Groundwork

County profile · Wisconsin

Forest County, WI market data

Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Forest County, each scored against other counties.

Population, 2025
9,574
+4.4% since 2020
Households
4,006
Median household income
$61,071
Median home value
$185,000
Jobs located here
3,301
Market scores
Not scored
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Forest County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Forest County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

An estimated 9,574 people live in Forest County, in 4,006 households. Population estimates put the population change in Forest County from 2020 to 2025 at +4.4%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The median household income in Forest County is $61,071 a year, 24% below the U.S. median of $80,734.

Set against the U.S., households in Forest County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (55).

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

For its number of households, Forest County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for convenience stores (3.1 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for auto repair and car care businesses (47% above the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Forest County

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Forest County, WI, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Restaurants and cafes73182.2$186K5017
Sit-down restaurants44109.8$308K4614
Auto repair and car care2152.4$206K774
Auto repair shops1332.5$333K754
Grocery and convenience stores1332.5$1.7M51Under 3
Gas stations1230.0$932K399
Convenience stores1025.0$2.2M28Under 3
Doctors, dentists and clinics922.5$561K3685
Salons, barbers and spas922.5$391K184Under 3
Real estate820.0Index only1483
Real estate agents and brokers717.5Index only134Under 3
Hair salons615.0$586K136Under 3
Clothing, shoes and laundry512.5$1.4M159Under 3
Coffee shops and cafes512.5$2.7M73Under 3
Gyms512.5$563K43Under 3
Gyms, studios and classes512.5$563K85Under 3
Clothing and shoe stores410.0$1.7M138Under 3
Grocery stores37.5$7.5M80Under 3
Insurance agencies37.5$2.3M181Under 3
Bakeries and dessert shops25.0$6.8MToo fewUnder 3
Car washes and detailing25.0$2.2MToo fewUnder 3
Child care and preschools25.0$636KToo fewUnder 3
Chiropractors25.0$2.5MToo fewUnder 3
Collision repair and body shops25.0$2.2MToo fewUnder 3
Fast food and sandwich shops25.0$6.8MToo few3
Pet businesses25.0$1.5MToo fewUnder 3
Pizza25.0$6.8MToo few3
Spas and skin care25.0$1.8MToo fewUnder 3
Barbershops12.5$3.5MToo fewUnder 3
Funeral homes12.5$706KToo few3
Home repair trades12.5$9.7MToo few3
HVAC and plumbing12.5$9.7MToo few3
Landscaping and lawn care12.5$4.4MToo few3
Laundromats12.5$7MToo fewUnder 3
Lawn, cleaning and pest control12.5$4.4MToo few3
Pet stores12.5$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Physical therapy12.5$5MToo fewUnder 3
Property management12.5Index onlyToo fewUnder 3
Tire shops12.5$4.3MToo fewUnder 3
Dentists and orthodontists00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dry cleaners00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Electricians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Home inspectors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
House cleaning00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Martial arts and dance studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Mortgage brokers and lenders00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Nail salons00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Oil change and quick lube00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Optometrists and eye care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet grooming and boarding00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Primary care and pediatrics00.0None listedNone listed5
Roofing and gutters00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Urgent care and walk-in clinics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Veterinarians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3

Household spending in Forest County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Forest County, WI by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$4.3M$1,080113
Gasoline and other fuels$11.2M$2,791108
Food away from home$13.6M$3,38483
Groceries$22.4M$5,60089
Personal care products and services$3.5M$87887
Child care and other personal services$1.3M$31755
Memberships, classes and admissions$2.8M$70372
Medical and dental services$5M$1,26198
Pets$2.9M$72680
Clothing, shoes and related services$7M$1,74785
Vehicle insurance$6.8M$1,70287
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$9.7M$2,43381
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$4.4M$1,10378
Rent and homeowner costs$51.3M$12,80977

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Forest County

Population, 2025 estimate
9,574+4.4% since 2020
Households
4,006
Median age
48.3
Homes lived in by their owners
82%
Vehicles per household
1.9
Land area
1,014 sq. mi.
People per square mile
9
Median household income
$61,071
Average household income
$77,601
Median home value
$185,000
Jobs located here
3,301
Daytime population
8,665Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Forest County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Forest County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Questions

How fast is Forest County, WI growing?

Population estimates put Forest County at 9,574 people in 2025, up 4.4% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 4,006 households.

How much do households in Forest County, WI spend?

Households in Forest County spend about $51.3M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $22.4M on groceries and $13.6M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Forest County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (55).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Forest County, WI?

The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.

How does Forest County, WI compare with the U.S.?

Median household income in Forest County is $61,071, 24% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 4.4% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $185,000, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for convenience stores (3.1 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for auto repair and car care businesses (47% above the U.S. rate).

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Forest County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

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Screening a site or an acquisition in Forest County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Forest County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.