Lincoln County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Lincoln County, Wisconsin has a population of 28,426 across 879 square miles, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.74 bn in 2024, 686 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 15 7(a) approvals worth $12.6 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lincoln County
How many people live in Lincoln County
- Population28,426
- Households12,772
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$68,164
- Median age49.3
- Median gross rent$755 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$192,700
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,637
- Population under 185,065
- Share under 1817.8 percent
- Population 65 and over6,721
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,640
- Civilian labor force14,040
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.1 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties45th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1528th
Lincoln County is the 45th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 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 17.8 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.
Lincoln County
Is Lincoln County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.16 percent
- Census 2020 base population28,416
- Births, 2024248
- Deaths, 2024377
- Natural change, 2024-129
- Net domestic migration, 2024106
- Net international migration, 202454
- Total net migration, 2024160
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024594
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1770th
The county has grown 0.16 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.
Lincoln County
Where people moving to Lincoln County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving732
- People arriving, from those returns1,239
- Adjusted gross income arriving$46.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,980
- Largest single originLincoln County Non-migrants (11,807 households)
- Largest single destination (11,807 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County Non-migrants | 11,807 | 22,785 | $810.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 265 | 456 | $15.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 186 | 310 | $13.3 m |
| Marathon County | 180 | 313 | $11.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 94 | 157 | $7.5 m |
| Oneida County | 77 | 129 | $3.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 52 | 81 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 40 | 72 | $2.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lincoln 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.
Lincoln County
What the Lincoln County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.74 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.3 percent
- GDP change over five years21.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties41st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1395th
- GDP per resident$61,369
Output grew 0.3 percent in the latest year and 21.3 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.
Lincoln County
Who employs people in Lincoln County
- Covered employment, annual average9,997
- Establishments reporting792
- Average annual pay$51,054
- Average weekly wage$982
- Sector 31-33, employment2,197
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,427
- Sector 44-45, employment1,245
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,975
- Sector 52, employment868
- Sector 52, average annual pay$78,963
- Sector 62, employment867
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,666
- Sector 72, employment862
- Sector 48-49, employment407
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,197 | 39 | $62,427 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,245 | 99 | $31,975 |
| Sector 52 | 868 | 38 | $78,963 |
| Sector 62 | 867 | 153 | $51,666 |
| Sector 72 | 862 | 88 | $15,981 |
| Sector 48-49 | 407 | 31 | $57,107 |
| Sector 23 | 380 | 74 | $63,362 |
| Sector 42 | 265 | 18 | $55,899 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,197 jobs, 22.0 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.
Lincoln County
What businesses operate in Lincoln County
- Establishments, all industries686
- Employment at those establishments8,854
- Annual payroll$440.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.1
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.
Lincoln County
What is being built in Lincoln County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024143
- Declared construction value permitted$45.9 m
- Single family units authorised141
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units1.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,642
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.2
Multifamily is 1.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lincoln County
How much SBA lending happens in Lincoln County
- 7(a) approvals recorded15
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$12.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$841,820
- Median 7(a) approval$430,000
- 10th percentile approval$110,600
- 90th percentile approval$3,030,000
- Largest single approval$3,600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)127
- Jobs per approval8.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals6.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOrnamental and Architectural Metal Work Manufacturing (2)
- Most active lenderNicolet National Bank (5)
- 504 approvals recorded15
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.3 m
- Average 504 approval$553,933
- Median 504 approval$426,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.5
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (15)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$20.9 m
The average approval of $841,820 sits well above the median of $430,000, 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. 33.3 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.
Lincoln County
Do SBA loans in Lincoln County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Lincoln County
Which parts of Lincoln County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Merrill, approvals7
- Tomahawk, approvals5
- Gleason, approvals2
- IRMA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Merrill | 7 | $9,558,000 |
| Tomahawk | 5 | $2,275,300 |
| Gleason | 2 | $364,000 |
| IRMA | 1 | $430,000 |
Merrill accounts for 7 approvals against 5 in Tomahawk. 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.
Lincoln County
How big is Lincoln County
- Land area879 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties21st of 72
- Width, east to west30.2 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land32
- Establishments per square mile0.78
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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population28,426
- Households12,772
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$68,164
- Median age49.3
Common questions
Lincoln County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lincoln County, Wisconsin?
28,426, in 12,772 households, ranking 45th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lincoln County growing?
The population has grown 0.16 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 248 births against 377 deaths, with net migration of 160. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lincoln County?
$68,164. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $192,700, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $755 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lincoln County?
686 establishments, employing 8,854 people with an annual payroll of $440.8 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 Lincoln County?
Average annual pay is $51,054, or $982 a week, across 9,997 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lincoln County?
15 7(a) approvals totalling $12.6 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $430,000, plus 15 504 approvals worth $8.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lincoln County?
143 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $45.9 m. Multifamily was 1.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lincoln 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 Lincoln County come from?
The largest single origin is Lincoln County Non-migrants, with 11,807 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,980 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.