Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Hayward run?
Hayward’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $339 per resident.
What stands out about how Hayward is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Hayward Community School District
Hayward’s K–12 school district, shared with Bass Lake, Hayward, Lenroot, Round Lake, Stinnett and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,052 per pupil, $8,909 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
Winter School District · $21,680 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $339 per resident a year, or $0.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$339 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Hayward’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($339 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $358, and the middle half spent $276–$438. Hayward spent less than 54% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($119,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hayward itself left out).
No trend yet
Hayward reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,920 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hayward’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Hayward’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hayward →
Who’s in charge in Hayward
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Hayward’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on cityofhaywardwi.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 899 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,595).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Hayward voted in 2024
Official results for Hayward’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.0%1,200 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.0%959 votesOthers: 1.0% (21 votes).
Most votes in Hayward: Donald J Trump
Sawyer County: Trump 57.6%, Harris 41.3% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Hayward’s 3,028 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Hayward: Eric Hovde
Sawyer County: Hovde 56.3%, Baldwin 41.9% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Hayward, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward | 55.0% | 44.0% | 1.0% | 2,180 |
| Sawyer County | 57.6% | 41.3% | 1.1% | 11,140 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Hayward.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: cityofhaywardwi.gov ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Hayward compares with the towns next door
Hayward spent $339 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $264 to $1,160. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Hayward’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Hayward’s government
How much does Hayward spend per resident?
About $339 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $339 was less than 54% of 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Hayward?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,920 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofhaywardwi.gov.
Who runs Hayward’s government?
See cityofhaywardwi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hayward yet.
How did Hayward vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 55.0%, Kamala D Harris 44.0% (2,180 votes, official results). Sawyer County: Trump 57.6%, Harris 41.3%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Hayward?
4 full-time and 46 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $38,070 (about $456,840 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Hayward in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Romaine Quinn) and Assembly District 74 (Chanz Green). The Assembly district also covers 91 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Hayward’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →