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Bars in Wisconsin

How many bars exist per person present (residents + daytime workers) across the 11 Wisconsin counties we cover, by ZIP code, compared with the U.S. average. Data: Census ZBP 2023 + ACS 2024 + BLS QCEW.

Includes: Bars & taverns · Pubs & brewpubs (drinking-focused) · Cocktail & wine bars · Taprooms. Counted together because official statistics use one 722410 code.

State verdict (covered counties): Very high density — 257% of the U.S. rate

Counties covered

in Wisconsin

Bars

1,087

establishments (2023)

Per 10,000 present

2.6

residents + 0.5×workers

U.S. average

1.0

per 10,000 present

State index

257%

vs. U.S.

Residents

3,378,627

in covered counties

Workers

1,600,731

jobs in covered counties

Coverage. This page aggregates only the 11 Wisconsin counties BizGapMap covers — not the whole state. Counts and the index reflect those counties. The aggregate index uses only ZIP cells Census published, so it is a lower bound. Density is a supply-side signal: it counts existing bars and the people present, not foot traffic, income, rent, or whether locals want more.

Counties in Wisconsin

City	County	Bars	Residents	Workers	Per 10k	Index	Verdict
Neenah	Winnebago County	93–109	172,658	76,933	4.4	437–493%	Very high density
Wausau	Marathon County	58–76	130,355	60,661	3.6	358–457%	Very high density
Beloit	Rock County	69–81	163,727	62,234	3.5	351–392%	Very high density
Kenosha	Kenosha County	63–83	162,024	66,123	3.2	320–371%	Very high density
Appleton	Outagamie County	78–100	212,451	103,913	2.9	292–352%	Very high density
Racine	Racine County	66–76	206,558	69,937	2.7	271–304%	Very high density
Milwaukee	Milwaukee County	303–329	926,469	431,861	2.7	263–280%	Very high density
Green Bay	Brown County	91–115	278,140	134,829	2.6	261–301%	Very high density
West Bend	Washington County	46–54	138,353	54,545	2.6	257–305%	Very high density
Madison	Dane County	149–203	571,119	294,881	2.1	206–250%	High density
Menomonee Falls	Waukesha County	71–111	416,773	244,814	1.3	131–186%	Range spans bands

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Lowest vs. highest measured density

Fewest competitors per capita

437%

358%

351%

320%

292%

271%

263%

261%

Most competitors per capita

131%

206%

257%

261%

263%

271%

292%

320%

Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A county with few bars may simply lack foot traffic, retail space, or demand. Use the ranking to find where to look, then verify locally.

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BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.