City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Chippewa Falls, WI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Chippewa Falls — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

14,643
Residents
$62,133
Median income
$194,800
Median home
$1,097
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Chippewa Falls, WI

Chippewa Falls is a city in Wisconsin with a population of 14,643 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $62,133 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 9.1%. Typical homes in Chippewa Falls are valued around $194,800, and the median resident age is 38.6 years. About 22.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 162 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 102% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 888.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Wisconsin registers 94.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,097 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $225 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Chippewa Falls report an average commute of 15.6 minutes, with 76.5% driving alone and 11.1% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 59.1 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

14,643 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$62,133 /yr

Poverty 9.1%

Cost of Living Index

94.1 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Chippewa Falls compare to other US cities?

Where Chippewa Falls sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 39% higher than other cities
Home value 41% pricier than other cities
Median rent 29% pricier than other cities
Safety 69% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Chippewa Falls against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Chippewa Falls, WI Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Chippewa Falls, WI. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Chippewa Falls, WI — median $62,133/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Chippewa Falls, WI — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 22.7%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.1%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.7%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
14,643
Median Income
$62,133
Median Home Value
$194,800
Median Age
38.6
Poverty Rate
9.1%
Labor force participation
59.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
888.8
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
218.8
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
670.0
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
162
housing units authorized
Single-Family
16
detached homes
Multifamily
146
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 80
2020 42
2021 63
2022 64
2023 143
2024 162

Permit volume increased 102% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
15.6 minutes
Drive Alone
76.5%
Carpool
8.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.8%
Work from Home
11.1%
Other
2.3%

Based on 7,066 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Wisconsin — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Wisconsin state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Wisconsin state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,097/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
59.1 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Chippewa Falls, WI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Chippewa Falls, WI — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Chippewa Falls compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Chippewa Falls) plus the nearest peer cities in Wisconsin, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WI

Chippewa Falls

62.13% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$62,133
Brackets
15
Selected

WI

Greendale

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,470
Brackets
15
Selected

WI

Whitefish Bay

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,480
Brackets
15
Selected

WI

Salem Lakes

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,450
Brackets
15
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Chippewa Falls, WI?

What is the population of Chippewa Falls, WI? +

Chippewa Falls, WI has a population of 14,643 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Chippewa Falls, WI? +

The median household income in Chippewa Falls is $62,133 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Chippewa Falls? +

Chippewa Falls has a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Chippewa Falls, WI safe? +

Chippewa Falls has a total crime rate of 888.8 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Chippewa Falls, WI? +

The median home value in Chippewa Falls is $194,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →