Waupaca County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Waupaca County, Wisconsin has a population of 51,569 across 748 square miles, down 1.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.51 bn in 2024, 1,199 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 38 7(a) approvals worth $18.7 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Waupaca County
How many people live in Waupaca County
- Population51,569
- Households22,571
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$72,830
- Median age45.3
- Median gross rent$852 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$211,400
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over37,688
- Population under 1810,369
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over10,967
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6430,233
- Civilian labor force26,140
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.4 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties29th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents993rd
Waupaca County is the 29th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.3 percent against 20.1 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.
Waupaca County
Is Waupaca County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.25 percent
- Census 2020 base population51,817
- Births, 2024445
- Deaths, 2024667
- Natural change, 2024-222
- Net domestic migration, 202460
- Net international migration, 202414
- Total net migration, 202474
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024426
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2276th
The county has lost 1.25 percent of its population 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.
Waupaca County
Where people moving to Waupaca County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,366
- People arriving, from those returns2,326
- Adjusted gross income arriving$94.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$68,984
- Largest single originWaupaca County Non-migrants (21,152 households)
- Largest single destination (21,152 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waupaca County Non-migrants | 21,152 | 41,293 | $1.52 bn |
| Outagamie County | 329 | 557 | $28.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 247 | 433 | $15.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 180 | 328 | $11.0 m |
| Winnebago County | 169 | 280 | $12.0 m |
| Portage County | 113 | 184 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 93 | 169 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 89 | 154 | $5.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Waupaca 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.
Waupaca County
What the Waupaca County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.51 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years26.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Wisconsin counties31st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1103rd
- GDP per resident$48,610
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 26.8 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.
Waupaca County
Who employs people in Waupaca County
- Covered employment, annual average18,649
- Establishments reporting1,385
- Average annual pay$48,246
- Average weekly wage$928
- Sector 31-33, employment5,588
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,296
- Sector 62, employment2,342
- Sector 62, average annual pay$45,771
- Sector 44-45, employment2,195
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,811
- Sector 72, employment1,691
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,316
- Sector 23, employment641
- Sector 81, employment431
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 5,588 | 78 | $67,296 |
| Sector 62 | 2,342 | 225 | $45,771 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,195 | 166 | $29,811 |
| Sector 72 | 1,691 | 133 | $16,316 |
| Sector 23 | 641 | 134 | $57,162 |
| Sector 81 | 431 | 87 | $39,181 |
| Sector 56 | 375 | 48 | $39,078 |
| Sector 42 | 372 | 55 | $73,201 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,588 jobs, 30.0 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.
Waupaca County
What businesses operate in Waupaca County
- Establishments, all industries1,199
- Employment at those establishments15,170
- Annual payroll$712.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.3
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.
Waupaca County
What is being built in Waupaca County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024300
- Declared construction value permitted$72.2 m
- Single family units authorised125
- Multifamily units authorised175
- Multifamily share of units58.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$240,777
- Units authorised per 1,000 households13.3
Multifamily is 58.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Waupaca County
How much SBA lending happens in Waupaca County
- 7(a) approvals recorded38
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$491,700
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$37,400
- 90th percentile approval$1,554,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)451
- Jobs per approval11.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active20
- Distinct industries receiving approvals28
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter27
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals7.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (4)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$14.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,076,462
- Median 504 approval$828,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval18.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.6
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals74.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$32.7 m
The average approval of $491,700 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 18.4 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.
Waupaca County
Do SBA loans in Waupaca County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full7
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure26
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Charged off1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
Waupaca County
Which parts of Waupaca County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- WAUPACA, approvals16
- CLINTONVILLE, approvals8
- NEW LONDON, approvals5
- FREMONT, approvals3
- MARION, approvals2
- Weyauwega, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WAUPACA | 16 | $10,927,000 |
| CLINTONVILLE | 8 | $2,680,800 |
| NEW LONDON | 5 | $345,400 |
| FREMONT | 3 | $150,000 |
| MARION | 2 | $3,154,400 |
| Weyauwega | 2 | $177,000 |
| Scandinavia | 1 | $50,000 |
| IOLA | 1 | $1,200,000 |
WAUPACA accounts for 16 approvals against 8 in CLINTONVILLE. 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.
Waupaca County
How big is Waupaca County
- Land area748 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties37th of 72
- Width, east to west30.6 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land69
- Establishments per square mile1.60
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 Waupaca 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 Waupaca County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population51,569
- Households22,571
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$72,830
- Median age45.3
Common questions
Waupaca County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Waupaca County, Wisconsin?
51,569, in 22,571 households, ranking 29th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Waupaca County growing?
The population has fallen 1.25 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 445 births against 667 deaths, with net migration of 74. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Waupaca County?
$72,830. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $211,400, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $852 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Waupaca County?
1,199 establishments, employing 15,170 people with an annual payroll of $712.1 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 Waupaca County?
Average annual pay is $48,246, or $928 a week, across 18,649 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Waupaca County?
38 7(a) approvals totalling $18.7 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $14.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Waupaca County?
300 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $72.2 m. Multifamily was 58.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Waupaca 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 Waupaca County come from?
The largest single origin is Waupaca County Non-migrants, with 21,152 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,984 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 Waupaca 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 Waupaca 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.