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Regional planner: housing buildout partly on track but state population projections paint a mixed picture
Summary
North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission staff told the committee the 2022 Wausau-area housing study projected an immediate need of about 2,077 housing units in eight participating municipalities; roughly 1,190 units and 181 platted lots are already in progress, leaving a shortfall to meet the study’s near-term target.
Sam (North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission) summarized updated housing inventory and new state population projections for Marathon County and surrounding counties on March 6. He said the commission’s 2022 Wausau metro study projected an immediate need of 2,077 housing units across eight participating municipalities; based on permitting and news reports, the commission has identified roughly 1,190 new units either built or underway, plus about 181 platted lots and several smaller infill projects.
Sam emphasized that new Wisconsin Department of Administration population projections (based on the 2020 census) are more pessimistic than older projections and that the official numbers do not capture short-term inbound migration trends. “They’re much more pessimistic,” he said of the DOA projections, and added that Marathon County is relatively better positioned than many Central Wisconsin counties because of a younger family profile.
He noted additional inventory not counted in the 1,190 total — renovations and conversions such as a hotel-to-residential conversion in Rothschild and renovated apartment projects — and cautioned that some conversions have variable-term leases that do not represent standard year-round rental stock.
On timing, Sam said the region was about two-thirds of the way to the 2025 unit goal, depending on which population projection is used, and that continued development and replacement of aging units will sustain ongoing demand. Committee members discussed local growth anecdotes and the limitations of statewide projections; Administrator Leinart and other officials noted complementary local studies (Marquette University and Lightcast reports) that portray Marathon among the more resilient Wisconsin counties.
Sam provided contact information and offered to follow up on missing permit data for the group. No formal action was taken; the presentation served as an update for county planning and housing strategy.
