Oconto County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Oconto County, Wisconsin has a population of 39,589 across 998 square miles, up 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.35 bn in 2024, 781 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 34 7(a) approvals worth $21.3 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Oconto County
How many people live in Oconto County
- Population39,589
- Households16,811
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$75,049
- Median age47.5
- Median gross rent$791 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$231,400
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over29,450
- Population under 187,789
- Share under 1819.7 percent
- Population 65 and over8,975
- Share 65 and over22.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6422,825
- Civilian labor force19,912
- Unemployment rate2.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.6 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties38th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1218th
Oconto County is the 38th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.7 percent against 19.7 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.
Oconto County
Is Oconto County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.76 percent
- Census 2020 base population38,963
- Births, 2024343
- Deaths, 2024401
- Natural change, 2024-58
- Net domestic migration, 2024344
- Net international migration, 202413
- Total net migration, 2024357
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,311
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents936th
The county has grown 2.76 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.
Oconto County
Where people moving to Oconto County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,127
- People arriving, from those returns1,941
- Adjusted gross income arriving$79.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$70,875
- Largest single originOconto County Non-migrants (16,114 households)
- Largest single destination (16,114 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oconto County Non-migrants | 16,114 | 32,504 | $1.21 bn |
| Brown County | 469 | 821 | $32.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 187 | 316 | $15.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 182 | 294 | $12.8 m |
| Marinette County | 100 | 185 | $5.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 81 | 130 | $6.4 m |
| Outagamie County | 67 | 106 | $6.0 m |
| Shawano County | 65 | 127 | $3.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Oconto 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.
Oconto County
What the Oconto County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.35 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.29 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years26.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties47th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1595th
- GDP per resident$34,138
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 26.0 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.
Oconto County
Who employs people in Oconto County
- Covered employment, annual average9,125
- Establishments reporting932
- Average annual pay$46,685
- Average weekly wage$898
- Sector 31-33, employment2,297
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,937
- Sector 44-45, employment931
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,936
- Sector 72, employment822
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,013
- Sector 23, employment522
- Sector 23, average annual pay$54,248
- Sector 48-49, employment296
- Sector 81, employment157
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,297 | 46 | $62,937 |
| Sector 44-45 | 931 | 100 | $29,936 |
| Sector 72 | 822 | 97 | $16,013 |
| Sector 23 | 522 | 110 | $54,248 |
| Sector 48-49 | 296 | 50 | $48,943 |
| Sector 81 | 157 | 40 | $48,952 |
| Sector 52 | 152 | 38 | $53,883 |
| Sector 71 | 120 | 20 | $15,991 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,297 jobs, 25.2 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.
Oconto County
What businesses operate in Oconto County
- Establishments, all industries781
- Employment at those establishments7,246
- Annual payroll$323.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.7
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.
Oconto County
What is being built in Oconto County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024189
- Declared construction value permitted$49.8 m
- Single family units authorised139
- Multifamily units authorised50
- Multifamily share of units26.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$263,231
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.2
Multifamily is 26.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Oconto County
How much SBA lending happens in Oconto County
- 7(a) approvals recorded34
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$626,068
- Median 7(a) approval$253,800
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,750,000
- Largest single approval$4,185,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)349
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals19
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer23.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter24
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals17.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (4)
- Most active lenderThe Stephenson National Bank and Trust (5)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.3 m
- Average 504 approval$870,000
- Median 504 approval$720,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.8
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$25.6 m
The average approval of $626,068 sits well above the median of $253,800, 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 23.5 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.
Oconto County
Do SBA loans in Oconto County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full10
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full10
- Status: Exempt from disclosure21
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 10 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.
Oconto County
Which parts of Oconto County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Sobieski, approvals10
- Little Suamico, approvals7
- OCONTO FALLS, approvals6
- Oconto, approvals5
- TOWNSEND, approvals2
- Lena, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Sobieski | 10 | $1,893,100 |
| Little Suamico | 7 | $7,223,700 |
| OCONTO FALLS | 6 | $6,553,100 |
| Oconto | 5 | $2,195,000 |
| TOWNSEND | 2 | $412,900 |
| Lena | 2 | $797,000 |
| Gillett | 1 | $739,500 |
| ABRAMS | 1 | $1,472,000 |
Sobieski accounts for 10 approvals against 7 in Little Suamico. 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.
Oconto County
How big is Oconto County
- Land area998 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties14th of 72
- Width, east to west45 mi
- Height, north to south48.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land40
- 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 Oconto 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 Oconto County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population39,589
- Households16,811
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$75,049
- Median age47.5
Common questions
Oconto County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Oconto County, Wisconsin?
39,589, in 16,811 households, ranking 38th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Oconto County growing?
The population has grown 2.76 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 343 births against 401 deaths, with net migration of 357. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Oconto County?
$75,049. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $231,400, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $791 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Oconto County?
781 establishments, employing 7,246 people with an annual payroll of $323.5 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 Oconto County?
Average annual pay is $46,685, or $898 a week, across 9,125 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Oconto County?
34 7(a) approvals totalling $21.3 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $253,800, plus 5 504 approvals worth $4.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Oconto County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10 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 Oconto County?
189 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $49.8 m. Multifamily was 26.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Oconto 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 Oconto County come from?
The largest single origin is Oconto County Non-migrants, with 16,114 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,875 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 Oconto 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 Oconto 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.