Town · Wisconsin

Town of Hayward, Wisconsin

Hayward (town), town, in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Hayward (town) had 3,928 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,765 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,854 (±40). GEOID 5511333475.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

3,928

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,765 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,854 ±40

Median household income

$66,615

±$12,759 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485

Median home value

$241,600

±$16,559 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500

Median gross rent

$727

±$79 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087

Where is Hayward (town) and what county is it in?

Hayward (town) is a town in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. It covers 56.9 square miles of land, 66 residents per square mile in 2020.

One place lies inside the Town of Hayward: Little Round Lake (CDP, 1,242 in 2020). Part of Chief Lake (CDP) also lies in it.

Hayward (town) (marked with a dot) in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Hayward (town), and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 3,928 people lived in Hayward (town) on July 1, 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than Wisconsin (+1.3%). The 2020 Census counted 3,765 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,854 (±40).

July 2020→2021 +28 (3,819)
2021→2022 +67 (3,886)
2022→2023 +16 (3,902)
2023→2024 +26 (3,928)
2024→2025 +0 (3,928)

ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Hayward (town)	Sawyer County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	3,854±40	18,476	5,914,872	+347
Households	1,838±153	8,810	2,479,480	+310
Average household size	2.06±0.17	2.04	2.33	no clear change
Housing units	2,514±207	16,250	2,778,572	no clear change

Hayward (town)'s population since 2000

From 3,279 in 2000 to 3,928 in 2025: up 19.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hayward (town) as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 3,279
2005 (estimate) 3,456
2010 Census 3,567
2015 (estimate) 3,503
2020 Census 3,765
2025 (estimate) 3,928

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Hayward (town)?

The median resident of Hayward (town) is 48.2 years old; 21.3% are under 18 and 27.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 73.7%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 18.1%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Hayward (town)	Sawyer County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	48.2±7.3	52.8	40.2	no clear change
Under 18 years	21.3%±3.3 pts	17.4%	21.4%	–
65 years and over	27.9%±5.3 pts	28.5%	18.5%	–
Male	47.4%±3.0 pts	51.7%	50.1%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	0.8%±0.8 pts	2.4%	8.0%	–
White alone, not Hispanic	73.7%±5.4 pts	76.9%	78.6%	no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.6 pts	0.6%	5.9%	–
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.4 pts	0.6%	2.9%	–
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	18.1%±3.4 pts	12.9%	0.5%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.6 pts	0.0%	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5.8%±4.3 pts	6.2%	3.7%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	1.4%±1.8 pts	0.4%	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	0.3%±0.4 pts	1.6%	5.2%	–
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	2.5%±1.1 pts	3.5%	9.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	13.6%±4.0 pts	8.7%	6.2%	–
With a disability	16.0%±4.1 pts	15.9%	12.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	2.0%±1.2 pts	6.5%	5.2%	−4.9 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	92.6%±2.9 pts	93.7%	93.6%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	30.4%±6.9 pts	27.4%	33.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	12.9%±4.9 pts	9.7%	11.4%	–
Lived in the same house a year earlier	93.1%±3.0 pts	89.3%	88.2%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	0.8%±1.0 pts	2.6%	2.0%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Hayward (town) earn?

Half of Hayward (town)'s 1,838 households earn less than $66,615 a year (±$12,759), against $60,801 in Sawyer County and $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $65,965 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.9% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure	Hayward (town)	Sawyer County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$66,615±$12,759	$60,801	$77,485	no clear change
Mean household income	$89,004±$10,894	$81,432	$101,466	–
Per capita income	$41,423±$5,587	$38,676	$43,373	no clear change
People below the poverty line	15.9%±3.9 pts	15.6%	10.6%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	11.7%±6.4 pts	20.5%	12.8%	−31.3 pts
Households receiving SNAP	12.1%±3.5 pts	13.7%	11.1%	–
Households with a computer	91.2%±4.5 pts	92.7%	94.7%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	83.8%±5.8 pts	85.7%	90.3%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Hayward (town)?

Owners occupy 73.0% of Hayward (town)'s occupied homes and renters 27.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $241,600 by its owner (±$16,559). The median renter pays $727 a month including utilities, and 33.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure	Hayward (town)	Sawyer County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$241,600±$16,559	$236,200	$266,500	+$27,459
Median gross rent	$727±$79	$712	$1,087	−$280
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	33.3%±18.6 pts	24.8%	35.0%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,284±$152	$1,323	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	73.0%±7.4 pts	76.7%	67.8%	no clear change
Renter-occupied homes	27.0%±7.4 pts	23.3%	32.2%	–
Housing units	2,514±207	16,250	2,778,572	no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.0%±1.7 pts	0.4%	0.5%	–
Rental vacancy rate	1.8%±1.7 pts	4.0%	4.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	81.1%±5.4 pts	86.5%	66.2%	–
Mobile homes	8.9%±3.4 pts	5.2%	3.1%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.1%±2.0 pts	1.5%	1.4%	–
Built 2010 to 2019	8.8%±4.4 pts	7.8%	7.1%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	8.6%±4.8 pts	9.9%	17.8%	–
Households with no vehicle	3.9%±2.5 pts	4.3%	6.4%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How do people in Hayward (town) work and get to work?

66.5% of Hayward (town)'s workers drive alone and 13.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.2 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure	Hayward (town)	Sawyer County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	62.1%±6.6 pts	52.6%	65.3%	–
Unemployment rate	3.2%±2.3 pts	6.0%	3.2%	–
Drove alone to work	66.5%±7.5 pts	70.5%	74.4%	–
Carpooled	17.7%±5.2 pts	11.7%	7.3%	–
Public transportation	0.5%±1.0 pts	1.1%	1.1%	–
Walked	0.9%±1.3 pts	2.1%	2.6%	–
Worked from home	13.0%±4.3 pts	12.7%	13.1%	+7.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	18.2 min±3.2	21.7 min	22.2 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What census tracts are in Hayward (town)?

No census tract lies mostly in Hayward (town); 5 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Hayward (town), ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Tract	Residents, 2020-2024	Median household income	Median home value	Share of tract in Hayward (town)
Tract 1003Sawyer County	4,982	$59,149	$224,100	32%
Tract 1005.02Sawyer County	2,468	$66,625	$297,500	20%
Tract 9400.01Sawyer County	2,316	$41,620	$239,200	13%
Tract 9400.02Sawyer County	1,156	$55,313	$208,000	7%
Tract 1004Sawyer County	2,512	$81,341	$332,200	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Hayward (town)) · Census block assignment files

How does Hayward (town) compare with other places in Wisconsin?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hayward (town) is the 2,851st-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 54th-most populous of 1,239 in Wisconsin.

Hayward (town) ranks 739th of 914 places in Wisconsin with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Hayward (town)'s rank in Wisconsin (1 = highest): by population among the state's towns and townships with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
Measure	Rank	Of
Population, July 2025 estimate	54th	1,239
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)	139th	884
Residents per square mile	538th	914
Median household income	739th	914
Per capita income	529th	911
Median home value	583rd	913
Median gross rent	760th	825
Poverty rate	85th	706
Bachelor's degree or higher	345th	914
Median age	318th	914
Owner-occupied share	649th	914
Work from home	332nd	827
Travel time to work	811th	914

Hayward (town)'s figures with every place in Wisconsin (CSV)

Every place in Wisconsin, sortable · Compare Hayward (town) with other places

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Hayward (town)?

14 of the 57 figures for Hayward (town) on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.

The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Hayward (town) are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.