Shell Lake

County:: Washburn County
County Seat:: Yes
Area (mi²):: 5.846
State:: Wisconsin

Shell Lake is a city located in Washburn County, Wisconsin. Shell Lake has a 2025 population of 1,389. It is also the county seat of Washburn County. Shell Lake is currently growing at a rate of 0.22% annually and its population has increased by 0.94% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,376 in 2020.

The average household income in Shell Lake is $91,181 with a poverty rate of 9.03%.The median age in Shell Lake is 45 years: 42.7 years for males, and 47.5 years for females.

Demographics

The racial composition of Shell Lake includes 92% White, and smaller percentages for Native American, Black or African American, other race, Asian and multiracial populations.

Population by Race

Race	Population	Percentage (of total)
White	1,392	92%
Two or more races	89	5.88%
Native American	17	1.12%
Black or African American	9	0.59%
Other race	4	0.26%
Asian	2	0.13%

Shell Lake Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

Never Married

Economics and Income Statistics

Shell Lake's average per capita income is $46,295. Household income levels show a median of $56,875. The poverty rate stands at 9.03%.

Families: A family includes the owner or renter of the home along with everyone related to them - whether through birth, marriage, or adoption. This includes relatives like spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members.

Households: A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit (such as a house or apartment) as their usual place of residence.

Non Families: A nonfamily household is either someone living alone or when the owner/renter lives with people they aren't related to, like roommates.

Name	Median	Mean
Married Families	$107,917	-
Families	$87,917	$128,782
Households	$56,875	$91,181
Non Families	$26,875	$38,513

$46,295

Average Income

$56,875

Median Household Income

9.03%

Poverty Rate