Rock County's Economic Dashboard: A Strong Start Despite National Headwinds

While the national economy has shown uneven performance entering 2025, Rock County's Q1 economic dashboard tells a more optimistic story. The Rock Ready Index reveals consistent upward momentum across key indicators, with residential market activity achieving record Q1 pricing levels, sales tax collections reaching new benchmarks, and real estate investment maintaining steady gains. Unemployment remains at competitive rates while development activity spans diverse sectors from IT and logistics to manufacturing.

However, beneath these impressive housing numbers lies a significant challenge – the very success driving record prices also reveals the tip of an affordability iceberg. A housing study conducted by UW-Whitewater's Fiscal & Economic Research Center found that Rock County's 50% jump in median home prices since 2019 has left 32% of households unable to afford homes, creating the #1 obstacle for 77% of local employers looking to grow. This solid economic foundation positions Rock County well against national headwinds, but addressing the housing crisis through zoning reform and financial incentives will be critical to sustaining this momentum and ensuring economic growth benefits all residents throughout 2025.

Download the 2025 Q1 RRI Here!