Waupaca County, Wisconsin: commercial real estate data.
Waupaca County, Wisconsin had an estimated 51,171 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 51,817, across 748 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Waupaca County
How many people live in Waupaca County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202451,569
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included993rd of 3,222
Waupaca County is the 29th largest of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable 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 story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Waupaca County
Is Waupaca County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202451,171
- Census 2020 base population51,817
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.25 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-153
- 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 of 3,144
The county has lost 1.25 percent of its population 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.
Waupaca County
Where are people moving to Waupaca County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,366
- People arriving, from those returns2,326
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,325
- Net household movement41
- Adjusted gross income arriving$94.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$23.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$68,984
- Average income of a leaving household$53,231
- Largest single originOutagamie County (329 households)
- Largest single destinationOutagamie County (330 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outagamie County | 329 | 557 | $28.6 m |
| Winnebago County | 169 | 280 | $12.0 m |
| Portage County | 113 | 184 | $6.4 m |
| Shawano County | 77 | 140 | $3.4 m |
| Waushara County | 52 | 98 | $3.4 m |
| Brown County | 46 | 75 | $2.8 m |
| Milwaukee County | 34 | 53 | $2.5 m |
| Dane County | 27 | 46 | $3.3 m |
Households arriving report $15,753 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 Outagamie 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.
Waupaca County
What is the Waupaca County economy?
- 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 the Wisconsin areas BEA publishes31st of 72
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1103rd of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Waupaca County
- Covered employment, annual average18,649
- Establishments reporting1,385
- Average annual pay$48,246
- Average weekly wage$928
- Manufacturing, employment5,588
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$67,296
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,342
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$45,771
- Retail trade, employment2,195
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,811
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,691
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$16,316
- Construction, employment641
- Other services, except public administration, employment431
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,588 | 78 | $67,296 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,342 | 225 | $45,771 |
| Retail trade | 2,195 | 166 | $29,811 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,691 | 133 | $16,316 |
| Construction | 641 | 134 | $57,162 |
| Other services, except public administration | 431 | 87 | $39,181 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 375 | 48 | $39,078 |
| Wholesale trade | 372 | 55 | $73,201 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 5,588 jobs, 30.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Waupaca County
How many businesses are 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. 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.
Waupaca County
Building permits in Waupaca County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024300
- Declared construction value permitted$72.2 m
- Single family units authorized125
- Multifamily units authorized175
- Multifamily share of units58.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$240,777
- Units authorized per 1,000 households13.3
Multifamily is 58.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Waupaca County
SBA loans in Waupaca County (7(a) and 504)
- 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$39,570
- 90th percentile approval$1,388,780
- 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
- 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)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$32.7 m
The average approval of $491,700 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in 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
Only 8 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.
Waupaca County
SBA lending by place in Waupaca County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending8
- Waupaca, approvals16
- Clintonville, approvals8
- New London, approvals5
- Fremont, approvals3
- Marion, approvals2
- Weyauwega, approvals2
| Borrower city | 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 |
| Iola | 1 | $1,200,000 |
| Scandinavia | 1 | $50,000 |
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 large 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.
Waupaca County
Flood risk in Waupaca County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Waupaca County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 550492
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book13
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate92.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Waupaca 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 Waupaca County (community 550492), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Waupaca 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. 92.3 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 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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202451,569
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 51,171 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.25 percent since the 2020 census base of 51,817, to 51,171 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Waupaca County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 5,588 jobs, 30.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 18,649 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,246, or $928 a week. 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 totaling $18.7 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $14.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Waupaca County?
300 housing units were authorized 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 Outagamie County, with 329 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,984 against $53,231 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?
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.
Waupaca County
Cities and places in Waupaca.
15 Census places lie wholly or partly in Waupaca County. All 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London | city | 7,726 | 5 | 57.1 percent here, 42.9 percent Outagamie County |
| Waupaca | city | 6,283 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Clintonville | city | 4,580 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Weyauwega | city | 1,789 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| King | CDP | 1,399 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Manawa | city | 1,337 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Iola | village | 1,286 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Marion | city | 1,238 | 2 | 81.4 percent here, 18.6 percent Shawano County |
| Chain O' Lakes | CDP | 908 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fremont | village | 650 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Scandinavia | village | 379 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Northport | CDP | 373 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Embarrass | village | 284 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ogdensburg | village | 189 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Big Falls | village | 134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby