Fewer Wisconsin bank leaders rated the state economy as “excellent” in the latest Wisconsin Bankers Association survey, though expectations for the coming six months remain stable.
The group recently rolled out its biannual Economic Conditions Survey of bank CEOs in Wisconsin. It found 79% of respondents rated the current health of the state economy as good — unchanged from the mid-year 2025 survey.
But the share of CEOs rating the state economy as “excellent” dropped from 7% in the previous survey to 0% in the latest one. At the same time, the percentage rating Wisconsin’s economy as “fair” rose from 15% to 21% between the two surveys.
Looking ahead to the next six months, 28% of respondents expect the state economy to grow while 17% expect it to weaken and 55% expect it to stay the same. Those values have been largely consistent in the last two surveys, with a slight trend toward more optimism around growth in the latest survey.
“The survey responses reveal notable bright spots in Wisconsin’s economy as we move into 2026, even as concerns about costs remain,” WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels said in a statement.
Bankers were also asked about current demand for various loan categories, indicating greater demand for commercial real estate loans in particular. While the share of those rating this category as excellent dipped from 11% to 9% in the latest survey, the share of those rating it as good jumped from 51% to 69%. And those rating it fair fell from 36% to 21%.
Meanwhile, the picture for residential real estate loans also brightened somewhat, with those rating the category as poor falling from 27% to 17% and those saying it’s fair rising from 42% to 57%. Those rating it as good or excellent were largely unchanged at 22% and 4%, respectively, compared to 25% and 5% in the previous survey.
But agricultural loans saw a downturn between the two most recent surveys, with the share of CEOs rating the category as poor going from 19% to 32%, and those rating it as fair falling from 62% to 50%. Little change was seen in those rating it as good or excellent, with 17% and 0%, respectively, compared to 17% and 2%.
Respondents pointed to consumer spending trends and low unemployment as areas of strength for the state, while highlighting Wisconsin’s performance in key sectors such as manufacturing, residential construction, health care and biotech.
Top concerns facing banks’ business customers going into 2026 include inflation worries, housing affordability, workforce challenges and tariffs, WBA says.
See the full results.
