Turtle Lake, Wisconsin Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 960, Turtle Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Turtle Lake is a small community located in Wisconsin, within Barron County. The total population is 960. It ranks as the 401st most populous out of 808 Census-designated places in Wisconsin.

Age Demographics

The median age in Turtle Lake is 43.0 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. 14.8% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Turtle Lake is $61,250. This is 21% lower than the state median of $77,485. It is also 24% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 5.3%. This is 49% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.5%. The unemployment rate is 2.0%. This is 39% lower than the state rate of 3.3%. The median home value is $157,500. Housing costs are 41% lower than the state median of $266,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Turtle Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 59.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% lower than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Turtle Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 92.3% of all residents. Asian residents account for 1.0%. The Asian population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

21.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 35% lower than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Turtle Lake, Wisconsin is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Wisconsin state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 808 Census-designated places in Wisconsin. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.