Chief LakeWI
A town of 660.
Is Chief Lake a good place to live?
23% of residents live below the poverty line in Chief Lake, against 6.4% in Wisconsin’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only one of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare has a lower January low than Chief Lake. Chief Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
660 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Chief Lake: who provides what
Chief Lake is unincorporated, so Sawyer County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Chief Lake.
Chief Lake has snowy winters and pleasant summers
The typical July afternoon high in Chief Lake is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fewer adults under 35 in Chief Lake than across Wisconsin
Chief Lake: 26% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, below Wisconsin’s towns (32%) and close to U.S. towns (29%). Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 24% of residents (19% statewide). In Chief Lake, the median age is 49.6 years.
| Chief Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.6 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 26% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
About 79 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.1 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Chief Lake | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.9% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.7% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.3% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.7% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.2% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
About two in five of Chief Lake’s working residents commute to Hayward
The top destinations are Hayward (41%), Bass Lake (18%) and Hayward (9%). Just 15% of Chief Lake’s working residents have a job in town. In Chief Lake, the typical journey to work is 19 minutes. Jobs based here fell to 321 in 2023, 436 fewer than in 2013.
| Chief Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Chief Lake stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent physical distress
In Chief Lake, a quarter of adults smoke cigarettes, and 19% have diabetes. No town among the 358 in Wisconsin we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Chief Lake. Among adults locally, 32% feel lonely. Only 4 of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Chief Lake.
| Chief Lake | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 17% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Chief Lake | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.9% | 19% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.7% | 5.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Chief Lake, with cold waves at the top
Chief Lake’s FEMA hazard score comes in at 52 of 100. Expected losses in Chief Lake break down as 70% from cold waves and 23% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chippewa Flowage | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Chief Lake
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Chief Lake
About 0 of every 100 Chief Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Chief Lake
CDP in Wisconsin, United States
Chief Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hayward, Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 582 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 24 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,339 ft
Questions about Chief Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chief Lake, WI a good place to live?
Chief Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.