States › Wisconsin › Marathon County
County15th of 71 in Wisconsin by approvalsFIPS 55073
SBA loans in Marathon County, Wisconsin
7(a) and 504 approvals to businesses located in the county, set against the number of businesses there and against the state.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
Businesses in Marathon County, Wisconsin, received 144 SBA loan approvals worth $81.5M in FY2021 to FY2025 (97 7(a), 47 504).
That is 41.9 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (3,436 establishments in 2023), close to the Wisconsin figure of 46.3 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 15th of 71 Wisconsin counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 22, down 24% on FY2024.
29 lenders had approvals here; the most active were WBD, Inc. (47), Peoples State Bank (18) and Nicolet National Bank (13). The most common industry was restaurants and other eating places.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Lenders most active in Marathon County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 29 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WBD, Inc.Madison, WI · CDC | 47 | $45.2M | 32.6% | |
| 2 | Peoples State BankWausau, WI | 18 | $9.6M | 12.5% | |
| 3 | Nicolet National BankGreen Bay, WI | 13 | $4.5M | 9.0% | |
| 4 | Forward BankMarshfield, WI | 10 | $1.2M | 6.9% | |
| 5 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 10 | $1.1M | 6.9% | |
| 6 | IncredibleBankWausau, WI | 8 | $4.9M | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 4 | $700K | 2.8% | |
| 8 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 3 | $2.0M | 2.1% | |
| 9 | CCFBank National AssociationAltoona, WI | 3 | $1.3M | 2.1% | |
| 10 | Prevail BankMedford, WI | 3 | $684K | 2.1% | |
| 11 | One Community BankOregon, WI | 3 | $502K | 2.1% | |
| 12 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 3 | $455K | 2.1% | |
| 13 | American National Bank-Fox CitiesAppleton, WI | 2 | — | 1.4% | |
| 14 | Johnson BankRacine, WI | 2 | — | 1.4% | |
| 15 | Old National BankEvansville, IN | 1 | — | 0.7% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 8 | 5.6% | |
| 2 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 8 | 5.6% | |
| 3 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 7 | 4.9% | |
| 4 | Other Fabricated Metal Product ManufacturingNAICS 3329 | 6 | 4.2% | |
| 5 | Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior ContractorsNAICS 2381 | 6 | 4.2% | |
| 6 | Grocery StoresNAICS 4451 | 5 | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Lessors of Real EstateNAICS 5311 | 5 | 3.5% | |
| 8 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 5 | 3.5% | |
| 9 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 4 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | LoggingNAICS 1133 | 3 | 2.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | 23 | 16.0% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 23 | 16.0% | |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 20 | 13.9% | |
| 4 | Construction | 14 | 9.7% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 13 | 9.0% | |
| 6 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11 | 7.6% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 5.6% | |
| 8 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 4.9% |
Approvals by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | 7(a) approvals | 7(a) dollars | Median 7(a) | 504 approvals | 504 dollars | All approvals | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 10 | $4.7M | $208K | 3 | $6.6M | 13 | 216 |
| FY2025 | 18 | $8.1M | $350K | 4 | $1.1M | 22 | 178 |
| FY2024 | 24 | $8.0M | $200K | 5 | $3.1M | 29 | 241 |
| FY2023 | 17 | $7.3M | $259K | 6 | $7.6M | 23 | 303 |
| FY2022 | 23 | $8.4M | $220K | 12 | $15.0M | 35 | 346 |
| FY2021 | 15 | $4.4M | $250K | 20 | $18.5M | 35 | 432 |
| FY2020 | 19 | $10.8M | $235K | 4 | $1.9M | 23 | 237 |
| FY2019 | 19 | $10.7M | $300K | 5 | $3.3M | 24 | 370 |
| FY2018 | 32 | $18.6M | $190K | 3 | $1.9M | 35 | 596 |
| FY2017 | 29 | $14.9M | $150K | 6 | $7.2M | 35 | 719 |
| FY2016 | 29 | $14.2M | $200K | 6 | $7.8M | 35 | 371 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 152 approvals.
Against Wisconsin and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Marathon County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 144 | 6,706 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 41.9 | 46.3 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $250K | $225K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $759K | $616K | $657K |
| Average approval | $566K | $594K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 32.6% | 18.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 10.4 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 2.1% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.9%20
- $50,001 to $150,00012.5%18
- $150,001 to $350,00025.7%37
- $350,001 to $1 million34.0%49
- $1 million to $2 million9.7%14
- Over $2 million4.2%6
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old54.2%78
- New business, 2 years or less12.5%18
- Startup, loan funds will open the business16.7%24
- Change of ownership16.7%24
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Marathon County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: WBD, Inc. (47), Peoples State Bank (18), Nicolet National Bank (13), Forward Bank (10), U.S. Bank, National Association (10). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Marathon County?
The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $759K; the Wisconsin 7(a) median was $225K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Marathon County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (8); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (8); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (7); Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (6); Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors (6).
Is SBA lending in Marathon County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 74, against 93 in the three before: falling (-20%).
How does Marathon County compare with the rest of Wisconsin?
41.9 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 46.3 statewide, and 144 of the state's 6,706 approvals.
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Establishment counts are from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns 2023, which leaves out most farms, government and businesses without employees. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error