Vernon County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Vernon County, Wisconsin has a population of 31,049 across 792 square miles, up 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.54 bn in 2024, 686 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 25 7(a) approvals worth $19.2 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Vernon County
How many people live in Vernon County
- Population31,049
- Households12,424
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$71,893
- Median age41.9
- Median gross rent$836 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$223,800
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,839
- Population under 188,081
- Share under 1826.0 percent
- Population 65 and over6,598
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,370
- Civilian labor force14,231
- Unemployment rate2.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.0 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties42nd of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1446th
Vernon County is the 42nd 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 26.0 percent against 21.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Vernon County
Is Vernon County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.04 percent
- Census 2020 base population30,724
- Births, 2024392
- Deaths, 2024355
- Natural change, 202437
- Net domestic migration, 2024156
- Net international migration, 202418
- Total net migration, 2024174
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024370
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1160th
The county has grown 2.04 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.
Vernon County
Where people moving to Vernon County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving711
- People arriving, from those returns1,264
- Adjusted gross income arriving$46.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,056
- Largest single originVernon County Non-migrants (11,219 households)
- Largest single destination (11,219 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon County Non-migrants | 11,219 | 23,987 | $765.0 m |
| La Crosse County | 193 | 349 | $11.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 178 | 331 | $15.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 149 | 246 | $9.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 104 | 196 | $10.5 m |
| Monroe County | 66 | 130 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 42 | 80 | $3.5 m |
| Dane County | 38 | 56 | $3.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Vernon 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.
Vernon County
What the Vernon County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.54 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.50 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years29.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties45th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1497th
- GDP per resident$49,612
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 29.1 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.
Vernon County
Who employs people in Vernon County
- Covered employment, annual average8,718
- Establishments reporting828
- Average annual pay$47,085
- Average weekly wage$905
- Sector 62, employment1,603
- Sector 62, average annual pay$54,441
- Sector 44-45, employment1,262
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,279
- Sector 31-33, employment840
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,144
- Sector 72, employment732
- Sector 72, average annual pay$15,320
- Sector 23, employment454
- Sector 52, employment310
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,603 | 146 | $54,441 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,262 | 74 | $31,279 |
| Sector 31-33 | 840 | 40 | $61,144 |
| Sector 72 | 732 | 65 | $15,320 |
| Sector 23 | 454 | 93 | $54,219 |
| Sector 52 | 310 | 32 | $59,298 |
| Sector 42 | 252 | 33 | $64,657 |
| Sector 48-49 | 200 | 39 | $63,997 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,603 jobs, 18.4 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.
Vernon County
What businesses operate in Vernon County
- Establishments, all industries686
- Employment at those establishments7,182
- Annual payroll$332.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.1
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.
Vernon County
What is being built in Vernon County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024108
- Declared construction value permitted$31.5 m
- Single family units authorised98
- Multifamily units authorised10
- Multifamily share of units9.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$291,619
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.7
Multifamily is 9.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Vernon County
How much SBA lending happens in Vernon County
- 7(a) approvals recorded25
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$19.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$768,120
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$39,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,602,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)307
- Jobs per approval12.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter21
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals4.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHighway, Street, and Bridge Construction (3)
- Most active lenderCCFBank National Association (7)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.9 m
- Average 504 approval$492,250
- Median 504 approval$438,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval4.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.4
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (7)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$23.1 m
The average approval of $768,120 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 16.0 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.
Vernon County
Do SBA loans in Vernon County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full9
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 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.
Vernon County
Which parts of Vernon County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Chaseburg, approvals9
- Viroqua, approvals7
- COON VALLEY, approvals3
- DE SOTO, approvals2
- Stoddard, approvals1
- ONTARIO, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Chaseburg | 9 | $5,476,000 |
| Viroqua | 7 | $5,933,500 |
| COON VALLEY | 3 | $1,584,700 |
| DE SOTO | 2 | $361,200 |
| Stoddard | 1 | $525,000 |
| ONTARIO | 1 | $5,000,000 |
| Westby | 1 | $309,600 |
| GENOA | 1 | $13,000 |
Chaseburg accounts for 9 approvals against 7 in Viroqua. 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.
Vernon County
How big is Vernon County
- Land area792 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties32nd of 72
- Width, east to west48.2 mi
- Height, north to south21.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land39
- Establishments per square mile0.87
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 Vernon 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 Vernon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population31,049
- Households12,424
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$71,893
- Median age41.9
Common questions
Vernon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Vernon County, Wisconsin?
31,049, in 12,424 households, ranking 42nd of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Vernon County growing?
The population has grown 2.04 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 392 births against 355 deaths, with net migration of 174. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Vernon County?
$71,893. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $223,800, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $836 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Vernon County?
686 establishments, employing 7,182 people with an annual payroll of $332.2 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 Vernon County?
Average annual pay is $47,085, or $905 a week, across 8,718 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Vernon County?
25 7(a) approvals totalling $19.2 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $3.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Vernon County?
108 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $31.5 m. Multifamily was 9.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Vernon 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 Vernon County come from?
The largest single origin is Vernon County Non-migrants, with 11,219 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,056 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 Vernon 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 Vernon 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.