Non-resident property owners and their impact on Sawyer County businesses 2007

Abstract

Although Sawyer County has long been a destination for tourists and those hoping to escape urban environments, the landscape has been steadily changing from a resort vacation economy to a second home based economy. As many of the traditional census based datasets only measure the activities of permanent residents, information about the patterns and preferences of second home owners has been mostly anecdotal. The 2000 census shows that 48.5 percent of Sawyer County housing units are classified as "for seasonal, recreational, occasional use". This study attempts to find out more about these households by looking at the important factors leading to property purchase in Sawyer County, the intensity with which non-resident owners use their properties, and this population's overall purchasing preferences. It is hoped that Sawyer County businesses can use the information contained in this report to increase their sales by better serving the emerging and growing needs of the second home customer.