White Bass Lake, Sandberg's, 1880
Bass Lake’s story
Bass Lake in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
Explore the history →Population
2,896
2025 Census estimate · +4.4% since 2020
Median home value
$267K
Census ACS
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
41.2
years
Jobs based here
502
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#344 of 357 in WI
Is Bass Lake a good place to live?
Bass Lake grades C− overall, 344th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $56K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: a typical home costs about $267K, 4.4 years of the county’s $61K median household income. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Bass Lake, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Of the 340 Wisconsin towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Bass Lake. Bass Lake is home to Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University.
WeakestD−Jobs & income
What makes Bass Lake stand out
Where Bass Lake beats most towns.
A growing town
Bass Lake has grown 20% since 2010
2,377 counted in 2010 and 2,731 in 2020; an estimated 2,896 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Bass Lake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Bass Lake is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthLess healthy than 67% of U.S. towns; Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center 13.1 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 4.7% of households have no car; 2.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 55% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life3.8 library visits per resident; 7.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bass Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bass Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerBayfield Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterDry Town water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers79% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpDrop-off onlyNo curbside pickup: you take it to the drop-offTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Bass Lake ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54843, 5487654843 95% · 54876 5%Census 2020
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 Bass Lake.
Bass Lake has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Wisconsin (mostly cold waves).
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Bass Lake’s workers commute out
Jobs based here fell from 836 in 2013 to 502.
Most working residents leave Bass Lake for work: only 12% work in town. The average trip to work in Bass Lake is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Bass Lake fell to 502 in 2023, 334 fewer than in 2013.
12%work in town
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Bass Lake12%
Hayward27%
Hayward14%
Rice Lake3%
Eau Claire3%
8 mi
median commute distance
502
jobs based in Bass Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 37% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Bass Lake fall behind 65% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School, with 389 students.
35%of WI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis Solanus School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades K–7 | Grades K–7 | 4 | – |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 389 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
HealthC
A larger share of adults have diabetes in Bass Lake than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
Against the 7,748 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bass Lake’s, it is healthier than 59%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
15% of adults have diabetes in Bass Lake. Among 357 Wisconsin towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Bass Lake. 34% of adults have obesity in Bass Lake.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
4 better14 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Bass Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.9% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 6.6% |
Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center
13.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Bass Lake stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with a typical January night colder than most
The Couderay 7 W weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 100 days, shorter than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 1.6°, colder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 78.9°.
Bass Lake’s January low is 2°F. Bass Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Bass Lake’s July high is 79°F.
67″snow a winter
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 79°F | 82°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring29–53°
Summer53–77°
Fall34–54°
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Wisconsin overall
21.6% of residents live below the poverty line, against 10.6% across Wisconsin, which weighs on its D− for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 28% of residents (21% statewide). Bass Lake has grown 4.4% since 2020, to 2,896 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
41.2median age · WI 40.2
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 20% | 18% |
Bass LakeWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school32%
Some college25%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.1 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Bass Lake | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.1% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Cold waves leads a moderate hazard risk in Bass Lake
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of Wisconsin towns, with expected losses of about $494 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Bass Lake has set aside 3.7% of its land for conservation
3.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, at 346 acres.
#274for trails in WI
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.7% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
3.7%
conserved · 1,433 of 39,206 acres
3.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway | — | 346 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bass Lake
18pages on Bass Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bass Lake
About 2 of every 100 Bass Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
College town
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University calls Bass Lake home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
About Bass Lake
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Bass Lake is a town in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,731 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Little Round Lake is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Northwoods Beach is also located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 62 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,299 ft
Bass Lake’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Bass Lake.
Sand LakeHaywardReserveBass LakeCouderayLittle Round LakeChief LakeBass Lake
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass Lake · Bass Lake | #344 | C− | B | — | C+ | C |
| Sand Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hayward | #341 | C− | B− | — | C+ | C |
| Reserve | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Couderay | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Little Round Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chief Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Bass Lake and Hayward report no FBI crime data of their own. Sand Lake, Reserve, Couderay, Little Round Lake and Chief Lake aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Bass Lake and Bass Lake are one community, graded once. Compare Bass Lake with a neighbor →
Questions about Bass Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bass Lake, WI a good place to live?
Bass Lake grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #344 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades C for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Bass Lake, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.