Hay RiverWI
A town of 650.
Is Hay River a good place to live?
Hay River’s typical journey to work is 35 minutes, against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Hay River. The biggest park or preserve is Otter Creek State Public Hunting Grounds, at 77 acres. Hay River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
650 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Hay River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hay River, 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 Hay River.
Hay River has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Only 1% of working residents stay in Hay River for work; the rest commute out. Since 2013, Hay River has added 30 jobs, to 41 in 2023. Among residents locally, 2.5% live below the poverty line, below both Wisconsin’s towns (6.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Menomonie (20%), Eau Claire (6%) and Colfax (4%).
| Hay River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Hay River
In July, afternoons reach 82°; in January, nights fall to 4°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Hay River is
In Hay River, 29% of adults get no exercise outside work. 16% of adults in Hay River smoke cigarettes; 19% binge drink.
| Hay River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Hay River | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 16.4% | 13.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hay River has set aside 3.2% of its land for conservation
Trails total 3.6 miles in 2 parks and preserves. Hay River’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Hay River | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Beaver Creek State Public Hunting Ground | 0.8 mi | 480 |
| 2. Otter Creek State Public Hunting Grounds | — | 77 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Moderate risk in Hay River, with inland flooding at the top
The risk rating from FEMA in Hay River is 53 of 100. Expected losses in Hay River break down as 49% from inland flooding and 20% from cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Hay River
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hay River
About 0 of every 100 Hay River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
99% of working residents leave Hay River for work
Where Hay River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Hay River
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Hay River is a town in Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Hay River. The population was 627 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Baxter is located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 942 ft
Questions about Hay River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hay River, WI a good place to live?
Hay River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.