A good sailor knows how to make progress against a headwind.
So, when the prognosticators began forecasting a more than 9% drop in international visitors and choppy waters due to volatile trade and tariff policies, there was uncertainty whether Door County would see the same economic growth from pillar industries such as tourism and manufacturing that previous years had produced.
It turns out there are some rather good skippers at the helm. While many of the 2025 numbers will not be officially published until later this year, those that are known are showing signs the county’s economy more than held its own against some of the uncertainty that plagued the year.
Early reports show sales tax collections were up 6.4% from 2024, says Jon Jarosh, interim president/CEO and chief communications officer of Destination Door County. Preliminary indicators also show room occupancy will reflect a 6.3% increase.
“I think what we are starting to see is a bit of a normalization in terms of tourism and travel in the post‑COVID world,” Jarosh says. “Right after COVID we had some extreme up years, then some down years. I think we are finding that normal now.”
While the sales tax figures include a variety of economic activity in the county, including retail and other services, it does provide a good indicator there was a lot of positive activity in the county. Tourism accounted for more than $523 million in direct visitor spending in 2024, the latest year official statistics are available, and employed more than 3,500 people in a variety of full‑time, part‑time and seasonal positions.
Door County also boasts a diverse economy, with growing health care and education sectors, agriculture, maritime industries, business services and, of course, a robust manufacturing sector adding $300 million to the county’s gross domestic product annually.
The seasonal rhythm to at least part of its economy has created opportunities for local entrepreneurs to create unique, homegrown businesses in many of these sectors. The county is ranked by SmartAsset among the top three in the state for owning a business.
Economic diversity and local entrepreneurship have played a role in helping Door County weather some of the economic storms that have battered other parts of the state.
“This area has really developed an identity you just don’t find anywhere else,” Jarosh says.
Workforce and housing needs
Workforce development and affordable housing dominated the discussion of the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s latest strategic plan, both during its creation and since its release, says Michelle Lawrie, executive director of DCEDC.
“These are consistent themes across all of our industries,” she says. “The talent attraction is a bit more acute, but some of that is because of the housing challenges.”
The demographics bring the issue into sharp focus. The workforce is graying. Nearly 50% of Door County’s population is 55 or older. Meanwhile, median home prices top $450,000. Younger workers with families, even those in higher paying manufacturing jobs, are not at a point in life where they can purchase a $450,000 house. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate on multi‑unit housing is often under 2%, so renting is a challenge.
While the city of Sturgeon Bay has added nearly 400 new housing units in the past three years, demand still outstrips the available supply. Part of the challenge faced by developers is that many of the county’s municipalities do not have the infrastructure in place — sewer, water, streets — to even begin building housing, Lawrie says.
“There are some real fundamentals that have to happen first,” she says. “This is not going to be solved immediately; we are going to have to do some work to get these projects shovel‑ready for developers.”
Lawrie notes there was a housing development in Sturgeon Bay — Geneva Ridge — where the developer was able to use a grant program to delay repayment on infrastructure costs, driving down prices into the more affordable $275,000 range.
“That may be something we can use as a model as we move forward,” she says.
DCEDC has initiated an updated housing study to truly understand the current stock and needs, and the agency is currently sifting through those proposals.
Social structure
Efforts are also underway to build the social networks that can help attract younger workers and their families to the Door County area. DCEDC Director of Business Development Devin Vandertie says many younger workers will live in Green Bay and commute to jobs in Door County.
“If we can get them established here and help them build a network, then we can get them to move up from Green Bay and stay,” Vandertie says.
DCEDC’s 2026‑2028 strategic plan also stresses a “grow your own” approach through high school programs that expose students to the workforce through apprenticeships, as well as programs offered through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
Just to the south in Kewaunee County, workforce attraction, retention and housing affordability are also critical issues, says John Mastalir, chairman of the board for the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation.
The county may have a smaller workforce and more agricultural influence, but it still needs to find younger workers and affordable housing for them to live in.
Like their counterparts to the north, Kewaunee County has also initiated a housing study to get a grip on the availability, demands and options.
“I have a hunch we are going to see some recommendations for multi‑unit housing,” says Mastalir, owner of Blue Water Services. “I think the challenge we are going to have to face is agreeing on what the definition of the term ‘affordable’ is.”
Mastalir says “affordable” is often a reflection of a stage of life. The challenge is convincing younger workers and builders to pursue those smaller, starter homes. While the housing study will provide more clarity, Mastalir has become a fan of working with the high school career programs to expose students to potential careers in Kewaunee County, particularly those who think its agricultural sector does not have a lot to offer.
“If you want to be a machinist, you can be a machinist on the farm. If you want to be in IT, they need IT on the farms,” he says. “If we can get the kids where the jobs are, maybe we can get them into our workforce and we can begin to tackle some of these challenges.”
