Cost of Living & Housing in Bayfield
Bayfield's cost of living reflects a real lakefront/second-home premium layered onto Bayfield County's broader housing market -- a genuine trade-off for direct Lake Superior and Apostle Islands access this record discloses with real, disclosed cross-source figures rather than one falsely precise number.
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Learn moreA real, disclosed county-wide housing price range with a lakefront premium
No Bayfield-city-specific median home value distinct from Bayfield County's own figures was found this pass -- Bayfield County's median home value ran approximately $224,150 per one source, with a separately cited lower figure of $189,000. Bayfield's own housing carries a real lakefront/second-home price premium relative to the county overall; confirm current, address-specific comparable-sale pricing directly with a local agent (base record).
A property tax rate equal to Wisconsin's statewide median
Bayfield's own median effective property tax rate ran 1.43% (Ownwell) -- equal to Wisconsin's statewide median -- while Bayfield County's broader median rate runs a separately disclosed lower 1.09%. Bayfield's median annual tax bill runs approximately $3,190, reflecting the city's real lakefront/second-home price premium (base record).
Wisconsin's simple state income tax layer, no local piggyback
Wisconsin's real, 4-bracket progressive state income tax (3.50%-7.65% for single filers, 2026) applies in Bayfield as everywhere else in the state, with NO local city or county piggyback income tax layer (base record).
Key takeaways
- Bayfield County home values run a real, disclosed $189,000-$224,150 range, with Bayfield's own lakefront housing carrying a further price premium above that county-wide figure.
- Bayfield's own 1.43% effective property tax rate equals Wisconsin's statewide median, with a median annual bill of approximately $3,190.
- Wisconsin layers a 4-bracket state income tax (3.50%-7.65%) on top of these housing costs, with no local add-on.
- Confirm current, address-specific pricing and tax figures directly given Bayfield's genuinely small housing sample size.
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