Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 2,533 at the 2020 census. The city w…Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 2,533 at the 2020 census. The city was formally organized in 1883. It is near the Namekagon River and is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.