Birchwood Wisconsin Downtown WIS48, 2016
Birchwood’s story
Birchwood in pictures
Census counts: 565 in 1930, 402 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
Explore the history →
BirchwoodWI
With 622 residents, it is a town in Wisconsin.
7 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
622
2025 Census estimate · +3.8% since 2020
Median home value
$364K
Census ACS
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
56.9
years
Jobs based here
30
A commuter town
Is Birchwood a good place to live?
Birchwood’s age of the median resident is 56.9 years, above both the Wisconsin town median (42.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 3 have a higher mean commuting time than Birchwood. 44% of the land in Birchwood is conserved, above both Wisconsin’s towns (3.8%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Washburn County Forest, at 13,394 acres with 4.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Birchwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
622 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Cedar LakeEdgewaterBirchwoodLong LakeStone LakeSand LakeMadgeBirchwood
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Birchwood.
Outdoors
Protected land: nearly a third of Birchwood
44%conserved
22 miles of trail wind through 4 parks and preserves. In Birchwood, the trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
44%
conserved · 19,600 of 44,514 acres
22 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washburn County Forest - Spider Lake Unit | 7.1 mi | 6,056 |
| 2. Washburn County Forest | 4.2 mi | 13,394 |
| 3. Sawmill Lake County Park | — | 34 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Most of Birchwood’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
1%work in town
For half of commuters, work is under 24 miles away. Birchwood: 14% of residents live below the poverty line. Most people who work leave Birchwood to do it: just 1% work in town. The top destinations are Hayward (15%), Rice Lake (7%) and Birchwood (6%).
| Birchwood | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $77,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Birchwood1%
Hayward15%
Rice Lake7%
Birchwood6%
Hayward6%
24 mi
median commute distance
30
jobs based in Birchwood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Birchwood is cold waves, at a low overall level
23risk score of 100
The natural-hazard score from FEMA in Birchwood is 23 of 100. FEMA puts 44% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 38% to inland flooding. Federal aid has come to Birchwood households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2001.
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Birchwood
67″snow a winter
For Birchwood, the typical July afternoon high is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring30–53°
Summer54–77°
Fall34–54°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Birchwood than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
For adults in Birchwood, the share who binge drink is 15%. Among 358 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Birchwood. Against the Wisconsin average, Birchwood comes out ahead on 7 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 12.
| Birchwood | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
7 better13 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Birchwood | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.4% | 19% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.9% | 9.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.2% | 6.6% |
Indianhead Medical Center
15.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Birchwood
17pages on Birchwood
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Birchwood: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Birchwood, and how to reach them.
PowerBarron Electric Coop16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBirchwood WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers23% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Birchwood’s trash rules yet
SchoolsBirchwood School DistrictSpooner Area School District2 districts serve Birchwood; 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 Birchwood ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2026
ZIP codes54817, 54876, 5487054817 68% · 54876 24% · 54870 8%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Get outside
22 miles of trails in Birchwood
44% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
1
Washburn County Forest - Spider Lake Unit7.1 mi of trails · 6,056 acres
3
Sawmill Lake County Park34 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Birchwood; the nearest are
Northwood Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rice Lake17.7 mi$4,926 in-state tuitionLac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Hayward19.3 mi$6,030 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Birchwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Birchwood
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Birchwood is a village in Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 402 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the Town of Birchwood.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,329 ft
- ZIP code
- 54817
Questions about Birchwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Birchwood, WI a good place to live?
Birchwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Birchwood is in here
Say something about Birchwood.
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