Population 48,954 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wausau
Household size in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Wausau are small: just 2.39 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has crept up from 2.35 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.2 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Wausau are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has crept up from 39.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Wausau (10.4%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Wisconsin. Compared with other Wisconsin cities, though, Wausau has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Wausau
Renters in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.4% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.4% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.1% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.9% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Wausau is about as common as it is nationally: 36.9% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Wisconsin as a whole (32.2%). Among homeowners, 41.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.5 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Wausau: 6.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 2.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Wausau is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $675 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $704 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $772 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,022 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$347 | +$380 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wausau pays $1,022 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $347 a month from 2006–10, a 51% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Wausau
Bachelor's degrees in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.9% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.2% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.1% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.3% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over three in ten adults 25 and older in Wausau (31.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.5 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.0% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.5% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Wausau is above the national rate: 92.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Wisconsin. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.9 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Wausau
| Period | Wausau | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wausau runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Even so, the rate is higher than in Wisconsin as a whole (3.3%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.4 points, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Wausau compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wausau | 2.39 | 40.6 | 10.4% | 36.9% | 6.8% | 1967 | $1,022 | 31.3% | 92.9% | 4.3% |
| Rib Mountain | 2.43 | 48.5 | 1.9% | 14.8% | 6.5% | 1982 | $1,375 | 41.2% | 95.2% | 5.5% |
| Schofield | 2.19 | 39.4 | 15.2% | 37.6% | 6.6% | 1973 | $1,027 | 27.9% | 96.6% | 3.7% |
| Nutterville | 2.55 | 44.9 | 4.6% | 16.6% | 10.5% | 1984 | $989 | 34.0% | 95.1% | 2.0% |
| Weston | 2.24 | 41.3 | 14.3% | 38.2% | 2.9% | 1993 | $1,131 | 26.9% | 94.6% | 1.7% |
| Brokaw | 2.66 | 47.8 | 5.2% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 1978 | $1,044 | 32.6% | 96.5% | 2.1% |
| Rothschild | 2.52 | 38.5 | 8.3% | 20.2% | 2.2% | 1977 | $885 | 35.7% | 95.7% | 0.7% |
| Marathon | 2.56 | 46.0 | 4.5% | 7.2% | 4.3% | 1978 | $966 | 25.6% | 95.4% | 1.9% |
| Kronenwetter | 2.52 | 39.8 | 8.2% | 18.4% | 2.8% | 1998 | $1,154 | 34.7% | 95.7% | 1.1% |
| Marathon City | 2.44 | 45.4 | 4.5% | 19.8% | 2.1% | 1974 | $838 | 27.9% | 96.4% | 0.5% |
| Ringle | 2.63 | 46.4 | 6.1% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 1986 | $860 | 26.5% | 96.2% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rio Grande, PR · Grapevine, TX · Holly Springs, NC · Hurst, TX · Jeffersonville, IN · Lagrange, GA · Lompoc, CA · Newburgh, NY · North Miami Beach, FL · Oro Valley, AZ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Wausau. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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