Jefferson County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Wisconsin has a population of 86,003 across 556 square miles, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.92 bn in 2024, 2,058 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 65 7(a) approvals worth $44.1 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population86,003
- Households34,873
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$83,750
- Median age41.5
- Median gross rent$1,035 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$274,100
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over60,143
- Population under 1816,971
- Share under 1819.7 percent
- Population 65 and over15,933
- Share 65 and over18.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6453,099
- Civilian labor force48,609
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.4 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties20th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents684th
Jefferson County is the 20th 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 19.7 percent against 18.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.10 percent
- Census 2020 base population86,163
- Births, 2024780
- Deaths, 2024855
- Natural change, 2024-75
- Net domestic migration, 2024174
- Net international migration, 2024176
- Total net migration, 2024350
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20240
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1793rd
The county has grown 0.10 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.
Jefferson County
Where people moving to Jefferson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,434
- People arriving, from those returns4,056
- Adjusted gross income arriving$151.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,056
- Largest single originJefferson County Non-migrants (34,040 households)
- Largest single destination (34,040 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County Non-migrants | 34,040 | 67,587 | $2.73 bn |
| Dane County | 476 | 776 | $30.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 459 | 795 | $32.8 m |
| Waukesha County | 376 | 633 | $26.7 m |
| Dodge County | 264 | 461 | $12.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 250 | 376 | $13.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 187 | 306 | $12.8 m |
| Rock County | 172 | 290 | $9.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County
What the Jefferson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.67 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.4 percent
- GDP change over five years34.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties24th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents721st
- GDP per resident$57,242
Output grew 5.4 percent in the latest year and 34.0 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.
Jefferson County
Who employs people in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average33,615
- Establishments reporting2,344
- Average annual pay$54,167
- Average weekly wage$1,042
- Sector 31-33, employment9,275
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,851
- Sector 62, employment4,139
- Sector 62, average annual pay$44,227
- Sector 44-45, employment3,771
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,838
- Sector 72, employment2,469
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,090
- Sector 23, employment2,028
- Sector 56, employment1,490
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 9,275 | 154 | $70,851 |
| Sector 62 | 4,139 | 414 | $44,227 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,771 | 242 | $31,838 |
| Sector 72 | 2,469 | 192 | $18,090 |
| Sector 23 | 2,028 | 286 | $77,070 |
| Sector 56 | 1,490 | 93 | $44,523 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,135 | 94 | $50,985 |
| Sector 42 | 919 | 106 | $70,859 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 9,275 jobs, 27.6 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.
Jefferson County
What businesses operate in Jefferson County
- Establishments, all industries2,058
- Employment at those establishments31,584
- Annual payroll$1.71 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
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.
Jefferson County
What is being built in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024146
- Declared construction value permitted$57.4 m
- Single family units authorised132
- Multifamily units authorised14
- Multifamily share of units9.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$393,346
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.2
Multifamily is 9.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded65
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$44.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$678,435
- Median 7(a) approval$337,500
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,828,000
- Largest single approval$4,179,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)648
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active29
- Distinct industries receiving approvals43
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms23
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter39
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals15.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (7)
- Most active lenderBank Five Nine (9)
- 504 approvals recorded51
- 504 gross approval dollars$37.7 m
- Average 504 approval$738,784
- Median 504 approval$448,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.5
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (48)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals56.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$81.8 m
The average approval of $678,435 sits well above the median of $337,500, 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. 35.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full9
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.0 percent
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Exempt from disclosure41
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 10 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.
Jefferson County
Which parts of Jefferson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- Watertown, approvals19
- FORT ATKINSON, approvals10
- Lake Mills, approvals10
- Ixonia, approvals8
- Jefferson, approvals5
- JOHNSON CREEK, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Watertown | 19 | $8,448,000 |
| FORT ATKINSON | 10 | $6,604,700 |
| Lake Mills | 10 | $6,566,900 |
| Ixonia | 8 | $5,470,500 |
| Jefferson | 5 | $4,770,000 |
| JOHNSON CREEK | 5 | $8,382,000 |
| WATERLOO | 4 | $2,853,400 |
| Sullivan | 2 | $486,000 |
Watertown accounts for 19 approvals against 10 in FORT ATKINSON. 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.
Jefferson County
How big is Jefferson County
- Land area556 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties53rd of 72
- Width, east to west24.2 mi
- Height, north to south24.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land155
- Establishments per square mile3.70
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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population86,003
- Households34,873
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$83,750
- Median age41.5
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Wisconsin?
86,003, in 34,873 households, ranking 20th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County growing?
The population has grown 0.10 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 780 births against 855 deaths, with net migration of 350. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$83,750. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $274,100, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,035 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Jefferson County?
2,058 establishments, employing 31,584 people with an annual payroll of $1.71 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 Jefferson County?
Average annual pay is $54,167, or $1,042 a week, across 33,615 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
65 7(a) approvals totalling $44.1 m since FY2020, across 29 lenders, with a median approval of $337,500, plus 51 504 approvals worth $37.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9 were paid in full and 1 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 Jefferson County?
146 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $57.4 m. Multifamily was 9.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Jefferson County Non-migrants, with 34,040 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,056 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.