The Town Files

Barron, Wisconsin

Town in Barron County · population 813 (2020 Census)

Map: where Barron is in WisconsinBarron
Median home
$200,800
Household income
$80,909
Jan low / Jul high
2° / 81°
Snow a year
53 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
39.8

Barron is a town of 813 people in Barron County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $200,800, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks more vibrant than 82% of Wisconsin towns.

How Barron ranks

Percentile among Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Wisconsin towns.

Barron lifestyle rankings vs other Wisconsin townsRetirement65th pctFamilies14th pctQuiet25th pctWalkability65th pctFirst-time buyers69th pctYoung professionals51st pctVibrancy82nd pctHip & trendy54th pctCollege town28th pctUpscale7th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving41st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Barron is worth $200,800, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $80,909, which is more affordable than 86% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $762 a month. 72.1% of households own their home.

Barron vs Barron County vs typical Wisconsin townBarronBarron CountyTypical Wisconsin townHome value$200,800$216,600$256,000Household income$80,909$65,933$82,217Monthly rent$762$879$951
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Wisconsin towns with 500+ people.
HousingBarronTypical Wisconsin town
Median home value$200,800$256,000
Median rent$762$951
Median household income$80,909$82,217
Home value ÷ income2.5×3.1×
Homeownership72.1%86.8%
Median year built19521978
Seasonal / vacation homes0.9%—

Who lives in Barron

PeopleBarronTypical Wisconsin town
Median age39.845.1
Age 65 and over14.4%21.0%
Under 1830.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.8%23.8%
Below the poverty line9.7%7.2%
Veterans7.0%—
Born outside the U.S.1.7%—
Work from home7.3%10.9%
Average commute19.1 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband84.4%89.1%

Weather in Barron

July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 1.7°F. About 31.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.5 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 173 nights at or below freezing.

Barron monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing22°2°Jan27°5°Feb40°18°Mar54°32°Apr68°45°May77°55°Jun81°59°Jul80°56°Aug71°48°Sep57°35°Oct40°23°Nov27°10°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.910.50.810.71.58.92.83.53.90.54.24.04.23.33.00.81.75.71.211.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Rice Lake station (4.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Barron since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on May 16, 2017 about 7.5 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 37 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 28, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Barron by decade01950s51960s11970s01980s31990s22000s42010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 53 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on July 23, 1965.

Severe weather in Barron County since 1996

Storm events in Barron County since 1996 by typeHail148Heat6Tornado15Heavy Rain7Heavy Snow12Flash Flood9Funnel Cloud11Winter Storm70
NOAA Storm Events Database, Barron County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Barron County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3454: Covid-19
August 27, 2019FloodDR-4459: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
September 13, 2005HurricaneEM-3249: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
September 10, 2002TornadoDR-1432: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Barron County

Barron County had 21,519 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,983 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Barron itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

Largest industries in Barron CountyManufacturing4,939 jobs · $59,099Health care & social assistan…3,195 jobs · $52,992Retail3,140 jobs · $33,924Hotels & restaurants1,799 jobs · $17,748Administrative & support856 jobs · $42,878Construction767 jobs · $63,065
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Barron County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Barron 3.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Barron

Barron questions

Is Barron, Wisconsin a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Barron scores better for retirees than 65% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 25%. 14.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.8).

How much does a house cost in Barron?

The median owner-occupied home in Barron is valued at $200,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,909, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $762 a month.

What is the weather like in Barron?

July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 1.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.4 inches of precipitation a year and 52.5 inches of snow.

Does Barron get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Barron since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 16, 2017. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Barron's Census boundary (GEOID 5500504900). Comparisons use the median of Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.