Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,928, organized in 1883.
Hayward is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 341st of 357 in Wisconsin, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: homes are within reach, about $242K for a typical one, or 4 years of the county’s $61K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $67K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. 25% of working residents work locally in Hayward, above both Wisconsin’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (8%). The biggest place to walk is Sawyer County Forest, 2,345 acres with 4.6 miles of trail. Only 2 of the 362 Wisconsin towns we compare have a lower January low than Hayward.
Where Hayward beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Hayward is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,349 in 1890, 2,533 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1889 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hayward, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Hayward.
Hayward is a second-home town and has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sawyer County Forest | 4.6 mi | 2,345 |
| 2. Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area | — | 912 |
| 3. Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway | — | 168 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
24.4% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 6.2% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
People 65 and older are 28% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in Hayward is 48.2 years. Hayward has grown 3.9% since 2020, to 3,928 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Hayward | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 48.2 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Hayward | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.1% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.4% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.6% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.9% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,900, single groups can be off by several points
15% of Hayward adults have diabetes. Among 357 Wisconsin towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Hayward. 34% of Hayward adults have obesity.
| Hayward | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hayward | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.9% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.1% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Couderay 7 W weather station, 13 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 100 days, shorter than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 1.6°, colder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 78.6°.
Hayward has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Hayward’s July high is 79°F. About 67 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Hayward grew to 1,956 in 2023, 379 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Hayward (26%), Bass Lake (7%) and Lenroot (3%). Half commute less than 6 miles.
| Hayward | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hayward
About 3 of every 100 Hayward residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
4 notable people were born in Hayward.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 2,533 at the 2020 census. The city was formally organized in 1883. It is near the Namekagon River and is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Hayward.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward | #341 | C− | B− | — | C+ | C |
| Bass Lake · Bass Lake | #344 | C− | B | — | C+ | C |
| Hayward | #348 | D | B− | D | C+ | C+ |
| Lenroot | — | — | B− | — | C+ | C |
| Round Lake | — | — | C− | — | C+ | C |
| Hunter | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Little Round Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chief Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Lenroot and Round Lake have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hayward, Bass Lake, Lenroot and Round Lake report no FBI crime data of their own. Hunter, Little Round Lake and Chief Lake aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Bass Lake and Bass Lake are one community, graded once. Compare Hayward with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hayward grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #341 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades C for health and C+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
Hayward was organized in 1883. 4 notable people were born here, including Sean Duffy and Dan Plante.
