Ashland County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Ashland County, Wisconsin had an estimated 16,196 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,028, across 1,045 square miles. County output reached $929.1 m in 2024, 491 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 20 7(a) approvals worth $8.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ashland County
How many people live in Ashland County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,080
- Households6,832
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$62,462
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$721 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,300
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,281
- Population under 183,331
- Share under 1820.7 percent
- Population 65 and over3,452
- Share 65 and over21.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,297
- Civilian labor force7,881
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.8 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties62nd of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2093rd of 3,222
Ashland County is the 62nd largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.5 percent against 20.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ashland County
Is Ashland County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,196
- Census 2020 base population16,028
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.05 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202493
- Births, 2024171
- Deaths, 2024202
- Natural change, 2024-31
- Net domestic migration, 202471
- Net international migration, 202455
- Total net migration, 2024126
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024249
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1467th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.05 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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.
Ashland County
Where are people moving to Ashland County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving434
- People arriving, from those returns709
- Tax returns filed by households leaving450
- Net household movement-16
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$3.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$55,641
- Average income of a leaving household$45,282
- Largest single originBayfield County (93 households)
- Largest single destinationBayfield County (85 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield County | 93 | 163 | $4.6 m |
| Price County | 25 | 44 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $10,359 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Bayfield County, 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.
Ashland County
What is the Ashland County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$929.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$889.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.5 percent
- GDP change over five years23.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Wisconsin areas BEA publishes56th of 72
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1899th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$57,782
Output grew 4.5 percent in the latest year and 23.9 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.
Ashland County
Employment by industry in Ashland County
- Covered employment, annual average7,940
- Establishments reporting627
- Average annual pay$50,101
- Average weekly wage$963
- Retail trade, employment1,048
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,090
- Manufacturing, employment927
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,077
- Accommodation and food services, employment685
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,960
- Construction, employment490
- Construction, average annual pay$65,802
- Other services, except public administration, employment253
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment214
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,048 | 75 | $31,090 |
| Manufacturing | 927 | 22 | $60,077 |
| Accommodation and food services | 685 | 65 | $20,960 |
| Construction | 490 | 59 | $65,802 |
| Other services, except public administration | 253 | 41 | $39,554 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 214 | 36 | $56,943 |
| Finance and insurance | 182 | 26 | $69,312 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 46 | 8 | $26,831 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,048 jobs, 13.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ashland County
How many businesses are in Ashland County?
- Establishments, all industries491
- Employment at those establishments5,987
- Annual payroll$276.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ashland County
Building permits in Ashland County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202429
- Declared construction value permitted$9.0 m
- Single family units authorized29
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$310,090
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ashland County
SBA loans in Ashland County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded20
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$429,130
- Median 7(a) approval$342,500
- 10th percentile approval$34,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,037,600
- Largest single approval$1,379,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)158
- Jobs per approval7.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter14
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals10.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses (3)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.8 m
- Average 504 approval$678,077
- Median 504 approval$496,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval11.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.8
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (8)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$17.4 m
The average approval of $429,130 sits well above the median of $342,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 25.0 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.
Ashland County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Ashland County
Do SBA loans in Ashland County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure14
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ashland County
SBA lending by place in Ashland County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Ashland, approvals13
- La Pointe, approvals4
- Mellen, approvals1
- Glidden, approvals1
- Butternut, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Ashland | 13 | $5,449,800 |
| La Pointe | 4 | $1,859,800 |
| Mellen | 1 | $788,000 |
| Glidden | 1 | $340,000 |
| Butternut | 1 | $145,000 |
Ashland accounts for 13 approvals against 4 in La Pointe. 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.
Ashland County
How large is Ashland County?
- Land area1,045 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties11th of 72
- Width, east to west29.6 mi
- Height, north to south75.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land15
- Establishments per square mile0.47
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.
Ashland County
Flood risk in Ashland County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Ashland County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 550004
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Ashland County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Ashland County (community 550004), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Ashland County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Ashland 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 Ashland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,080
- Households6,832
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$62,462
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Ashland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,196 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,080, in 6,832 households, ranking 62nd of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ashland County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.05 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,028, to 16,196 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 171 births against 202 deaths, with net migration of 126. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ashland County?
$62,462. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,300, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $721 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ashland County?
491 establishments, employing 5,987 people with an annual payroll of $276.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Ashland County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,048 jobs, 13.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,940 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,101, or $963 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ashland County?
20 7(a) approvals totaling $8.6 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $342,500, plus 13 504 approvals worth $8.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Ashland County?
29 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ashland 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 Ashland County come from?
The largest single origin is Bayfield County, with 93 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,641 against $45,282 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ashland 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 Ashland County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Ashland County
Cities and places in Ashland.
13 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ashland County. All 13 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | city | 7,902 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Mellen | city | 681 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Butternut | village | 465 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Birch Hill | CDP | 313 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Odanah | CDP | 275 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Glidden | CDP | 215 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Marengo | CDP | 149 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bayfront | CDP | 135 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Diaperville | CDP | 109 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jolmaville | CDP | 104 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Odanah | CDP | 60 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clam Lake | CDP | 53 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Franks Field | CDP | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 4 of the county's 20 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Ashland County, the largest being La Pointe (4). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby