Bayfield County, Wisconsin Eviction Risk: Low

Bayfield County sits in Wisconsin eviction laws's far north along the Apostle Islands shoreline, a region defined more by tourism and seasonal recreation than by dense rental markets. With roughly 4,193 residents spread across 10 communities, the county carries an eviction risk score of 2.9/10 (Low), placing it 43rd out of 72 Wisconsin counties. That ranking puts Bayfield in the middle band statewide -- 42 counties carry higher risk and 29 carry lower risk. Scores across the county's communities range from a low of 2.7 to a high of 3.4/10, a narrow spread that reflects broadly similar market conditions throughout this rural, lake-country corridor.

The county seat of Washburn is the largest community, with 1,884 residents and a risk score of 2.8/10. Iron River, the second-largest community at 826 residents, scores 2.8/10. The city of Bayfield itself -- the historic fishing and tourism hub overlooking Chequamegon Bay -- carries a score of 3/10 among its 565 residents. Smaller communities like Cable (2.8/10) and Grand View (2.8/10) track closely with the county average, while Drummond and Cornucopia, each with under 150 residents, come in at the lower end of the range. Port Wing (3.4/10) and Mason (3.4/10) represent the highest-risk communities in the county, though even those scores remain well within the Low tier relative to Wisconsin as a whole and far below the 3.1 state average.

About 30.6% of Bayfield County households rent rather than own, a renter share that is modest by Wisconsin standards. Average asking rent runs $834 per month, and renters spend an average of 28.8% of household income on housing costs -- below the conventional 30% cost-burden threshold but close enough that any income disruption can put tenants in a difficult position quickly. The poverty rate sits at 11.4%, a figure that underscores the economic precarity that seasonal employment patterns can create in rural tourist economies. Wisconsin law under Wis. Stat. § 704 does not require just cause for eviction and does not protect source of income at the state level, which means tenants here have limited legal leverage beyond procedural rights. A non-payment of rent notice requires only 5 days before a landlord may file, and uncontested cases can resolve in as few as 21 to 45 days -- a timeline that offers little room for tenants facing a short-term cash shortfall to recover without assistance.

Bayfield County's Low eviction-risk profile reflects a relatively thin rental market anchored by Washburn's small downtown and seasonal worker housing near Ashland and the Apostle Islands. Low renter density, limited rental stock, and Wisconsin eviction laws's landlord-favorable statute framework combine to keep procedural eviction timelines short, even as rent burden levels near the 30% threshold suggest that individual tenants face real financial exposure when employment gaps arise.