Barron County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Barron County, Wisconsin had an estimated 46,810 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 46,709, across 863 square miles. County output reached $2.99 bn in 2024, 1,340 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 63 7(a) approvals worth $46.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Barron County
How many people live in Barron County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202446,797
- Households19,955
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$65,933
- Median age44.9
- Median gross rent$879 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$216,600
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over33,522
- Population under 189,868
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over11,028
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6425,901
- Civilian labor force23,574
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.8 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties30th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1062nd of 3,222
Barron County is the 30th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.6 percent against 21.1 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.
Barron County
Is Barron County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202446,810
- Census 2020 base population46,709
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.22 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-112
- Births, 2024435
- Deaths, 2024559
- Natural change, 2024-124
- Net domestic migration, 2024-87
- Net international migration, 2024101
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024366
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1745th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.22 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barron County
Where are people moving to Barron County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,209
- People arriving, from those returns2,068
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,153
- Net household movement56
- Adjusted gross income arriving$74.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$61,649
- Average income of a leaving household$60,820
- Largest single originPolk County (138 households)
- Largest single destinationPolk County (109 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 138 | 223 | $6.4 m |
| Chippewa County | 109 | 175 | $6.7 m |
| Washburn County | 89 | 160 | $5.8 m |
| Dunn County | 64 | 120 | $2.8 m |
| Eau Claire County | 64 | 108 | $4.0 m |
| Rusk County | 47 | 81 | $1.8 m |
| St. Croix County | 47 | 90 | $3.5 m |
| Hennepin County | 41 | 59 | $2.7 m |
Households arriving report $829 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 Polk 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.
Barron County
What is the Barron County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.99 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years34.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Wisconsin areas BEA publishes29th of 72
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes982nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$63,973
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 34.9 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.
Barron County
Employment by industry in Barron County
- Covered employment, annual average21,519
- Establishments reporting1,569
- Average annual pay$47,983
- Average weekly wage$923
- Manufacturing, employment4,939
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$59,099
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,195
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$52,992
- Retail trade, employment3,140
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,924
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,799
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,748
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment856
- Construction, employment767
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,939 | 86 | $59,099 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,195 | 278 | $52,992 |
| Retail trade | 3,140 | 212 | $33,924 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,799 | 162 | $17,748 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 856 | 83 | $42,878 |
| Construction | 767 | 144 | $63,065 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 559 | 68 | $48,496 |
| Finance and insurance | 421 | 73 | $70,580 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 4,939 jobs, 23.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barron County
How many businesses are in Barron County?
- Establishments, all industries1,340
- Employment at those establishments17,770
- Annual payroll$867.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Barron County
Building permits in Barron County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024161
- Declared construction value permitted$51.8 m
- Single family units authorized145
- Multifamily units authorized16
- Multifamily share of units9.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$321,698
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.1
Single-family homes are 90.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barron County
SBA loans in Barron County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded63
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$46.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$740,105
- Median 7(a) approval$330,000
- 10th percentile approval$27,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,271,680
- Largest single approval$4,294,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)652
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active20
- Distinct industries receiving approvals34
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter42
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals4.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countDairy Cattle and Milk Production (8)
- Most active lenderHiawatha National Bank (15)
- 504 approvals recorded35
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.4 m
- Average 504 approval$639,257
- Median 504 approval$360,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (31)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$69.0 m
The average approval of $740,105 sits well above the median of $330,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 22.2 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.
Barron County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Barron County
Do SBA loans in Barron County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full18
- Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full18
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure38
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 20 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.
Barron County
SBA lending by place in Barron County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending10
- Rice Lake, approvals20
- Clayton, approvals11
- Cumberland, approvals8
- Chetek, approvals8
- Cameron, approvals4
- Turtle Lake, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Rice Lake | 20 | $23,697,200 |
| Clayton | 11 | $5,280,000 |
| Cumberland | 8 | $7,016,700 |
| Chetek | 8 | $4,969,700 |
| Cameron | 4 | $2,762,000 |
| Turtle Lake | 4 | $883,600 |
| Comstock | 3 | $700,000 |
| Barron | 2 | $785,500 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 3 | $531,900 |
Rice Lake accounts for 20 approvals against 11 in Clayton. 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.
Barron County
How large is Barron County?
- Land area863 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties24th of 72
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south29.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile1.55
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.
Barron County
Flood risk in Barron County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Barron County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 550568
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate81.8 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Barron 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 Barron County (community 550568), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Barron 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. 81.8 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 Barron 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 Barron County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202446,797
- Households19,955
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$65,933
- Median age44.9
Common questions
Barron County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barron County, Wisconsin?
The Census Bureau estimates 46,810 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 46,797, in 19,955 households, ranking 30th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barron County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.22 percent since the 2020 census base of 46,709, to 46,810 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 435 births against 559 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barron County?
$65,933. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $216,600, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $879 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Barron County?
1,340 establishments, employing 17,770 people with an annual payroll of $867.7 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 Barron County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 4,939 jobs, 23.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 21,519 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,983, or $923 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barron County?
63 7(a) approvals totaling $46.6 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $330,000, plus 35 504 approvals worth $22.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Barron County?
161 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $51.8 m. Multifamily was 9.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barron 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 Barron County come from?
The largest single origin is Polk County, with 138 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,649 against $60,820 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Barron 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 Barron 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.
Barron County
Cities and places in Barron.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Barron County. All 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice Lake | city | 9,030 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Barron | city | 3,681 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Cumberland | city | 2,282 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Chetek | city | 2,177 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Cameron | village | 1,686 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Turtle Lake | village | 960 | 4 | 77.4 percent here, 22.6 percent Polk County |
| Almena | village | 641 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Auburn | village | 531 | None recorded | 7.9 percent here, 92.1 percent Chippewa County |
| Prairie Farm | village | 423 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Dallas | village | 359 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Haugen | village | 284 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Barronett | CDP | 42 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 14 of the county's 63 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Barron County, the largest being Clayton (11), Comstock (3). 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