City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Eau Claire, WI

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

69,274
Residents
$65,369
Median income
$228,000
Median home
$1,181
Median rent (state)

Eau Claire - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Eau Claire lands in the 43rd percentile for household income and the 30th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

43rd
percentile, household income
50th
percentile, home value
35th
percentile, median rent
30th
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: Eau Claire, WI

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 69,274 residents in Eau Claire, a small city within Wisconsin. Eau Claire households earn a median of $65,369 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.3%. Eau Claire's housing stock carries a median value of $228,000, and the median resident age is 33.0 years. Educational attainment runs 35.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 66.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 404 residential building permits were authorized in Eau Claire (Building Boom), up 85% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2067.9 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 46.0°F with 32.8 inches of precipitation per year and 54.0 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: the state registers 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,181 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Wisconsin's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 78.3 out of 100 (High).

Population

69,274 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$65,369 /yr

Poverty 6.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.1 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average

How does Eau Claire compare to other US cities?

Eau Claire measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 43% higher than other cities
Home value 50% pricier than other cities
Median rent 35% pricier than other cities
Safety 30% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Wisconsin alone, Eau Claire ranks #176 of 202 Wisconsin cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Eau Claire's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Wisconsin, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

43rdIncome percentile
30thSafety percentile

43rd percentile nationally for median household income · 30th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Eau Claire's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Eau Claire'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 44 Avg. percentile National median
Eau Claire'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 Eau Claire's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$228,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 50% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Eau Claire $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Eau Claire, WI Eau Claire, WI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Eau Claire, WI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Eau Claire, WI median $65,369/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Eau Claire, WI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Eau Claire, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.9%

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

Population
69,274
Median Income
$65,369
Median Home Value
$228,000
Median Age
33.0
Poverty Rate
6.3%
Labor force participation
66.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2067.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
162.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1905.7
per 100,000 residents

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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
46.0°F
Annual Precipitation
32.8"
Annual Snowfall
54.0"

Schools

Total Schools
23
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
69,000 residents70,000 residents71,000 residents72,000 residents73,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 69,492 residents 72,465 residents ▲ +4.3%
Eau Claire's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
404
housing units authorized
Single-Family
67
detached homes
Multifamily
337
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 218
2020 308
2021 582
2022 535
2023 885
2024 404

Permit volume increased 85% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
76.7%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
3.3%
Work from Home
10.9%
Other
1.4%

Based on 38,033 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

Cost of living is a Wisconsin state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Eau Claire sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,181/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
78.3 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Wisconsin

Waukesha
70,779 people
Oshkosh
66,247 people
Janesville
65,813 people
Appleton
74,873 people
Racine
77,155 people
West Allis
59,588 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Eau Claire's 69,274 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Gaithersburg, MD
69,225 people
East Orange, NJ
69,183 people
Yuba City, CA
69,545 people
San Marcos, TX
68,920 people
Passaic, NJ
69,651 people
Walnut Creek, CA
69,790 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Eau Claire's $65,369 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Union City, NJ
$65,369 median income
Garland, UT
$65,369 median income
White, OR
$65,370 median income
Leetsdale, PA
$65,368 median income
Anita, IA
$65,375 median income
Wilson, OK
$65,375 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Eau Claire, 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 Eau Claire, WI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.8% White 86.9% Black or African American 1.3% Asian 5.8% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 4.7% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Eau Claire compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Eau Claire (this city) 69,274 $65,369
Waukesha 70,779 $81,651
Oshkosh 66,247 $61,929
Janesville 65,813 $71,664
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Eau Claire, WI?

What is the population of Eau Claire, WI? +

69,274 people live in Eau Claire, WI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Eau Claire, WI? +

The median household income in Eau Claire is $65,369 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Eau Claire? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Eau Claire; the closest available measure is the Wisconsin state average, a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Wisconsin vary by metro area.

Is Eau Claire, WI safe? +

Eau Claire has a total crime rate of 2067.9 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Eau Claire, WI? +

Homes in Eau Claire carry a median value of $228,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Eau Claire? +

The average annual temperature in Eau Claire runs 46.0°F, 32.8 inches of precipitation, and 54.0 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.