La Crosse is a metro area of 170,190 people. That puts it in the top 7% of US metro areas for household income. The foreign-born share is 3%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $248,970. The average commute runs 20 minutes. Median rent is $999 a month.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $73,555, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about La Crosse
What changed most since 1990
White share96.7% → 89.3%(−7.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Among the 26 metro and micro areas based in Wisconsin
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)18.3%(1,694)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.4%(2,167)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.7%(3,679)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.8%(445)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(127)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 9,274 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
La Crosse, decade by decade
La Crosse 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
142,018
$61,844
$131,003
18.4%
7.9
2000
154,894
$70,108
$166,564
22.7%
11.9
2010
163,438
$69,725
$209,544
26.2%
17.0
2020
170,341
$71,730
$217,677
32.4%
24.7
2024
170,190
$73,555
$248,970
33.7%
24.7
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.
