Waukesha County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Waukesha County, Wisconsin has a population of 411,762 across 550 square miles, up 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $42.03 bn in 2024, 12,761 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 746 7(a) approvals worth $437.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Waukesha County
How many people live in Waukesha County
- Population411,762
- Households168,658
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$106,076
- Median age43.5
- Median gross rent$1,356 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$398,200
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher48.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over295,060
- Population under 1886,298
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over84,338
- Share 65 and over20.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64241,126
- Civilian labor force224,097
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.9 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties3rd of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents181st
Waukesha County is the 3rd largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 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 20.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Waukesha County
Is Waukesha County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.47 percent
- Census 2020 base population406,980
- Births, 20243,653
- Deaths, 20243,611
- Natural change, 202442
- Net domestic migration, 20241,591
- Net international migration, 20241,399
- Total net migration, 20242,990
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20246,810
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1015th
The county has grown 2.47 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.
Waukesha County
Where people moving to Waukesha County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,564
- People arriving, from those returns19,546
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.06 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$91,326
- Largest single originWaukesha County Non-migrants (170,526 households)
- Largest single destination (170,526 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukesha County Non-migrants | 170,526 | 355,399 | $23.88 bn |
| Milwaukee County | 4,921 | 8,290 | $435.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,174 | 4,027 | $231.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 782 | 1,435 | $79.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 741 | 1,368 | $79.1 m |
| Washington County | 582 | 949 | $49.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 432 | 830 | $46.8 m |
| Racine County | 382 | 634 | $28.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Waukesha 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.
Waukesha County
What the Waukesha County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$42.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$40.28 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years30.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents140th
- GDP per resident$102,073
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 30.5 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.
Waukesha County
Who employs people in Waukesha County
- Covered employment, annual average247,891
- Establishments reporting14,577
- Average annual pay$69,989
- Average weekly wage$1,346
- Sector 31-33, employment42,071
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$84,046
- Sector 62, employment31,439
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,294
- Sector 44-45, employment25,535
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,593
- Sector 23, employment19,496
- Sector 23, average annual pay$89,547
- Sector 72, employment17,400
- Sector 42, employment15,578
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 42,071 | 884 | $84,046 |
| Sector 62 | 31,439 | 2,155 | $64,294 |
| Sector 44-45 | 25,535 | 1,192 | $37,593 |
| Sector 23 | 19,496 | 1,456 | $89,547 |
| Sector 72 | 17,400 | 840 | $22,896 |
| Sector 42 | 15,578 | 1,290 | $93,922 |
| Sector 54 | 15,278 | 1,768 | $104,486 |
| Sector 56 | 12,849 | 862 | $50,165 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 42,071 jobs, 17.0 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.
Waukesha County
What businesses operate in Waukesha County
- Establishments, all industries12,761
- Employment at those establishments246,232
- Annual payroll$16.43 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.0
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.
Waukesha County
What is being built in Waukesha County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,917
- Declared construction value permitted$777.6 m
- Single family units authorised1,007
- Multifamily units authorised910
- Multifamily share of units47.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$405,641
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.4
Multifamily is 47.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Waukesha County
How much SBA lending happens in Waukesha County
- 7(a) approvals recorded746
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$437.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$585,814
- Median 7(a) approval$285,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,581,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9,284
- Jobs per approval12.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active88
- Distinct industries receiving approvals223
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms101
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter595
- Franchise loans122
- Franchise share of approvals16.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (28)
- Most active lenderWaukesha State Bank (91)
- 504 approvals recorded388
- 504 gross approval dollars$288.1 m
- Average 504 approval$742,567
- Median 504 approval$543,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval8.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.6
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (364)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals65.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$725.1 m
The average approval of $585,814 sits well above the median of $285,000, 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 13.5 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.
Waukesha County
Do SBA loans in Waukesha County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded156
- Paid in full145
- Charged off11
- Charge off rate on resolved loans7.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full145
- Status: Exempt from disclosure459
- Status: Cancelled86
- Status: Charged off11
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed45
Of the 156 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.1 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.
Waukesha County
Which parts of Waukesha County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending32
- WAUKESHA, approvals172
- BROOKFIELD, approvals115
- Oconomowoc, approvals74
- Menomonee Falls, approvals71
- NEW BERLIN, approvals66
- Pewaukee, approvals55
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WAUKESHA | 172 | $91,667,900 |
| BROOKFIELD | 115 | $72,616,500 |
| Oconomowoc | 74 | $36,130,800 |
| Menomonee Falls | 71 | $43,372,000 |
| NEW BERLIN | 66 | $43,581,200 |
| Pewaukee | 55 | $36,525,600 |
| MUSKEGO | 29 | $21,869,900 |
| Mukwonago | 27 | $17,616,900 |
WAUKESHA accounts for 172 approvals against 115 in BROOKFIELD. 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.
Waukesha County
How big is Waukesha County
- Land area550 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties55th of 72
- Width, east to west24.2 mi
- Height, north to south24.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land749
- Establishments per square mile23.20
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 Waukesha 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 Waukesha County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population411,762
- Households168,658
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$106,076
- Median age43.5
Common questions
Waukesha County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Waukesha County, Wisconsin?
411,762, in 168,658 households, ranking 3rd of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Waukesha County growing?
The population has grown 2.47 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,653 births against 3,611 deaths, with net migration of 2,990. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Waukesha County?
$106,076. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $398,200, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,356 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Waukesha County?
12,761 establishments, employing 246,232 people with an annual payroll of $16.43 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 Waukesha County?
Average annual pay is $69,989, or $1,346 a week, across 247,891 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Waukesha County?
746 7(a) approvals totalling $437.0 m since FY2020, across 88 lenders, with a median approval of $285,000, plus 388 504 approvals worth $288.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Waukesha County get paid back?
Of the 156 loans that have reached a final outcome, 145 were paid in full and 11 charged off, a charge off rate of 7.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Waukesha County?
1,917 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $777.6 m. Multifamily was 47.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Waukesha 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 Waukesha County come from?
The largest single origin is Waukesha County Non-migrants, with 170,526 households. Arriving households report an average income of $91,326 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 Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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.