BarnesWI
A town of 860, settled in 1907.
Is Barnes a good place to live?
45% of residents are 65 or older in Barnes, against 20% in Wisconsin’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. No town among the 363 in Wisconsin we compare has a lower share of children under 18 than Barnes. 53% of the land in Barnes is conserved, above both the Wisconsin town median (3.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Bayfield County Forest, at 41,146 acres with 72.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Barnes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
860 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Barnes: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barnes, 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 Barnes.
Barnes has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
129 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Barnes’ trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bayfield County Forest | 72.7 mi | 41,146 |
| 2. Mid Eau Claire Lake Public Access | — | 51 |
| 3. Douglas County Forest | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, the median age in Barnes is higher
The median age in Barnes is 62.7 years. Barnes has grown 3.9% since 2020, to 860 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 45% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 7% of residents (21% statewide).
| Barnes | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 62.7 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
About 122 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 62% are men (WI 49%). Median age: women 60.5, men 65.3.
| Barnes | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.6% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 3.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.9% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 30.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.6% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.5% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.5% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.6% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
The average trip to work in Barnes is longer than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
Of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Barnes. Jobs based in Barnes grew to 96 in 2023, 51 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Barnes for work: only 5% work in town.
| Barnes | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 42 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Low risk in Barnes, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Barnes
Barnes has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 1° and about 60 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Barnes is
Barnes beats the Wisconsin average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 41% of adults have high blood pressure in Barnes. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Barnes.
| Barnes | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Barnes | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Barnes
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Barnes; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Barnes residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
129 miles of trails in Barnes
52.7% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
About Barnes
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Barnes is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 823 at the 2020 census, up from 769 at the 2010 census. The town was named for an early settler named George Sardis Barnes who opened the first hotel, saloon, and store north of the Eau Claire lakes in the late 1880s.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 124 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,188 ft
Questions about Barnes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Barnes, WI a good place to live?
Barnes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.