Marathon County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Marathon County, Wisconsin has a population of 138,403 across 1,545 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $11.88 bn in 2024, 3,436 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 126 7(a) approvals worth $51.7 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Marathon County
How many people live in Marathon County
- Population138,403
- Households57,866
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$77,884
- Median age41.3
- Median gross rent$999 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$219,600
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over97,134
- Population under 1831,130
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over26,553
- Share 65 and over19.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6480,720
- Civilian labor force74,273
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.2 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties10th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents481st
Marathon County is the 10th 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 under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.5 percent against 19.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Marathon County
Is Marathon County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.75 percent
- Census 2020 base population138,062
- Births, 20241,457
- Deaths, 20241,434
- Natural change, 202423
- Net domestic migration, 2024-150
- Net international migration, 2024378
- Total net migration, 2024228
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1574th
The county has grown 0.75 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.
Marathon County
Where people moving to Marathon County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,924
- People arriving, from those returns5,010
- Adjusted gross income arriving$192.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,979
- Largest single originMarathon County Non-migrants (57,648 households)
- Largest single destination (57,648 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon County Non-migrants | 57,648 | 116,081 | $4.93 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 850 | 1,562 | $60.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 373 | 631 | $23.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 299 | 518 | $21.5 m |
| Wood County | 262 | 434 | $14.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 254 | 455 | $17.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 251 | 496 | $17.3 m |
| Portage County | 206 | 289 | $11.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Marathon 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.
Marathon County
What the Marathon County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$11.88 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.28 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.3 percent
- GDP change over five years30.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents385th
- GDP per resident$85,851
Output grew 5.3 percent in the latest year and 30.9 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.
Marathon County
Who employs people in Marathon County
- Covered employment, annual average70,626
- Establishments reporting3,960
- Average annual pay$57,976
- Average weekly wage$1,115
- Sector 31-33, employment18,252
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,358
- Sector 62, employment9,518
- Sector 62, average annual pay$70,592
- Sector 44-45, employment7,398
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,526
- Sector 72, employment4,953
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,000
- Sector 52, employment3,409
- Sector 42, employment3,294
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 18,252 | 265 | $67,358 |
| Sector 62 | 9,518 | 732 | $70,592 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,398 | 400 | $34,526 |
| Sector 72 | 4,953 | 326 | $20,000 |
| Sector 52 | 3,409 | 255 | $84,954 |
| Sector 42 | 3,294 | 217 | $72,316 |
| Sector 23 | 2,970 | 364 | $73,509 |
| Sector 55 | 2,241 | 40 | $72,166 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 18,252 jobs, 25.8 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.
Marathon County
What businesses operate in Marathon County
- Establishments, all industries3,436
- Employment at those establishments65,770
- Annual payroll$3.76 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.
Marathon County
What is being built in Marathon County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024408
- Declared construction value permitted$116.7 m
- Single family units authorised216
- Multifamily units authorised192
- Multifamily share of units47.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$286,115
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.1
Multifamily is 47.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Marathon County
How much SBA lending happens in Marathon County
- 7(a) approvals recorded126
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$51.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$410,571
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$3,010,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,171
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active34
- Distinct industries receiving approvals76
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms25
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter96
- Franchise loans20
- Franchise share of approvals15.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (5)
- Most active lenderPeoples State Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded114
- 504 gross approval dollars$103.2 m
- Average 504 approval$905,254
- Median 504 approval$540,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval14.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.7
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (113)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals52.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$154.9 m
The average approval of $410,571 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 19.8 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.
Marathon County
Do SBA loans in Marathon County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded25
- Paid in full25
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full25
- Status: Exempt from disclosure77
- Status: Cancelled18
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 25 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
Marathon County
Which parts of Marathon County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- WAUSAU, approvals58
- Schofield, approvals14
- Kronenwetter, approvals12
- Athens, approvals11
- Mosinee, approvals7
- Weston, approvals7
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WAUSAU | 58 | $29,449,900 |
| Schofield | 14 | $5,674,000 |
| Kronenwetter | 12 | $2,426,200 |
| Athens | 11 | $2,848,400 |
| Mosinee | 7 | $1,871,900 |
| Weston | 7 | $4,112,600 |
| Marathon | 7 | $2,090,500 |
| Edgar | 3 | $416,000 |
WAUSAU accounts for 58 approvals against 14 in Schofield. 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.
Marathon County
How big is Marathon County
- Land area1,545 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties1st of 72
- Width, east to west53.5 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land90
- Establishments per square mile2.22
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 Marathon 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 Marathon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population138,403
- Households57,866
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$77,884
- Median age41.3
Common questions
Marathon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Marathon County, Wisconsin?
138,403, in 57,866 households, ranking 10th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Marathon County growing?
The population has grown 0.75 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,457 births against 1,434 deaths, with net migration of 228. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Marathon County?
$77,884. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $219,600, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $999 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Marathon County?
3,436 establishments, employing 65,770 people with an annual payroll of $3.76 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 Marathon County?
Average annual pay is $57,976, or $1,115 a week, across 70,626 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Marathon County?
126 7(a) approvals totalling $51.7 m since FY2020, across 34 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 114 504 approvals worth $103.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Marathon County get paid back?
Of the 25 loans that have reached a final outcome, 25 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Marathon County?
408 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $116.7 m. Multifamily was 47.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Marathon 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 Marathon County come from?
The largest single origin is Marathon County Non-migrants, with 57,648 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,979 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 Marathon 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 Marathon 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.