Wausau is a city of 39,996 people in Wisconsin. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $167,900. The average commute runs 15 minutes. Density works out to 2,080 people per square mile. Owners hold 58% of the housing stock. 8% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $64,389, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Wausau
What changed most since 1990
Homes owned by their occupants63.0% → 57.6%(−5.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$122,164 → $167,900(+37%)US over the same years: +67%
Hispanic share0.6% → 5.4%(+4.9 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Wausau's population equals 29% of Marathon County's. Its number of households without a car equals 57% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 51% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)33.4%(603)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.7%(248)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29%(524)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.4%(43)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(27)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,805 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Wausau, decade by decade
Wausau population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
37,060
$61,214
$122,164
17.4%
16.3
2000
38,426
$67,093
$154,294
21.5%
32.2
2010
39,106
$59,419
$160,832
22.8%
39.2
2020
39,994
$57,497
$146,778
28.4%
48.4
2024
39,996
$64,389
$167,900
30.9%
47.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
