Lafayette County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Lafayette County, Wisconsin has a population of 16,942 across 634 square miles, up 4.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $931.9 m in 2024, 348 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $385,000.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lafayette County
How many people live in Lafayette County
- Population16,942
- Households6,763
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$76,462
- Median age40.8
- Median gross rent$830 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$194,500
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,410
- Population under 184,281
- Share under 1825.3 percent
- Population 65 and over3,450
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,211
- Civilian labor force8,607
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.0 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties58th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2040th
Lafayette County is the 58th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.3 percent against 20.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lafayette County
Is Lafayette County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,596
- Births, 2024257
- Deaths, 2024153
- Natural change, 2024104
- Net domestic migration, 202412
- Net international migration, 2024130
- Total net migration, 2024142
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202424
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents642nd
The county has grown 4.28 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.
Lafayette County
Where people moving to Lafayette County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving353
- People arriving, from those returns562
- Adjusted gross income arriving$18.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,606
- Largest single originLafayette County Non-migrants (6,720 households)
- Largest single destination (6,720 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County Non-migrants | 6,720 | 14,375 | $440.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 77 | 121 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 77 | 121 | $4.2 m |
| Grant County | 76 | 133 | $2.9 m |
| Green County | 65 | 93 | $2.9 m |
| Dane County | 50 | 68 | $3.7 m |
| Iowa County | 45 | 84 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 40 | 63 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lafayette 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.
Lafayette County
What the Lafayette County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$931.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$899.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years50.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties55th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1897th
- GDP per resident$55,005
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 50.2 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.
Lafayette County
Who employs people in Lafayette County
- Covered employment, annual average5,068
- Establishments reporting510
- Average annual pay$50,347
- Average weekly wage$968
- Sector 31-33, employment1,202
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$58,939
- Sector 23, employment404
- Sector 23, average annual pay$71,647
- Sector 44-45, employment352
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,363
- Sector 42, employment287
- Sector 42, average annual pay$58,928
- Sector 56, employment226
- Sector 52, employment162
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,202 | 28 | $58,939 |
| Sector 23 | 404 | 50 | $71,647 |
| Sector 44-45 | 352 | 39 | $33,363 |
| Sector 42 | 287 | 26 | $58,928 |
| Sector 56 | 226 | 18 | $67,454 |
| Sector 52 | 162 | 28 | $58,241 |
| Sector 53 | 13 | 9 | $23,163 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,202 jobs, 23.7 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.
Lafayette County
What businesses operate in Lafayette County
- Establishments, all industries348
- Employment at those establishments3,808
- Annual payroll$185.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.5
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.
Lafayette County
What is being built in Lafayette County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202455
- Declared construction value permitted$15.3 m
- Single family units authorised51
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units7.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$277,657
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.1
Multifamily is 7.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lafayette County
How much SBA lending happens in Lafayette County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$385,000
- Average 7(a) approval$192,500
- Median 7(a) approval$260,000
- 10th percentile approval$125,000
- 90th percentile approval$260,000
- Largest single approval$260,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)11
- Jobs per approval5.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (1)
- Most active lenderByline Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$640,000
- Average 504 approval$640,000
- Median 504 approval$640,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$1.0 m
The average approval of $192,500 sits close to the median of $260,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 50.0 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.
Lafayette County
Do SBA loans in Lafayette County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
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.
Lafayette County
Which parts of Lafayette County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- BENTON, approvals1
- Shullsburg, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BENTON | 1 | $260,000 |
| Shullsburg | 1 | $125,000 |
BENTON accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in Shullsburg. 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.
Lafayette County
How big is Lafayette County
- Land area634 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties46th of 72
- Width, east to west30 mi
- Height, north to south21.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.55
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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,942
- Households6,763
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$76,462
- Median age40.8
Common questions
Lafayette County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lafayette County, Wisconsin?
16,942, in 6,763 households, ranking 58th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lafayette County growing?
The population has grown 4.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 257 births against 153 deaths, with net migration of 142. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lafayette County?
$76,462. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,500, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $830 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lafayette County?
348 establishments, employing 3,808 people with an annual payroll of $185.3 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 Lafayette County?
Average annual pay is $50,347, or $968 a week, across 5,068 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lafayette County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $385,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $260,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $640,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lafayette County?
55 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.3 m. Multifamily was 7.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lafayette 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 Lafayette County come from?
The largest single origin is Lafayette County Non-migrants, with 6,720 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,606 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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.