Brown County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Brown County, Wisconsin has a population of 270,892 across 530 square miles, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $25.71 bn in 2024, 6,722 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 349 7(a) approvals worth $170.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Brown County
How many people live in Brown County
- Population270,892
- Households110,933
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$79,649
- Median age38.2
- Median gross rent$1,031 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$266,000
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over183,605
- Population under 1862,260
- Share under 1823.0 percent
- Population 65 and over44,324
- Share 65 and over16.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64164,308
- Civilian labor force146,759
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.3 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties4th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents265th
Brown County is the 4th 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 under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.0 percent against 16.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Brown County
Is Brown County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.92 percent
- Census 2020 base population268,746
- Births, 20243,002
- Deaths, 20242,339
- Natural change, 2024663
- Net domestic migration, 2024259
- Net international migration, 2024898
- Total net migration, 20241,157
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202430
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1190th
The county has grown 1.92 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Brown County
Where people moving to Brown County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,865
- People arriving, from those returns9,346
- Adjusted gross income arriving$357.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,994
- Largest single originBrown County Non-migrants (110,842 households)
- Largest single destination (110,842 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County Non-migrants | 110,842 | 222,232 | $10.92 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,697 | 2,993 | $121.5 m |
| Outagamie County | 595 | 944 | $32.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 590 | 979 | $45.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 530 | 965 | $35.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 432 | 787 | $31.0 m |
| Oconto County | 369 | 578 | $21.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 286 | 438 | $14.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Brown 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.
Brown County
What the Brown County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$25.71 bn
- County GDP, 2023$24.18 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.3 percent
- GDP change over five years31.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents219th
- GDP per resident$94,904
Output grew 6.3 percent in the latest year and 31.2 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.
Brown County
Who employs people in Brown County
- Covered employment, annual average157,834
- Establishments reporting7,615
- Average annual pay$63,349
- Average weekly wage$1,218
- Sector 31-33, employment28,647
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,216
- Sector 62, employment24,050
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,945
- Sector 44-45, employment15,350
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,921
- Sector 72, employment12,605
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,908
- Sector 42, employment8,292
- Sector 23, employment7,927
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 28,647 | 446 | $68,216 |
| Sector 62 | 24,050 | 1,268 | $65,945 |
| Sector 44-45 | 15,350 | 775 | $35,921 |
| Sector 72 | 12,605 | 651 | $21,908 |
| Sector 42 | 8,292 | 460 | $78,531 |
| Sector 23 | 7,927 | 711 | $78,926 |
| Sector 48-49 | 7,286 | 250 | $61,896 |
| Sector 52 | 6,564 | 465 | $92,614 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 28,647 jobs, 18.2 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.
Brown County
What businesses operate in Brown County
- Establishments, all industries6,722
- Employment at those establishments142,969
- Annual payroll$8.80 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.8
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.
Brown County
What is being built in Brown County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,587
- Declared construction value permitted$440.9 m
- Single family units authorised539
- Multifamily units authorised1,048
- Multifamily share of units66.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$277,802
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.3
Multifamily is 66.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brown County
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County
- 7(a) approvals recorded349
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$170.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$487,915
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,200,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,959
- Jobs per approval11.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active62
- Distinct industries receiving approvals137
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms35
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter290
- Franchise loans54
- Franchise share of approvals15.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (15)
- Most active lenderNicolet National Bank (56)
- 504 approvals recorded184
- 504 gross approval dollars$166.3 m
- Average 504 approval$903,630
- Median 504 approval$595,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval9.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.8
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (157)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals65.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$336.6 m
The average approval of $487,915 sits well above the median of $250,000, 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 10.0 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.
Brown County
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded67
- Paid in full66
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans1.5 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure230
- Status: Paid in full66
- Status: Cancelled37
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed15
Of the 67 loans that have reached a final outcome, 1.5 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.
Brown County
Which parts of Brown County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending15
- Green Bay, approvals218
- De Pere, approvals60
- SUAMICO, approvals20
- NEW FRANKEN, approvals13
- Wrightstown, approvals7
- PULASKI, approvals7
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | 218 | $106,421,500 |
| De Pere | 60 | $27,870,400 |
| SUAMICO | 20 | $7,881,300 |
| NEW FRANKEN | 13 | $12,183,000 |
| Wrightstown | 7 | $2,372,700 |
| PULASKI | 7 | $4,917,500 |
| Denmark | 6 | $3,190,000 |
| GREENLEAF | 6 | $542,000 |
Green Bay accounts for 218 approvals against 60 in De Pere. 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.
Brown County
How big is Brown County
- Land area530 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties56th of 72
- Width, east to west23.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land511
- Establishments per square mile12.68
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 Brown 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 Brown County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population270,892
- Households110,933
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$79,649
- Median age38.2
Common questions
Brown County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brown County, Wisconsin?
270,892, in 110,933 households, ranking 4th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brown County growing?
The population has grown 1.92 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,002 births against 2,339 deaths, with net migration of 1,157. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brown County?
$79,649. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $266,000, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,031 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Brown County?
6,722 establishments, employing 142,969 people with an annual payroll of $8.80 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Brown County?
Average annual pay is $63,349, or $1,218 a week, across 157,834 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County?
349 7(a) approvals totalling $170.3 m since FY2020, across 62 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 184 504 approvals worth $166.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back?
Of the 67 loans that have reached a final outcome, 66 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 1.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Brown County?
1,587 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $440.9 m. Multifamily was 66.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brown 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 Brown County come from?
The largest single origin is Brown County Non-migrants, with 110,842 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,994 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 Brown 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 Brown 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.