Wausau, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wausau, 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.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wausau | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,878 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1468.8 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.8 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,814 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wausau grew by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,878 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wausau is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.1% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,603 22.1% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,510 21.8% +1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,432 18.2% -2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,836 16.2% -1.7 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 50.2% of the people living in Wausau and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Wisconsin 50.0%
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100% of everyone living in Wausau
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Economy
Wausau has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Wausau | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,304 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.68% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wausau is about 20% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Wausau | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $137,487 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $996 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.4% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wausau is about 11.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $996 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wausau spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 126 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wausau | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.2 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.3 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 126 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,919 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.1% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,578 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,742 | 811 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wausau is 15 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
Wausau has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wausau | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Health
Wausau has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Wausau | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.0% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wausau, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Wausau, Wisconsin?
About 29,878 people live in Wausau, Wisconsin, in 12,814 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Wausau, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Wausau, Wisconsin has 1,469 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 17 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Wausau, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($137,487 against $62,304), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $996 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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