Iron County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Iron County, Wisconsin has a population of 6,210 across 758 square miles, up 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $235.3 m in 2024, 193 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m.
107 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Iron County
How many people live in Iron County
- Population6,210
- Households3,109
- Average household size2.00
- Median household income$60,625
- Median age56.1
- Median gross rent$662 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$165,900
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,979
- Population under 18963
- Share under 1815.5 percent
- Population 65 and over2,051
- Share 65 and over33.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,196
- Civilian labor force2,799
- Unemployment rate2.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.3 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties70th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2796th
Iron County is the 70th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 33.0 percent against 15.5 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.
Iron County
Is Iron County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.70 percent
- Census 2020 base population6,131
- Births, 202455
- Deaths, 2024100
- Natural change, 2024-45
- Net domestic migration, 20241
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 20244
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024314
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1273rd
The county has grown 1.70 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.
Iron County
Where people moving to Iron County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving180
- People arriving, from those returns306
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$108,483
- Largest single originIron County Non-migrants (2,653 households)
- Largest single destination (2,653 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County Non-migrants | 2,653 | 4,746 | $169.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 104 | 172 | $13.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 41 | 73 | $4.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 41 | 73 | $4.0 m |
| Gogebic County | 35 | 61 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Iron 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.
Iron County
What the Iron County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$235.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$224.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years29.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties70th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2829th
- GDP per resident$37,897
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 29.3 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.
Iron County
Who employs people in Iron County
- Covered employment, annual average1,686
- Establishments reporting228
- Average annual pay$40,528
- Average weekly wage$779
- Sector 62, employment273
- Sector 62, average annual pay$36,395
- Sector 23, employment220
- Sector 23, average annual pay$53,905
- Sector 31-33, employment176
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$44,893
- Sector 44-45, employment140
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,966
- Sector 54, employment52
- Sector 42, employment51
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 273 | 30 | $36,395 |
| Sector 23 | 220 | 29 | $53,905 |
| Sector 31-33 | 176 | 7 | $44,893 |
| Sector 44-45 | 140 | 22 | $25,966 |
| Sector 54 | 52 | 11 | $30,163 |
| Sector 42 | 51 | 8 | $41,415 |
| Sector 52 | 39 | 7 | $49,210 |
| Sector 56 | 26 | 9 | $48,400 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 273 jobs, 16.2 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.
Iron County
What businesses operate in Iron County
- Establishments, all industries193
- Employment at those establishments1,345
- Annual payroll$50.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.1
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.
Iron County
What is being built in Iron County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202472
- Declared construction value permitted$24.0 m
- Single family units authorised32
- Multifamily units authorised40
- Multifamily share of units55.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$333,452
- Units authorised per 1,000 households23.2
Multifamily is 55.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Iron County
How much SBA lending happens in Iron County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$303,982
- Median 7(a) approval$70,000
- 10th percentile approval$45,000
- 90th percentile approval$270,000
- Largest single approval$2,436,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)154
- Jobs per approval14.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals9.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countDirect Mail Advertising (2)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (3)
The average approval of $303,982 sits well above the median of $70,000, 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 27.3 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.
Iron County
Do SBA loans in Iron County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure8
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Iron County
Which parts of Iron County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Hurley, approvals9
- Saxon, approvals1
- MERCER, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hurley | 9 | $3,003,800 |
| Saxon | 1 | $70,000 |
| MERCER | 1 | $270,000 |
Hurley accounts for 9 approvals against 1 in Saxon. 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.
Iron County
How big is Iron County
- Land area758 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties36th of 72
- Width, east to west29.7 mi
- Height, north to south42 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land8
- Establishments per square mile0.25
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Iron 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 Iron County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population6,210
- Households3,109
- Average household size2.00
- Median household income$60,625
- Median age56.1
Common questions
Iron County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Iron County, Wisconsin?
6,210, in 3,109 households, ranking 70th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Iron County growing?
The population has grown 1.70 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 55 births against 100 deaths, with net migration of 4. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Iron County?
$60,625. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,900, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $662 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Iron County?
193 establishments, employing 1,345 people with an annual payroll of $50.8 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 Iron County?
Average annual pay is $40,528, or $779 a week, across 1,686 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Iron County?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $70,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Iron County?
72 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $24.0 m. Multifamily was 55.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Iron 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 Iron County come from?
The largest single origin is Iron County Non-migrants, with 2,653 households. Arriving households report an average income of $108,483 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 Iron 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 Iron 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.