Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Waldo - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Waldo lands in the 49th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
49th
percentile, household income
42nd
percentile, home value
49th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Waldo, WI
Waldo is a small town in Wisconsin, home to 407 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Waldo households earn a median of $69,583 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Home values in Waldo run a median of $196,600, and the median resident age is 40.1 years. About 24.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 2 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 33% from five years earlier.
Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Wisconsin at 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,338 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Wisconsin run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.3 out of 100 (Low).
Population
407 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin
Median Household Income
$69,583/yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.1 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average
How does Waldo compare to other US cities?
Here's how Waldo stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income49% higher than other cities
Home value42% pricier than other cities
Median rent49% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Waldo against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Wisconsin-relative analysis
Poverty Rate places Waldo near the bottom of Wisconsin's cities
Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Waldo ranks #671 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Waldo only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#366 of 753
51st percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#56 of 761
82nd percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#317 of 754
58th percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#671 of 761
0th percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#314 of 761
59th 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.
49th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Waldo's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$196,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 58% of 15,600 US cities
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
Waldo, 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 Waldo, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)24.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
407
Median Income
$69,583
Median Home Value
$196,600
Median Age
40.1
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
64.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.7%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Waldo's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2022
3
3
0
$0.8M
2023
3
3
0
$0.9M
2024
2
2
0
$0.6M
Permit volume decreased 33% from 2022 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
82.1%
Carpool
9.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
7.3%
Based on 218 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 Waldo sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Waldo, WI?
What is the population of Waldo, WI?+
The population of Waldo, WI stands at 407 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Waldo, WI?+
The median household income in Waldo is $69,583 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Waldo?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Waldo; 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.
What is the median home value in Waldo, WI?+
A typical home in Waldo is worth $196,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.