Wausau, WI

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

138,067

16.9% 1-year decline

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

41.2

2.37% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

8.91%

2.74% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$76,185

6.29% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$205,500

8.44% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

72,092

15.5% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Wausau, WI had a population of 138k people with a median age of 41.2 and a median household income of $76,185. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Wausau, WI declined from 166,222 to 138,067, a −16.9% decrease and its median household income grew from $71,675 to $76,185, a 6.29% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wausau, WI are White (Non-Hispanic) (86.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.5%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.45%), Other (Hispanic) (1.24%), and White (Hispanic) (1.06%).

None of the households in Wausau, WI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.1% of the residents in Wausau, WI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wausau, WI are Northcentral Technical College (2,240 degrees awarded in 2022) and State College of Beauty Culture Inc (44 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Wausau, WI was $205,500, and the homeownership rate was 73.4%.

Most people in Wausau, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Wausau, WI was 2 cars per household.

Wausau, WI borders Merrill, WI, Shawano, WI, Stevens Point, WI, and Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield, WI.

United States Wisconsin

Population & Diversity

Wausau, WI is home to a population of 138k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 4.16% of Wausau, WI residents were born outside of the country (5.74k people).

In 2023, there were 15.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (120k people) in Wausau, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.6k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 4.77k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.1%

2023 Citizenship

98.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.1% of Wausau, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Wausau, WI was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wausau, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wausau, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
120k ± 271
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
7.6k ± 270
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
4.77k ± 419

3.36%

Hispanic Population

4.64k people

3.36% of the people in Wausau, WI are hispanic (4.64k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Wausau, WI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Wisconsin.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
84,791 ± 7,097 people
India
23,051 ± 3,720 people
China
15,381 ± 3,041 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 84,791 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 23,051 and China with 15,381.

Foreign-Born Population

4.16%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.74k people

3.76%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

6.24k people

As of 2023, 4.16% of Wausau, WI residents (5.74k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wausau, WI was 3.76%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wausau, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,622 ± 348
Gulf War (2001-)
1,828 ± 328
Gulf War (1990s)
934 ± 192

Wausau, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.43 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Wausau, WI employs 72.1k people. The largest industries in Wausau, WI are Manufacturing (14,814 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,526 people), and Retail Trade (7,604 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($93,452), Utilities ($82,347), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($67,750).

Males in Wisconsin have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,062. The income inequality in Wisconsin (measured using the Gini index) is 0.443, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

72.1k

2023 Value

± 1,770

−15.5%

1 Year decline

± 3.84%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wausau, WI declined at a rate of −15.5%, from 85.3k employees to 72.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wausau, WI, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,281 people), Management Occupations (7,771 people), and Production Occupations (7,438 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wausau, WI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

72.1k

2023 Value

± 1,770

−15.5%

1 Year decline

± 3.84%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wausau, WI declined at a rate of −15.5%, from 85.3k employees to 72.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wausau, WI, are Manufacturing (14,814 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,526 people), and Retail Trade (7,604 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wausau, WI, though some of these residents may live in Wausau, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,439

Median earning men ± $1,215

$40,432

Median earning women ± $896

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,847), Public Administration ($67,703), and Wholesale Trade ($65,809).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($48,492), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,204), and Manufacturing ($46,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Y-Axis

1.6%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.95M people employed in Wisconsin. This represents a 1.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Wisconsin.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

242
Construction
218
Other Services (except Public Administration)
163
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.19M
Manufacturing
$682k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$266k
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing the state of Wisconsin. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Wausau, WI. Showing the available data for Wisconsin.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.6%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.518%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wisconsin for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Wisconsin

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Ron Johnson

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tammy Baldwin

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing Wisconsin.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Wisconsin over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Wisconsin

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Wisconsin have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Wausau, WI awarded 2,284 degrees. The student population of Wausau, WI in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 2,568 male students and 3,540 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wausau, WI are White (1,840 and 80.6%), followed by Asian (134 and 5.87%), Unknown (115 and 5.04%), and Hispanic or Latino (87 and 3.81%).

The largest universities in Wausau, WI by number of degrees awarded are Northcentral Technical College (2,240 and 98.1%) and State College of Beauty Culture Inc (44 and 1.93%).

The most popular majors in Wausau, WI are Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (276 and 12.1%), Welding Technology (125 and 5.47%), and Accounting (111 and 4.86%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 6,108 students enrolled in Wausau, WI, 42% men and 58% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,758 records, of which 58.1% were women and 41.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
75 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
32 degrees awarded
Electromechanical Technology
27 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Wausau, WI was Registered Nursing with 75 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Wausau, WI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Northcentral Technical College
2,240 degrees awarded
State College of Beauty Culture Inc
44 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Northcentral Technical College with 2,240 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 918 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wausau, WI, which is 0.672 times less than the 1,366 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,840 degrees mean that there were 13.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 134 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($3,443) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($348) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,939) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Measure

In 2022, 0.697% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.597% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.41M), Some college (1.02M), and Bachelors Degree (921k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wausau, WI was $205,500 in 2023, which is 0.677 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $189,500 to $205,500, a 8.44% increase. The homeownership rate in Wausau, WI is 73.4%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Wausau, WI have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wausau, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Wausau, WI is $76,185. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Wausau, WI was Waukesha County, WI with a value of $104,100, followed by St. Croix County, WI and Ozaukee County, WI, with respective values of $102,482 and $96,734.

Housing

Property

$205,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$4,043

$41,754

Median Property Taxes

±$1,127

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wausau, WI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wausau, WI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.4%

Homeownership

2023

62.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.4% of the housing units in Wausau, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wausau, WI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wausau, WI was Waukesha County, WI with a value of $104,100, followed by St. Croix County, WI and Ozaukee County, WI, with respective values of $102,482 and $96,734.

The following map shows all of the counties in Wausau, WI colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$76,185

Median Household Income

± $2,620

56.9k

Number of Households

± 1,533

In 2023, the median household income of the 56.9k households in Wausau, WI grew to $76,185 from the previous year's value of $71,675.

The following chart displays the households in Wausau, WI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wausau, WI is from Wisconsin.

0.443

2022 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.443

2021 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2022, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.043% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wisconsin in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Wisconsin across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.5%)
Worked At Home (11.7%)
Carpooled (8.4%)

In 2023, 76.5% of workers in Wausau, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.7%) and those who carpooled to work (8.4%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wausau, WI have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.62% of the workforce in Wausau, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wausau, WI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wausau, WI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wausau, WI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.91% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wausau, WI (12.2k out of 136k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wausau, WI is White, followed by Hispanic and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94% of the population of Wausau, WI has health coverage, with 54.3% on employee plans, 12.3% on Medicaid, 14.2% on Medicare, 12% on non-group plans, and 1.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wisconsin see 1242 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.04% decrease from the previous year (1255 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1384 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 423 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

1,242 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wisconsin

Primary care physicians in Wisconsin see an average of 1,242 patients per year. This represents a 1.04% decrease from the previous year (1,255 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Wisconsin in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 18.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.95%

Uninsured

54.3%

Employer Coverage

12.3%

Medicaid

14.2%

Medicare

12%

Non-Group

1.28%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wausau, WI grew by 1.98% from 5.84% to 5.95%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wausau, WI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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