearly a third of Barksdale
Walkers can cover 26 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Barksdale: 2, covering 419 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge | — | 313 |
| 2. South Shore Lake Superior Fish and Wildlife Area | 0.2 mi | 106 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Barksdale stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
Expected losses in Barksdale break down as 59% from cold waves and 22% from inland flooding. Federal aid has come to Barksdale households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2013.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Barksdale has 0.1 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Ashland (30%), Washburn (24%) and Bayfield (5%). 3.5% of Barksdale residents live below the poverty line. Half commute less than 7 miles. The typical journey to work here is 18 minutes.
| Barksdale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Barksdale is older than the Wisconsin average
People 65 and older are 31% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 33% across Wisconsin. Among residents in Barksdale, 20% are under 18. 763 people lived in Barksdale by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 2.4% more than in 2020.
| Barksdale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Barksdale | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.4% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 24.7% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Barksdale: snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 4° and about 74 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Barksdale is
For adults in Barksdale, the share who binge drink is 17%. Among adults in the town, 30% get no exercise outside work and 17% smoke cigarettes.
| Barksdale | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Barksdale | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.4% | 9.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.8% | 5.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Barksdale
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Barksdale
About 3 of every 100 Barksdale residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
98% of working residents leave Barksdale for work
Where Barksdale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Barksdale
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Barksdale is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 745 at the 2020 census, up from 723 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated community of Barksdale is located in the town. The town was named by William G. Ramsay, the chief engineer for the DuPont Chemical Company, for Hamilton M. Barksdale, vice president of DuPont. The town was once the home of an explosives factory owned by the DuPont company. Press reports mention a number of fatal accidents. Four died in a dynamite explosion in October 1907. Two men were killed in an explosion on August 24, 1928. A larger explosion at the facility killed eight in October 1952.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 66 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,145 ft
Questions about Barksdale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Barksdale, WI a good place to live?
Barksdale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.