Bear LakeWI
A town of 673.
Is Bear Lake a good place to live?
18% of the land in Bear Lake is conserved, above both the Wisconsin town median (3.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Barron County Forest, 4,044 acres with 3.3 miles of trail. Bear Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
673 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bear Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bear Lake, 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 Bear Lake.
Very low risk in Bear Lake, with cold waves at the top
38% of Bear Lake’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 35%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2000, has brought federal aid to Bear Lake households.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Bear Lake work out of town
The share of working residents in Bear Lake who work locally is 1.5%, against 8.3% in Wisconsin’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. The town had 60 jobs in 2023, up 42 from 2013. Its average commute is 19 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 15 miles.
| Bear Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Bear Lake, 18.4% of the land is conserved
Bear Lake’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. Across 1 park or preserve: 4.9 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Barron County Forest | 3.3 mi | 4,044 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Bear Lake: snowy winters and pleasant summers
The peak summer temperature for Bear Lake comes to 80°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Bear Lake is
38% of adults have obesity in Bear Lake. Among adults in the town, 13% have diabetes and 15% report frequent physical distress.
| Bear Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Bear Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.1% | 3.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Bear Lake
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bear Lake
About 3 of every 100 Bear Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
99% of working residents leave Bear Lake for work
Where Bear Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Bear Lake
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Bear Lake is a town in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 670 at the 2020 census, up from 659 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,207 ft
Questions about Bear Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bear Lake, WI a good place to live?
Bear Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.