City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

La Crosse, WI

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

51,791
Residents
$53,803
Median income
$196,600
Median home
$1,166
Median rent (state)

La Crosse - the verdict

La Crosse ranks in the 25th percentile for household income and the 7th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

25th
percentile, household income
42nd
percentile, home value
33rd
percentile, median rent
7th
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: La Crosse, WI

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 51,791 residents in La Crosse, a small city within Wisconsin. Median household income here is $53,803 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.8%. Home values in La Crosse run a median of $196,600, and the median resident age is 30.3 years. Educational attainment runs 34.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 62.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 19 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 84% from five years earlier. La Crosse's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 4102.7 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts La Crosse's yearly average temperature at 45.6°F with 37.5 inches of precipitation per year and 54.2 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Wisconsin scores 94.1 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,166 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Wisconsin, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 80.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

51,791 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$53,803 /yr

Poverty 7.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.1 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average

How does La Crosse compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 25% higher than other cities
Home value 42% pricier than other cities
Median rent 33% pricier than other cities
Safety 7% safer than other cities

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

Zoom in to just Wisconsin and the picture shifts: La Crosse ranks #199 of 202 Wisconsin cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares La Crosse against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Wisconsin-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places La Crosse toward the top of Wisconsin's cities

Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, La Crosse ranks #152 - the 80th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares La Crosse only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#618 of 753
18th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#272 of 761
63rd percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#317 of 754
58th percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#256 of 761
66th percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#152 of 761
80th percentile in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

25thIncome percentile
7thSafety percentile

25th percentile nationally for median household income · 7th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

La Crosse's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

La Crosse'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 32 Avg. percentile National median
La Crosse'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 La Crosse's home value compares nationally

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

$196,600 Among the most affordable more affordable than 58% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $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. La Crosse $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 - La Crosse, WI La Crosse, WI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not La Crosse, 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 La Crosse, WI median $53,803/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%
La Crosse, 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 La Crosse, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 34.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.1%

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

Population
51,791
Median Income
$53,803
Median Home Value
$196,600
Median Age
30.3
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Labor force participation
62.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4102.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
391.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3711.7
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
45.6°F
Annual Precipitation
37.5"
Annual Snowfall
54.2"

Schools

Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
50,000 residents51,000 residents52,000 residents53,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 52,680 residents 50,784 residents ▼ -3.6%
La Crosse's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
19
housing units authorized
Single-Family
17
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 119
2020 27
2021 102
2022 104
2023 28
2024 19

Permit volume decreased 84% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
68.0%
Carpool
9.2%
Public Transit
1.8%
Walk
8.1%
Work from Home
10.0%
Other
2.9%

Based on 27,529 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 La Crosse sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,166/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
80.5 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Wisconsin

Sheboygan
49,812 people
Wauwatosa
47,718 people
Fond du Lac
44,491 people
West Allis
59,588 people
Brookfield
41,592 people
New Berlin
40,384 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to La Crosse's 51,791 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Catalina Foothills, AZ
51,756 people
West New York, NJ
51,683 people
Florissant, MO
51,915 people
Lincoln, CA
51,629 people
Watsonville, CA
51,968 people
Dunwoody, GA
51,563 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to La Crosse's $53,803 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Cresaptown, MD
$53,804 median income
Trenton, TX
$53,810 median income
Irwin, SC
$53,795 median income
Anza, CA
$53,814 median income
Thermalito, CA
$53,814 median income
Morgan, TX
$53,816 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - La Crosse, 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 La Crosse, WI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 88.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.1% White 88.4% Black or African American 1.8% Asian 4.5% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.7% Two or more races 4.2% 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 La Crosse 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
La Crosse (this city) 51,791 $53,803
Sheboygan 49,812 $62,953
Wauwatosa 47,718 $93,859
Fond du Lac 44,491 $61,620
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about La Crosse, WI?

What is the population of La Crosse, WI? +

The population of La Crosse, WI stands at 51,791 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in La Crosse, WI? +

La Crosse households earn a median of $53,803 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in La Crosse? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for La Crosse; 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 La Crosse, WI safe? +

La Crosse has a total crime rate of 4102.7 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 La Crosse, WI? +

A typical home in La Crosse is worth $196,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in La Crosse? +

La Crosse has an average annual temperature of 45.6°F, 37.5 inches of precipitation, and 54.2 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

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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.