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Place dossier plate
SheetTX-ONALASKA-TX · Onalaska, TX 3,133 pop · income 12th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Onalaska
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Onalaska on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
South Alamo · lowest
33,516
South Alamo · lowest
33,516 median HH income
23.9% of the leader · rank #1
Deer · near
44,208
Deer · near
44,208 median HH income
31.5% of the leader · rank #2
Onalaska · this city
44,216
Onalaska · this city
44,216 median HH income
31.5% of the leader · rank #3
Cuba · near
44,217
Cuba · near
44,217 median HH income
31.5% of the leader · rank #4
East Griffin · near
44,219
East Griffin · near
44,219 median HH income
31.5% of the leader · rank #5
Walkerville · near
44,226
Walkerville · near
44,226 median HH income
31.5% of the leader · rank #6
Hollywood Park · highest
140,357
Hollywood Park · highest
140,357 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Onalaska on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,133.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Onalaska - the verdict
Nationally, Onalaska sits in the 12th percentile for household income and the 39th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
12th
percentile, household income
18th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
39th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Onalaska, TX
Onalaska is a small town in Texas, home to 3,133 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $44,216 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.3%. Typical homes in Onalaska are valued around $121,900, and the median resident age is 45.0 years. 4.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 44.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 33 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 41% from five years earlier. Onalaska reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1742.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Texas at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,149 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Texas run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 49.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Onalaska's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility to housing and income to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Onalaska, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Onalaska?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 4.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Which cities make useful reference points for Onalaska?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Texas, the closest population matches are Bishop (3,133 residents, $58,385 income); Port Aransas (3,141 residents, $88,311 income); San Saba (3,125 residents, $47,045 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Eielson AFB, AK (3,133 residents); Juniper Canyon, OR (3,133 residents); Lebanon, VA (3,133 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Onalaska?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1742.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 24% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the journey to work look like in Onalaska?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 66.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Onalaska?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 22.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
2.8×
Home value
$121,900
Household income
$44,216
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is Onalaska growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +213 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +6.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 33 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
3,076
2025 estimate
3,289
Period change
+6.9%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Low income · poverty 22.3% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Texas average
F
City profile score · Onalaska, TX
19/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
458 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income F
$44,216
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
22.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
4.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Onalaska profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Violent crime: 19/100 (F) · 458 /100k
Household income: 12/100 (F) · $44,216
Poverty rate: 9/100 (F) · 22.3%
Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 4.5%
Where Onalaska sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Onalaska's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Onalaska highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Onalaska, TX (this city): home $121,900, crime 1,742/100k
Lebanon, VA : home $161,900, crime 3,229/100k
Carlyle, IL : home $151,900, crime 1,101/100k
West Fork, AR : home $182,800, crime 804/100k
Bishop, TX : home $115,900, crime 590/100k
Port Aransas, TX : home $490,200, crime 5,386/100k
San Saba, TX : home $112,200, crime 289/100k
Hollywood Park, TX : home $428,000, crime 1,571/100k
How does Onalaska compare to other US cities?
Onalaska measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income12% higher than other cities
Home value18% pricier than other cities
Median rent40% pricier than other cities
Safety39% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Texas and the picture shifts: Onalaska ranks #402 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Onalaska against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Texas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Onalaska near the bottom of Texas's cities
Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Onalaska ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Onalaska only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#1,277 of 1,520
16th percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
0th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#959 of 1,505
36th percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#263 of 1,663
84th percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,506 of 1,663
9th percentile in Texas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
12th percentile nationally for median household income · 39th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Onalaska's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Onalaska's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Onalaska's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$121,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 82% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Onalaska's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,340 of 15,516
More affordable than 66% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,650 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.8×, Onalaska sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,340 of 15,516 and #4,650 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$44,216Onalaska, TX median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Onalaska, TX median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Onalaska, TX.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)4.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)22.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)44.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,133
Median Income
$44,216
Median Home Value
$121,900
Median Age
45.0
Poverty Rate
22.3%
Labor force participation
44.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
4.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1742.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
458.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1283.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Onalaska's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,076 residents
2021
3,142 residents
2022
3,192 residents
2023
3,187 residents
2024
3,307 residents
2025
3,289 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
33
housing units authorized
Single-Family
33
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
56
56
0
$5.9M
2020
21
21
0
$3.2M
2021
36
36
0
$4.0M
2022
23
23
0
$5.9M
2023
125
125
0
$7.4M
2024
33
33
0
$5.9M
Permit volume decreased 41% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
66.0%
Carpool
23.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
7.1%
Other
3.9%
Based on 1,057 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Texas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Texas at $223 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Texas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Onalaska. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Texas's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Onalaska is $1,149/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Texas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Texas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Onalaska sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Onalaska compares to similar-size Texas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.