Rock County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Rock County, Wisconsin has a population of 164,350 across 718 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $10.85 bn in 2024, 3,362 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 92 7(a) approvals worth $60.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Rock County
How many people live in Rock County
- Population164,350
- Households67,201
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$75,673
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$1,037 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$231,600
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over113,735
- Population under 1836,803
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over29,268
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6498,279
- Civilian labor force86,186
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.6 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties9th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents420th
Rock County is the 9th 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 under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.4 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rock County
Is Rock County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.08 percent
- Census 2020 base population163,687
- Births, 20241,811
- Deaths, 20241,785
- Natural change, 202426
- Net domestic migration, 2024760
- Net international migration, 2024230
- Total net migration, 2024990
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,299
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1455th
The county has grown 1.08 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.
Rock County
Where people moving to Rock County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,679
- People arriving, from those returns6,065
- Adjusted gross income arriving$202.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,005
- Largest single originRock County Non-migrants (67,113 households)
- Largest single destination (67,113 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock County Non-migrants | 67,113 | 131,581 | $5.02 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 973 | 1,621 | $57.9 m |
| Dane County | 760 | 1,203 | $44.0 m |
| Winnebago County | 436 | 712 | $19.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 356 | 577 | $22.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 351 | 609 | $19.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 303 | 489 | $15.8 m |
| Walworth County | 296 | 500 | $13.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rock 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.
Rock County
What the Rock County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$10.85 bn
- County GDP, 2023$10.43 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.0 percent
- GDP change over five years36.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents414th
- GDP per resident$66,012
Output grew 4.0 percent in the latest year and 36.3 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.
Rock County
Who employs people in Rock County
- Covered employment, annual average69,595
- Establishments reporting3,943
- Average annual pay$59,381
- Average weekly wage$1,142
- Sector 31-33, employment11,440
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,668
- Sector 62, employment10,254
- Sector 62, average annual pay$66,911
- Sector 44-45, employment7,909
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,324
- Sector 72, employment6,401
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,144
- Sector 42, employment4,842
- Sector 23, employment4,035
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 11,440 | 214 | $69,668 |
| Sector 62 | 10,254 | 702 | $66,911 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,909 | 453 | $35,324 |
| Sector 72 | 6,401 | 380 | $21,144 |
| Sector 42 | 4,842 | 194 | $70,786 |
| Sector 23 | 4,035 | 382 | $79,829 |
| Sector 56 | 2,635 | 220 | $46,847 |
| Sector 55 | 1,982 | 36 | $141,553 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 11,440 jobs, 16.4 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.
Rock County
What businesses operate in Rock County
- Establishments, all industries3,362
- Employment at those establishments64,537
- Annual payroll$3.85 bn
- 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.
Rock County
What is being built in Rock County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024628
- Declared construction value permitted$144.8 m
- Single family units authorised301
- Multifamily units authorised327
- Multifamily share of units52.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$230,566
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.3
Multifamily is 52.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rock County
How much SBA lending happens in Rock County
- 7(a) approvals recorded92
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$60.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$658,880
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$48,200
- 90th percentile approval$1,580,000
- Largest single approval$3,900,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)912
- Jobs per approval9.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active38
- Distinct industries receiving approvals63
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms24
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter63
- Franchise loans14
- Franchise share of approvals15.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (5)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (10)
- 504 approvals recorded54
- 504 gross approval dollars$44.9 m
- Average 504 approval$831,167
- Median 504 approval$527,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval7.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.3
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (43)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals63.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$105.5 m
The average approval of $658,880 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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 26.1 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.
Rock County
Do SBA loans in Rock County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded23
- Paid in full22
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans4.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full22
- Status: Exempt from disclosure53
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.3 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.
Rock County
Which parts of Rock County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- Janesville, approvals45
- BELOIT, approvals22
- MILTON, approvals11
- EVANSVILLE, approvals5
- EDGERTON, approvals4
- ORFORDVILLE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Janesville | 45 | $33,439,000 |
| BELOIT | 22 | $13,481,100 |
| MILTON | 11 | $4,004,200 |
| EVANSVILLE | 5 | $2,420,000 |
| EDGERTON | 4 | $2,952,400 |
| ORFORDVILLE | 2 | $1,910,300 |
| Fort Atkinson | 1 | $580,000 |
| Afton | 1 | $250,000 |
Janesville accounts for 45 approvals against 22 in BELOIT. 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.
Rock County
How big is Rock County
- Land area718 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties41st of 72
- Width, east to west30.2 mi
- Height, north to south24.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land229
- Establishments per square mile4.68
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 Rock 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 Rock County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population164,350
- Households67,201
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$75,673
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Rock County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rock County, Wisconsin?
164,350, in 67,201 households, ranking 9th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rock County growing?
The population has grown 1.08 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,811 births against 1,785 deaths, with net migration of 990. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rock County?
$75,673. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $231,600, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,037 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rock County?
3,362 establishments, employing 64,537 people with an annual payroll of $3.85 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 Rock County?
Average annual pay is $59,381, or $1,142 a week, across 69,595 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rock County?
92 7(a) approvals totalling $60.6 m since FY2020, across 38 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 54 504 approvals worth $44.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Rock County get paid back?
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 22 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 4.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Rock County?
628 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $144.8 m. Multifamily was 52.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rock 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 Rock County come from?
The largest single origin is Rock County Non-migrants, with 67,113 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,005 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 Rock 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 Rock 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.