HomeWisconsinWashington County
Washington County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Washington County, Wisconsin has a population of 137,879 across 431 square miles, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $9.20 bn in 2024, 3,427 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 165 7(a) approvals worth $103.7 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Washington County
How many people live in Washington County
- Population137,879
- Households57,070
- Average household size2.42
- Median household income$96,359
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$1,153 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$344,800
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over99,019
- Population under 1828,925
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over27,367
- Share 65 and over19.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6481,587
- Civilian labor force76,535
- Unemployment rate2.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.2 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties11th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents482nd
Washington County is the 11th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.0 percent against 19.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Washington County
Is Washington County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.44 percent
- Census 2020 base population136,763
- Births, 20241,253
- Deaths, 20241,328
- Natural change, 2024-75
- Net domestic migration, 2024146
- Net international migration, 2024156
- Total net migration, 2024302
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,024
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1358th
The county has grown 1.44 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.
Washington County
Where people moving to Washington County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,796
- People arriving, from those returns6,526
- Adjusted gross income arriving$294.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$77,516
- Largest single originWashington County Non-migrants (58,252 households)
- Largest single destination (58,252 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County Non-migrants | 58,252 | 118,998 | $5.95 bn |
| Milwaukee County | 1,024 | 1,823 | $72.1 m |
| Waukesha County | 755 | 1,349 | $74.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 693 | 1,259 | $55.0 m |
| Ozaukee County | 365 | 602 | $31.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 263 | 462 | $21.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 213 | 325 | $13.7 m |
| Dodge County | 211 | 323 | $11.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Washington 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.
Washington County
What the Washington County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$9.20 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.3 percent
- GDP change over five years35.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties13th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents473rd
- GDP per resident$66,741
Output grew 5.3 percent in the latest year and 35.2 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.
Washington County
Who employs people in Washington County
- Covered employment, annual average58,417
- Establishments reporting3,910
- Average annual pay$58,316
- Average weekly wage$1,121
- Sector 31-33, employment14,166
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,575
- Sector 62, employment7,606
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,436
- Sector 44-45, employment7,318
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,077
- Sector 72, employment4,876
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,405
- Sector 42, employment3,192
- Sector 23, employment2,917
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 14,166 | 327 | $69,575 |
| Sector 62 | 7,606 | 570 | $64,436 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,318 | 358 | $33,077 |
| Sector 72 | 4,876 | 288 | $19,405 |
| Sector 42 | 3,192 | 248 | $84,079 |
| Sector 23 | 2,917 | 478 | $70,249 |
| Sector 81 | 2,254 | 261 | $45,870 |
| Sector 52 | 2,165 | 198 | $95,299 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 14,166 jobs, 24.2 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.
Washington County
What businesses operate in Washington County
- Establishments, all industries3,427
- Employment at those establishments54,404
- Annual payroll$3.04 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.9
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.
Washington County
What is being built in Washington County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024447
- Declared construction value permitted$162.9 m
- Single family units authorised278
- Multifamily units authorised169
- Multifamily share of units37.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$364,508
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.8
Multifamily is 37.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Washington County
How much SBA lending happens in Washington County
- 7(a) approvals recorded165
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$103.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$628,202
- Median 7(a) approval$349,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,550,000
- Largest single approval$4,698,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,885
- Jobs per approval11.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active57
- Distinct industries receiving approvals92
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms40
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter115
- Franchise loans21
- Franchise share of approvals12.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Automotive Repair (9)
- Most active lenderBank Five Nine (19)
- 504 approvals recorded111
- 504 gross approval dollars$66.7 m
- Average 504 approval$600,910
- Median 504 approval$516,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.4
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (102)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals59.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$170.4 m
The average approval of $628,202 sits well above the median of $349,000, 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 24.2 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.
Washington County
Do SBA loans in Washington County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded33
- Paid in full33
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure103
- Status: Paid in full33
- Status: Cancelled22
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 33 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.
Washington County
Which parts of Washington County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending16
- WEST BEND, approvals41
- GERMANTOWN, approvals38
- Hartford, approvals35
- JACKSON, approvals11
- SLINGER, approvals10
- RICHFIELD, approvals9
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WEST BEND | 41 | $20,168,300 |
| GERMANTOWN | 38 | $27,690,600 |
| Hartford | 35 | $26,840,800 |
| JACKSON | 11 | $6,192,900 |
| SLINGER | 10 | $7,168,100 |
| RICHFIELD | 9 | $6,425,000 |
| ALLENTON | 4 | $2,500,000 |
| KEWASKUM | 4 | $1,222,000 |
WEST BEND accounts for 41 approvals against 38 in GERMANTOWN. 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.
Washington County
How big is Washington County
- Land area431 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties63rd of 72
- Width, east to west19 mi
- Height, north to south24.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land320
- Establishments per square mile7.95
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 Washington 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 Washington County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population137,879
- Households57,070
- Average household size2.42
- Median household income$96,359
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Washington County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Washington County, Wisconsin?
137,879, in 57,070 households, ranking 11th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Washington County growing?
The population has grown 1.44 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,253 births against 1,328 deaths, with net migration of 302. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Washington County?
$96,359. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $344,800, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,153 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Washington County?
3,427 establishments, employing 54,404 people with an annual payroll of $3.04 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 Washington County?
Average annual pay is $58,316, or $1,121 a week, across 58,417 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Washington County?
165 7(a) approvals totalling $103.7 m since FY2020, across 57 lenders, with a median approval of $349,000, plus 111 504 approvals worth $66.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Washington County get paid back?
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 33 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 Washington County?
447 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $162.9 m. Multifamily was 37.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Washington 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 Washington County come from?
The largest single origin is Washington County Non-migrants, with 58,252 households. Arriving households report an average income of $77,516 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 Washington 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 Washington 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.