A wire-wound inductor includes a core that includes a columnar winding core portion having a side surface extending in an up-down direction, an upper flange disposed at an upper end of the winding core portion, and a lower flange disposed at a lower end of the winding core portion. The wire-wound inductor also includes a pair of terminal electrodes formed at the lower flange and a wire wound around the side surface of the winding core portion, the wire having both end portions coupled to respective terminal electrodes. In the wire-wound inductor, a ratio Sa/Sb of a cross-sectional area Sa to a lateral area Sb is one or more, where the cross-sectional area Sa is an area of cross section of the winding core portion and the lateral area Sb is an area of a side-surface extension portion that passes through the upper flange.