The story of this market
The typical home in Bayfield County, Wisconsin sells for about $439,500, or $235 per square foot.
Prices are up +28.7% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 105 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 96% since 2000. Last year 2 of 6 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. The biggest natural hazard here is cold wave, which FEMA rates very high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,014 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,014 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
0%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2022 (+21%). Worst: 2012 (-4.9%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+5.2%
WI · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,328
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
0%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 6 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
65
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $9,338,499.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
77.5%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 915 | 565 | 77.5% | 8.5% | $175,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Bayfield County, Wisconsin
The Bayfield County housing market is experiencing significant price appreciation, likely driven by limited inventory and demand for recreational properties. While sales volume remains modest, the high median price relative to local income suggests a market heavily influenced by external buyers and seasonal demand.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 2 cities · 5 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 0.3% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 87 days on market with 0.2 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 5.11% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 4.2% · poverty 9.8% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 5 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 23
researched Sep 23
researched Sep 23
researched Sep 23
researched Sep 23
| 54814 | Bayfield | $349,900 | $215 | +2.4% | 112 | 97.5% | 12% | 6.2 | 48 | $692 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54847 | Iron River | $326,000 | $247 | +10.3% | 74 | 98% | — | — | 378 | $800 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54856 | Mason | $112,450 | $105 | — | 87 | — | — | — | 12 | $1,306 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54861 | Odanah | $237,000 | $165 | +2.1% | 85 | 95.1% | 12.5% | 6.2 | 255 | $1,150 | researched Sep 23 |
| 54891 | Washburn | $271,818 | $181 | +1.7% | 68 | 97.5% | 12% | 6.2 | 120 | $825 | researched Sep 23 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Public education is provided by several local school districts, with performance generally reflecting rural Wisconsin standards.
The region faces seasonal risks typical of Northern Wisconsin, including heavy winter snowfall and potential forest fire hazards in forested areas.
Economic momentum is driven by tourism, forestry, and local government services, with limited large-scale industrial development.
Property taxes are assessed at the municipal level rather than by the county, with rates varying significantly between towns and villages.
The economy is anchored by tourism, outdoor recreation, and natural resource management, with significant seasonal fluctuations.
Transportation relies primarily on state highways and county roads, with limited public transit options available.
Bayfield County does not operate a central assessor office; property valuation is handled at the local municipal level.
Property owners are subject to various school district, technical college, and local municipal tax levies.
Insurance premiums are influenced by rural fire protection ratings and regional weather-related hazard exposure.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Features 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland coast, offering world-class kayaking, hiking, and historic lighthouse tours.
Provides vast acreage for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and backcountry camping throughout the county.
Data retrieved from Census Reporter and QuickFacts.