Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,045, settled in 1883.
The best of Washburn’s subject grades are an A for walkability and the outdoors and an A+ for civic life; the weakest is a C for schools. 31% of residents are 65 or older in Washburn, above both Wisconsin’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 4 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on hazard risk. Washburn’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both Wisconsin’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 5 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score higher on civic life. Washburn has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Bayfield County Courthouse and Bank of Washburn. Washburn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Washburn beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Washburn is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1886.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washburn, 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 Washburn.
Washburn’s FEMA risk score is 1 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Washburn School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 285 | B+ |
| Washburn HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 182 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
People 65 and older are 31% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 13% of residents (21% statewide). The median age in Washburn is 51.7 years. 37% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Washburn | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 51.7 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 32% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Washburn | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 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 | 13.4% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 1 have a lower July high than Washburn. Washburn has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Washburn beats the Wisconsin average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of Washburn adults feel lonely.
| Washburn | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Washburn | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Washburn home is worth about $274,000, up 2.5% in a year, 19% below the Wisconsin typical home.
| Washburn | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $798 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 74% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of Washburn’s working residents works in town. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 10 have a lower average trip to work than Washburn. The top destinations are Ashland (26%), Bayfield (6%) and Bayfield (3%).
| Washburn | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Washburn's reported crime rate is well below Wisconsin's. 8 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
| Washburn | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 9.2 | 14.1 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
4.9 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Washburn Lakefront Parkway and Walking Trail, 31 acres with 1.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washburn Lakefront Parkway and Walking Trail | 1.1 mi | 31 |
| 2. Thompson's West End Park | 0.1 mi | 23 |
| 3. Memorial Park | — | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Washburn
About 7 of every 100 Washburn residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
4 places in Washburn on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Washburn.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Washburn is a city and the county seat of Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,051 at the 2020 census. The city is just east of and adjacent to the Town of Washburn. It is in northern Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay. Wisconsin Highway 13 and County Highway C are the main routes in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Washburn.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn · Washburn | — | — | B+ | — | C | B+ |
| Bayview | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Washburn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Washburn reports no FBI crime data of its own. Bayview isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Washburn and Washburn are one community, graded once. Compare Washburn with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($71,151 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
3 notable people were born here, including Paul Hamm and Morgan Hamm.
