Vilas County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Vilas County, Wisconsin has a population of 23,647 across 857 square miles, up 3.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.34 bn in 2024, 961 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 40 7(a) approvals worth $34.1 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Vilas County
How many people live in Vilas County
- Population23,647
- Households11,147
- Average household size2.12
- Median household income$68,431
- Median age55.7
- Median gross rent$847 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$300,000
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over18,717
- Population under 183,827
- Share under 1816.2 percent
- Population 65 and over7,513
- Share 65 and over31.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,307
- Civilian labor force10,967
- Unemployment rate4.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.3 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties49th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1707th
Vilas County is the 49th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.8 percent against 16.2 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.
Vilas County
Is Vilas County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.92 percent
- Census 2020 base population23,044
- Births, 2024169
- Deaths, 2024351
- Natural change, 2024-182
- Net domestic migration, 2024215
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024216
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,603
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents706th
The county has grown 3.92 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.
Vilas County
Where people moving to Vilas County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving894
- People arriving, from those returns1,548
- Adjusted gross income arriving$112.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$126,101
- Largest single originVilas County Non-migrants (9,896 households)
- Largest single destination (9,896 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vilas County Non-migrants | 9,896 | 18,305 | $808.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 276 | 493 | $56.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 247 | 424 | $24.0 m |
| Oneida County | 155 | 271 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 153 | 278 | $19.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 71 | 118 | $33.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 52 | 97 | $3.9 m |
| Waukesha County | 44 | 73 | $6.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Vilas 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.
Vilas County
What the Vilas County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.34 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.29 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years40.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties48th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1605th
- GDP per resident$56,770
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 40.1 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.
Vilas County
Who employs people in Vilas County
- Covered employment, annual average8,275
- Establishments reporting1,010
- Average annual pay$45,114
- Average weekly wage$868
- Sector 72, employment1,696
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,670
- Sector 44-45, employment1,100
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,632
- Sector 23, employment703
- Sector 23, average annual pay$67,911
- Sector 31-33, employment441
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$47,277
- Sector 62, employment434
- Sector 56, employment258
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 1,696 | 201 | $25,670 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,100 | 116 | $36,632 |
| Sector 23 | 703 | 168 | $67,911 |
| Sector 31-33 | 441 | 30 | $47,277 |
| Sector 62 | 434 | 69 | $64,415 |
| Sector 56 | 258 | 59 | $48,188 |
| Sector 42 | 237 | 23 | $58,068 |
| Sector 48-49 | 218 | 28 | $39,860 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,696 jobs, 20.5 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.
Vilas County
What businesses operate in Vilas County
- Establishments, all industries961
- Employment at those establishments5,887
- Annual payroll$243.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents40.6
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.
Vilas County
What is being built in Vilas County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024341
- Declared construction value permitted$132.6 m
- Single family units authorised287
- Multifamily units authorised54
- Multifamily share of units15.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$388,958
- Units authorised per 1,000 households30.6
Multifamily is 15.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Vilas County
How much SBA lending happens in Vilas County
- 7(a) approvals recorded40
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$34.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$852,705
- Median 7(a) approval$403,700
- 10th percentile approval$46,400
- 90th percentile approval$2,880,000
- Largest single approval$4,070,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)336
- Jobs per approval8.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active17
- Distinct industries receiving approvals28
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer52.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms21
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals12.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (5)
- Most active lenderIncredibleBank (10)
- 504 approvals recorded15
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.7 m
- Average 504 approval$511,733
- Median 504 approval$420,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval3.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.8
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (15)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals72.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$41.8 m
The average approval of $852,705 sits well above the median of $403,700, 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. 52.5 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.
Vilas County
Do SBA loans in Vilas County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full6
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure28
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 6 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.
Vilas County
Which parts of Vilas County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- EAGLE RIVER, approvals15
- Saint Germain, approvals6
- Boulder Junction, approvals4
- MANITOWISH WATERS, approvals4
- LAND O LAKES, approvals3
- Woodruff, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| EAGLE RIVER | 15 | $5,461,000 |
| Saint Germain | 6 | $7,624,300 |
| Boulder Junction | 4 | $5,898,500 |
| MANITOWISH WATERS | 4 | $2,073,500 |
| LAND O LAKES | 3 | $5,754,000 |
| Woodruff | 2 | $415,500 |
| Presque Isle | 2 | $665,000 |
| CONOVER | 2 | $5,000,000 |
EAGLE RIVER accounts for 15 approvals against 6 in Saint Germain. 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.
Vilas County
How big is Vilas County
- Land area857 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties25th of 72
- Width, east to west53.3 mi
- Height, north to south30.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land28
- Establishments per square mile1.12
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 Vilas 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 Vilas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population23,647
- Households11,147
- Average household size2.12
- Median household income$68,431
- Median age55.7
Common questions
Vilas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Vilas County, Wisconsin?
23,647, in 11,147 households, ranking 49th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Vilas County growing?
The population has grown 3.92 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 169 births against 351 deaths, with net migration of 216. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Vilas County?
$68,431. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $300,000, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $847 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Vilas County?
961 establishments, employing 5,887 people with an annual payroll of $243.1 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 Vilas County?
Average annual pay is $45,114, or $868 a week, across 8,275 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Vilas County?
40 7(a) approvals totalling $34.1 m since FY2020, across 17 lenders, with a median approval of $403,700, plus 15 504 approvals worth $7.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Vilas County?
341 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $132.6 m. Multifamily was 15.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Vilas 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 Vilas County come from?
The largest single origin is Vilas County Non-migrants, with 9,896 households. Arriving households report an average income of $126,101 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 Vilas 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 Vilas 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.