Barron County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Barron County, Wisconsin has a population of 46,797 across 863 square miles, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.99 bn in 2024, 1,340 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 63 7(a) approvals worth $46.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Barron County
How many people live in Barron County
- Population46,797
- Households19,955
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$65,933
- Median age44.9
- Median gross rent$879 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$216,600
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over33,522
- Population under 189,868
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over11,028
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6425,901
- Civilian labor force23,574
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.8 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties30th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1062nd
Barron County is the 30th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.6 percent against 21.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barron County
Is Barron County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.22 percent
- Census 2020 base population46,709
- Births, 2024435
- Deaths, 2024559
- Natural change, 2024-124
- Net domestic migration, 2024-87
- Net international migration, 2024101
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024366
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1745th
The county has grown 0.22 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barron County
Where people moving to Barron County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,209
- People arriving, from those returns2,068
- Adjusted gross income arriving$74.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,649
- Largest single originBarron County Non-migrants (19,182 households)
- Largest single destination (19,182 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barron County Non-migrants | 19,182 | 37,658 | $1.44 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 338 | 577 | $22.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 177 | 310 | $10.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 170 | 275 | $10.8 m |
| Polk County | 138 | 223 | $6.4 m |
| Chippewa County | 109 | 175 | $6.7 m |
| Washburn County | 89 | 160 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 88 | 162 | $5.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Barron County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Barron County
What the Barron County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.99 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years34.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents982nd
- GDP per resident$63,973
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 34.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Barron County
Who employs people in Barron County
- Covered employment, annual average21,519
- Establishments reporting1,569
- Average annual pay$47,983
- Average weekly wage$923
- Sector 31-33, employment4,939
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$59,099
- Sector 62, employment3,195
- Sector 62, average annual pay$52,992
- Sector 44-45, employment3,140
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,924
- Sector 72, employment1,799
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,748
- Sector 56, employment856
- Sector 23, employment767
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 4,939 | 86 | $59,099 |
| Sector 62 | 3,195 | 278 | $52,992 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,140 | 212 | $33,924 |
| Sector 72 | 1,799 | 162 | $17,748 |
| Sector 56 | 856 | 83 | $42,878 |
| Sector 23 | 767 | 144 | $63,065 |
| Sector 48-49 | 559 | 68 | $48,496 |
| Sector 52 | 421 | 73 | $70,580 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,939 jobs, 23.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barron County
What businesses operate in Barron County
- Establishments, all industries1,340
- Employment at those establishments17,770
- Annual payroll$867.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barron County
What is being built in Barron County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024161
- Declared construction value permitted$51.8 m
- Single family units authorised145
- Multifamily units authorised16
- Multifamily share of units9.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$321,698
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.1
Multifamily is 9.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barron County
How much SBA lending happens in Barron County
- 7(a) approvals recorded63
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$46.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$740,105
- Median 7(a) approval$330,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,302,100
- Largest single approval$4,294,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)652
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active20
- Distinct industries receiving approvals34
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter42
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals4.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countDairy Cattle and Milk Production (8)
- Most active lenderHiawatha National Bank (15)
- 504 approvals recorded35
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.4 m
- Average 504 approval$639,257
- Median 504 approval$360,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (31)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals64.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$69.0 m
The average approval of $740,105 sits well above the median of $330,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 22.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barron County
Do SBA loans in Barron County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full18
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full18
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure38
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barron County
Which parts of Barron County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- RICE LAKE, approvals20
- CLAYTON, approvals11
- CUMBERLAND, approvals8
- Chetek, approvals8
- CAMERON, approvals4
- TURTLE LAKE, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| RICE LAKE | 20 | $23,697,200 |
| CLAYTON | 11 | $5,280,000 |
| CUMBERLAND | 8 | $7,016,700 |
| Chetek | 8 | $4,969,700 |
| CAMERON | 4 | $2,762,000 |
| TURTLE LAKE | 4 | $883,600 |
| COMSTOCK | 3 | $700,000 |
| BARRON | 2 | $785,500 |
RICE LAKE accounts for 20 approvals against 11 in CLAYTON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barron County
How big is Barron County
- Land area863 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties24th of 72
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south29.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile1.55
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Barron County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Barron County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population46,797
- Households19,955
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$65,933
- Median age44.9
Common questions
Barron County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barron County, Wisconsin?
46,797, in 19,955 households, ranking 30th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barron County growing?
The population has grown 0.22 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 435 births against 559 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barron County?
$65,933. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $216,600, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $879 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Barron County?
1,340 establishments, employing 17,770 people with an annual payroll of $867.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Barron County?
Average annual pay is $47,983, or $923 a week, across 21,519 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barron County?
63 7(a) approvals totalling $46.6 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $330,000, plus 35 504 approvals worth $22.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Barron County get paid back?
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 18 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 10.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Barron County?
161 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $51.8 m. Multifamily was 9.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barron County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Barron County come from?
The largest single origin is Barron County Non-migrants, with 19,182 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,649 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Barron County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Barron County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.