Jefferson County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Wisconsin had an estimated 86,245 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 86,163, across 556 square miles. County output reached $4.92 bn in 2024, 2,058 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 65 7(a) approvals worth $44.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202486,003
- Households34,873
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$83,750
- Median age41.5
- Median gross rent$1,035 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$274,100
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over60,143
- Population under 1816,971
- Share under 1819.7 percent
- Population 65 and over15,933
- Share 65 and over18.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6453,099
- Civilian labor force48,609
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.4 percent
- Rank by population among Wisconsin counties20th of 72
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included684th of 3,222
Jefferson County is the 20th 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 under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.7 percent against 18.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202486,245
- Census 2020 base population86,163
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.10 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024274
- Births, 2024780
- Deaths, 2024855
- Natural change, 2024-75
- Net domestic migration, 2024174
- Net international migration, 2024176
- Total net migration, 2024350
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20240
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1793rd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.10 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.
Jefferson County
Where are people moving to Jefferson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,434
- People arriving, from those returns4,056
- Tax returns filed by households leaving2,466
- Net household movement-32
- Adjusted gross income arriving$151.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$62,056
- Average income of a leaving household$63,108
- Largest single originDane County (476 households)
- Largest single destinationDane County (366 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 476 | 776 | $30.7 m |
| Waukesha County | 376 | 633 | $26.7 m |
| Dodge County | 264 | 461 | $12.9 m |
| Rock County | 172 | 290 | $9.0 m |
| Walworth County | 165 | 268 | $7.5 m |
| Milwaukee County | 141 | 246 | $9.7 m |
| Cook County | 36 | 62 | $3.9 m |
| Columbia County | 35 | 61 | $2.1 m |
Households arriving report $1,052 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Dane 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.
Jefferson County
What is the Jefferson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$4.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.67 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.4 percent
- GDP change over five years34.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Wisconsin areas BEA publishes24th of 72
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes721st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$57,242
Output grew 5.4 percent in the latest year and 34.0 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.
Jefferson County
Employment by industry in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average33,615
- Establishments reporting2,344
- Average annual pay$54,167
- Average weekly wage$1,042
- Manufacturing, employment9,275
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$70,851
- Health care and social assistance, employment4,139
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$44,227
- Retail trade, employment3,771
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,838
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,469
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,090
- Construction, employment2,028
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,490
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9,275 | 154 | $70,851 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,139 | 414 | $44,227 |
| Retail trade | 3,771 | 242 | $31,838 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,469 | 192 | $18,090 |
| Construction | 2,028 | 286 | $77,070 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,490 | 93 | $44,523 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,135 | 94 | $50,985 |
| Wholesale trade | 919 | 106 | $70,859 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 9,275 jobs, 27.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jefferson County
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
- Establishments, all industries2,058
- Employment at those establishments31,584
- Annual payroll$1.71 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Jefferson County
Building permits in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024146
- Declared construction value permitted$57.4 m
- Single family units authorized132
- Multifamily units authorized14
- Multifamily share of units9.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$393,346
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.2
Single-family homes are 90.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
SBA loans in Jefferson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded65
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$44.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$678,435
- Median 7(a) approval$337,500
- 10th percentile approval$54,960
- 90th percentile approval$1,823,600
- Largest single approval$4,179,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)648
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active29
- Distinct industries receiving approvals43
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms23
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter39
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals15.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (7)
- Most active lenderBank Five Nine (9)
- 504 approvals recorded51
- 504 gross approval dollars$37.7 m
- Average 504 approval$738,784
- Median 504 approval$448,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.5
- Most active CDCWBD, Inc. (48)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$81.8 m
The average approval of $678,435 sits well above the median of $337,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 35.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Jefferson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full9
- Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Exempt from disclosure41
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 10 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.
Jefferson County
SBA lending by place in Jefferson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending10
- Watertown, approvals19
- Fort Atkinson, approvals10
- Lake Mills, approvals10
- Ixonia, approvals8
- Johnson Creek, approvals5
- Jefferson, approvals5
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Watertown | 19 | $8,448,000 |
| Fort Atkinson | 10 | $6,604,700 |
| Lake Mills | 10 | $6,566,900 |
| Ixonia | 8 | $5,470,500 |
| Johnson Creek | 5 | $8,382,000 |
| Jefferson | 5 | $4,770,000 |
| Waterloo | 4 | $2,853,400 |
| Sullivan | 2 | $486,000 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 2 | $516,800 |
Watertown accounts for 19 approvals against 10 in Fort Atkinson. 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.
Jefferson County
How large is Jefferson County?
- Land area556 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Wisconsin counties53rd of 72
- Width, east to west24.2 mi
- Height, north to south24.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land155
- Establishments per square mile3.70
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.
Jefferson County
Flood risk in Jefferson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Jefferson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 550191
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book12
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Jefferson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Jefferson County (community 550191), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Jefferson County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202486,003
- Households34,873
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$83,750
- Median age41.5
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Wisconsin?
The Census Bureau estimates 86,245 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 86,003, in 34,873 households, ranking 20th of 72 Wisconsin counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.10 percent since the 2020 census base of 86,163, to 86,245 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 780 births against 855 deaths, with net migration of 350. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$83,750. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $274,100, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,035 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
2,058 establishments, employing 31,584 people with an annual payroll of $1.71 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Jefferson County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 9,275 jobs, 27.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 33,615 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,167, or $1,042 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
65 7(a) approvals totaling $44.1 m since FY2020, across 29 lenders, with a median approval of $337,500, plus 51 504 approvals worth $37.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Jefferson County?
146 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $57.4 m. Multifamily was 9.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Dane County, with 476 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,056 against $63,108 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County
Cities and places in Jefferson.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in Jefferson County. All 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown | city | 22,774 | 19 | 65.8 percent here, 34.2 percent Dodge County |
| Whitewater | city | 15,807 | None recorded | 31.2 percent here, 68.8 percent Walworth County |
| Fort Atkinson | city | 12,463 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Jefferson | city | 7,732 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Mills | city | 6,470 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Waterloo | city | 3,600 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Johnson Creek | village | 3,362 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Ixonia | CDP | 2,684 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Palmyra | village | 2,195 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Ripley | CDP | 1,932 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cambridge | village | 1,617 | None recorded | 10.9 percent here, 89.1 percent Dane County |
| Lake Koshkonong | CDP | 1,010 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sullivan | village | 663 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Rome | CDP | 620 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hebron | CDP | 344 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lac La Belle | village | 259 | None recorded | 26.8 percent here, 73.2 percent Waukesha County |
| Helenville | CDP | 96 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 65 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Jefferson County, the largest being Oconomowoc (1). 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