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Place dossier plate
SheetWI-WAUSAU-WI · Wausau, WI 39,893 pop · income 38th pct · 32 tracts
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 Wausau
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Wausau on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Hutchinson · lowest
58,801
Hutchinson · lowest
58,801 median HH income
47.4% of the leader · rank #1
Edmundson Acr… · near
61,875
Edmundson Acr… · near
61,875 median HH income
49.9% of the leader · rank #2
Zellwood · near
61,875
Zellwood · near
61,875 median HH income
49.9% of the leader · rank #3
Jersey · near
61,875
Jersey · near
61,875 median HH income
49.9% of the leader · rank #4
West Point · near
61,875
West Point · near
61,875 median HH income
49.9% of the leader · rank #5
Wausau · this city
61,877
Wausau · this city
61,877 median HH income
49.9% of the leader · rank #6
Brookfield · highest
124,026
Brookfield · highest
124,026 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 Wausau 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: 39,893.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Wausau - the verdict
Nationally, Wausau sits in the 38th percentile for household income and the 52nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
38th
percentile, household income
29th
percentile, home value
29th
percentile, median rent
52nd
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: Wausau, WI
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 39,893 residents in Wausau, a small city within Wisconsin. Wausau households earn a median of $61,877 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.0%. Home values in Wausau run a median of $155,900, and the median resident age is 38.4 years. Educational attainment runs 30.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 61.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 74 residential building permits were authorized in Wausau (Construction Slowdown), down 37% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Wausau reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1304.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
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 $1,097 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Wisconsin, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Wausau workers runs 13.6 minutes, with 72.5% driving alone and 12.7% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 59.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Wausau'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 population change to within-city variation to work and mobility to schools and households to housing and income to reported crime to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Wausau, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
Is Wausau growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +175 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 74 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
PlainCities matches 32 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
What does the journey to work look like in Wausau?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 13.6 minutes.
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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Wausau?
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 Wisconsin, the closest population matches are New Berlin (40,384 residents, $97,414 income); Menomonee Falls (38,963 residents, $98,460 income); Brookfield (41,592 residents, $124,026 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hobbs, NM (39,887 residents); Duncanville, TX (39,879 residents); Hurst, TX (39,912 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.
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.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Wausau?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 20 public schools within the city match. 30.0% 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.
Poverty estimate
9.0%
Bachelor's degree+
30.0%
Matched public schools
20
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
How far does income reach against housing in Wausau?
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 2.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 9.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
2.5×
Home value
$155,900
Household income
$61,877
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Wausau?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1304.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 43% 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.
Total reported rate
1304.2
Violent rate
295.4
Property rate
1008.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 9.0% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average
D
City profile score · Wausau, WI
47/100
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 B-
94.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share C
30.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate D
9.0%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$61,877
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
295 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Wausau profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 68/100 (B-) · 94.1 index
Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 30.0%
Poverty rate: 44/100 (D) · 9.0%
Household income: 37/100 (F) · $61,877
Violent crime: 34/100 (F) · 295 /100k
Where Wausau sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Wausau'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 - Wausau highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Wausau, WI (this city): home $155,900, crime 1,304/100k
Hobbs, NM : home $180,700, crime 4,542/100k
Duncanville, TX : home $239,200, crime 2,586/100k
Hurst, TX : home $287,600, crime 2,592/100k
Hutchinson, KS : home $122,600, crime 2,597/100k
New Berlin, WI : home $343,500, crime 1,055/100k
Menomonee Falls, WI : home $341,600, crime 596/100k
Brookfield, WI : home $419,300, crime 1,180/100k
Greenfield, WI : home $247,800, crime 2,400/100k
Beloit, WI : home $133,500, crime 2,606/100k
Oak Creek, WI : home $305,100, crime 1,832/100k
How does Wausau compare to other US cities?
Here's how Wausau stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income38% higher than other cities
Home value29% pricier than other cities
Median rent29% pricier than other cities
Safety52% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Wisconsin, Wausau ranks #133 of 202 Wisconsin cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Wausau against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Wisconsin-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Wausau near the bottom of Wisconsin's cities
Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Wausau ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Wausau only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#483 of 753
36th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 761
0th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#484 of 754
36th percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#213 of 761
71st percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#211 of 761
72nd percentile in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
38th percentile nationally for median household income · 52nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Wausau's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Wausau'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 Wausau's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$155,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 71% 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
Wausau's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#4,109 of 15,516
More affordable than 74% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#370 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.5×, Wausau sits in the affordable band:
national rank #4,109 of 15,516 and #370 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
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
$61,877Wausau, WI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Wausau, WI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Wausau, WI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)9.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
39,893
Median Income
$61,877
Median Home Value
$155,900
Median Age
38.4
Poverty Rate
9.0%
Labor force participation
61.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1304.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
295.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1008.8
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
20
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Wausau's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
40,013 residents
2021
39,739 residents
2022
39,837 residents
2023
40,084 residents
2024
40,229 residents
2025
40,188 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
74
housing units authorized
Single-Family
18
detached homes
Multifamily
56
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2022
117
17
100
$19.0M
2023
174
14
160
$28.1M
2024
74
18
56
$22.9M
Permit volume decreased 37% from 2022 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
13.6 minutes
Drive Alone
72.5%
Carpool
9.1%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
2.4%
Work from Home
12.7%
Other
2.4%
Based on 19,363 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Wisconsin statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Wisconsin at $225 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Wisconsin statewide averages, not a meter reading for Wausau. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Wisconsin's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.1 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Wausau is $1,097/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Wisconsin statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 59.1 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Wisconsin statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Wausau sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Wausau compares to similar-size Wisconsin 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.