La Crosse, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
La Crosse, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | La Crosse | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,252 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1902.0 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,950 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in La Crosse declined by 0.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,252 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in La Crosse is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 37.7% of residents. That is 16.3 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 17,062 37.7% +16.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,135 18.0% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,013 15.5% -5.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,234 13.8% -4.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Wisconsin, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.8% of the people living in La Crosse and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 48.2% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in La Crosse
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
La Crosse has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | La Crosse | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,132 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.86% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in La Crosse is about 29% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | La Crosse | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $205,012 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,009 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 48.1% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in La Crosse is about 16.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,009 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in La Crosse spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 109 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | La Crosse | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.2 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 109 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,388 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,204 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,208 | 811 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in La Crosse is 13 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
La Crosse has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | La Crosse | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.09 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Health
La Crosse has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | La Crosse | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.9% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about La Crosse, Wisconsin.
What is the population of La Crosse, Wisconsin?
About 45,252 people live in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 19,950 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 30.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is La Crosse, Wisconsin urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, La Crosse, Wisconsin has 1,902 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 22 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in La Crosse, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($205,012 against $55,132), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,009 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in La Crosse, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in La Crosse, Wisconsin is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →