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 →Bass LakeWI
The town, home to 595 people, lies in Wisconsin.
Population
595
2025 Census estimate · +5.5% since 2020
Median home value
$230K
Census ACS
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
45.3
years
Jobs based here
40
A commuter town
Is Bass Lake a good place to live?
Only 3 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower January low than Bass Lake. The biggest park or preserve is Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, at 499 acres. Bass Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
595 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Stone LakeBass LakeSpringbrookStinnettHaywardBass Lake
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.
PowerBarron Electric Coop16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bass Lake’s trash rules yet
SchoolsSpooner Area School DistrictHayward Community School District2 districts serve Bass Lake; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 2025
ZIP codes54843, 54875, 5487654843 67% · 54875 30% · 54876 3%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.
Work & commute
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, fewer of Bass Lake’s working residents work locally
The median commute is under 22 miles. In Bass Lake, the middle household income is $67,000. The top destinations are Hayward (15%), Rice Lake (9%) and Hayward (9%).
1%work in town
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Bass Lake1%
Hayward15%
Rice Lake9%
Hayward9%
Spooner6%
22 mi
median commute distance
40
jobs based in Bass Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
24.9%conserved
24.9%
conserved · 5,239 of 21,035 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway | — | 499 |
| 2. Washburn County Forest | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Low risk in Bass Lake, with cold waves at the top
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Bass Lake than in 77% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Bass Lake break down as 44% from cold waves and 38% from inland flooding.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
67″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring29–53°
Summer54–77°
Fall34–54°
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Bass Lake stands out in Wisconsin and nationally, with more of its adults who have diabetes
In Bass Lake, 15% of adults report frequent mental distress. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Bass Lake. This Wisconsin town beats the Wisconsin average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
2 better17 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Bass Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.1% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.9% | 85.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 6.6% |
Spooner Health System
17.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
No age group stands out in Bass Lake against Wisconsin
Among adults 25 and older, 33% have a four-year degree or more, against 33% across Wisconsin. Age groups here sit within 4 points of the Wisconsin average. 595 people lived in Bass Lake by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 5.5% more than in 2020. In Bass Lake, the median age is 45.3 years.
45.3median age · WI 40.2
| Bass Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.3 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 32% | 29% |
Bass LakeWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school46%
Some college8%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Bass Lake | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.2% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.7% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 45.9% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 8% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.2% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bass Lake
17pages on Bass Lake
The big questions
Out and about
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.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Bass Lake for work
Where Bass Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
40jobs based in Bass Lake
1%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bass Lake
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Bass Lake is a town in Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 566 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 33 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,155 ft
Questions about Bass Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bass Lake, WI a good place to live?
Bass Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.