Bayfield County, WI elected officials: county supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Bayfield County: 7 seats on 7 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County ClerkLynn Divine Democratic source
Clerk of Circuit CourtDeidre Zifko Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerThomas Renz Democratic source
District AttorneyKimberly Lawton Democratic source
Register of DeedsDan Heffner Democratic source
SheriffTony Williams Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerJenna Galligan Democratic source

How many local governments Bayfield County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 44 local governments in Bayfield County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships (3 municipal, 25 township)280
School districts (school boards)40
Special districts (elected boards)110

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Bayfield County

16,575people
54.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$71,151 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
9.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
35%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$240,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
10.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.3%U.S.: 8.4%
40.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.1% · White 83.7% · Black 0.7% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 13.1% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Bayfield County

3.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.7%. Wisconsin: 2.9%.
247people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
8,044people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,291in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Bayfield County 0.0%2.4%4.9%7.3%9.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.0%2478,0448,291
August 20263.8%3218,2188,539
July 20263.8%3298,3388,667
June 20263.7%3208,2488,568
May 20263.4%2717,6347,905
April 20265.2%4027,2727,674
March 20266.8%5127,0717,583
February 20266.7%5057,0877,592
January 20266.2%4617,0127,473
December 20254.8%3697,2597,628
November 20254.3%3237,2667,589
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.7%2167,6937,909
August 20253.3%2697,8968,165
July 20253.5%2928,0918,383
June 20253.7%3128,0188,330
May 20253.6%2827,5127,794
April 20255.4%4097,1627,571
March 20256.7%5087,1027,610
February 20256.1%4697,1767,645
January 20256.2%4747,1167,590
December 20244.8%3647,2267,590
November 20243.7%2797,2397,518
October 20242.7%2117,5667,777
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.6%3577,4817,838
20244.1%3227,4897,811
20234.3%3267,3267,652
20224.7%3557,2477,602
20215.8%4427,2357,677
20209.3%7187,0237,741
20195.3%4187,4987,916
20184.8%3797,5487,927
20175.1%4027,4237,825
20166.6%5167,3357,851

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Wisconsin's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.2% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Bayfield County

111.2 per 100,0002024. Wisconsin: 284.4.
714.3 per 100,0002024. Wisconsin: 1,171.8.
2murders2024, 19 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202419111.2122714.3
202026173.0129858.5
201931206.3121805.2
201825166.5125832.6
201724161.31671,122.7
201636240.91771,184.3
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Bayfield County Sheriff's Office202597213,036
Washburn Police Department20247192,028
Iron River Police Department20250111,292
Bayfield Police Department202408609

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Wisconsin · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.90 per 1,000 residents2023, 4 agencies serving 16,856 people.
32sworn officers2023, full-time, as of October 31.
27civilian staff2023, full-time.

2023 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (4), 2023
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Bayfield County Sheriff's Office212712,939
Washburn Police Department502,017
Bayfield Police Department30601
Iron River Police Department301,299
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2023321.90274
2022332.01304
2020312.06234
2019312.06234
2018312.06234
2017302.02164

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Bayfield County County Clerk?
Lynn Divine (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Bayfield County Clerk of Circuit Court?
Deidre Zifko (Democratic) is the Clerk of Circuit Court of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Bayfield County Coroner?
Thomas Renz (Democratic) is the Coroner of Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Bayfield County District Attorney?
Kimberly Lawton (Democratic) is the District Attorney of Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Bayfield County Register of Deeds?
Dan Heffner (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds of Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Bayfield County Sheriff?
Tony Williams (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Bayfield County County Treasurer?
Jenna Galligan (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Bayfield County?
About 16,575 people, with a median age of 54.6; the median household income is $71,151 and 9.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Bayfield County?
3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 247 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,291, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Bayfield County?
44 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 25 township, 4 school district and 11 special district governments.

Officeholders as of August 4, 2025, from the Wisconsin Blue Book 2025–2026 (Legislative Reference Bureau), as county clerks reported their officers in April 2025; officials elected or appointed since then may differ, and only each county board's chair is listed; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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