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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

La Crosse Metro

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN · 3 counties · 170,341 residents · 1,795 sq mi
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The short version

La Crosse is a metro area of 170,341 people. The foreign-born share is 3%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $179,595. The average commute runs 20 minutes. Median rent is $820 a month. Headcount has barely moved since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.7
US median: 38.8
Average education
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 31%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
170,341
+10%since 2000
from 154,894 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
95 / sq mi
+10%since 2000
from 86 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
38.7
+10%since 2000
from 35.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,795 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
139K148K156K165K173K19902000201020202024La Crosse
2024170K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.4%(9,234)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(9,964)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.4%(10,838)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.5%(11,111)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.4%(16,010)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412%(20,427)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.5%(19,593)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.9%(18,535)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.4%(22,880)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.8%(18,475)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.3%(9,069)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.5%(4,205)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$59,181
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,486 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,445
+71%since 2000
from $18,962 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
37.8%
+11.4 ptssince 2009
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information13.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade12.4%
US avg: 10%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade5.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$179,595
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $91,436 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$820
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $441 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
66.9%
−2.7 ptssince 2000
from 69.6% in 2000
33.1% rent
Persons per household
2.36 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.37 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.0
+2%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.1%(147,287)
Black0.7%(1,051)
Hispanic / Latino0.8%(1,297)
Asian2.2%(3,482)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic89.4%(152,326)
Black1.3%(2,138)
Hispanic / Latino2.2%(3,758)
Asian3.4%(5,789)
Other2.6%(4,349)
Segregation Score
24
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1%(1,739)
Puerto Rican0.2%(344)
Colombian0.1%(205)
Cuban0.1%(105)
Peruvian0%(65)
Spaniard0%(43)
Honduran0%(37)
Bolivian0%(27)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Hmong2.5%(2,994)
Chinese0.3%(496)
Korean0.2%(347)
Asian Indian0.2%(316)
Filipino0.2%(313)
Laotian0.1%(139)
Japanese0.1%(117)
Taiwanese0%(42)
Cambodian0%(25)
Thai0%(24)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.1%(18)
Samoan0%(4)
Ancestry
German42.4%(70,998)
Norwegian20.6%(34,599)
Irish13.2%(22,174)
English6.5%(10,829)
Polish5.1%(8,604)
Swedish2.8%(4,714)
Italian2.7%(4,525)
American2.7%(4,490)
Czech2.5%(4,122)
French2.3%(3,866)
Dutch1.8%(2,938)
Scottish1.2%(1,953)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Danish0.9%(1,526)
Swiss0.8%(1,282)
French Canadian0.6%(1,003)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(906)
Finnish0.5%(810)
Russian0.4%(743)
Welsh0.4%(657)
Austrian0.3%(577)
British0.3%(531)
Belgian0.3%(460)
Hungarian0.2%(371)
Greek0.2%(317)
Lithuanian0.1%(250)
Nigerian0.2%(248)
Canadian0.1%(159)
Croatian0.1%(158)
Ukrainian0.1%(128)
Slovene0.1%(123)
Slovak0.1%(116)
Lebanese0.1%(114)
Portuguese0.1%(110)
Romanian0.1%(98)
Syrian0.1%(93)
Iranian0.1%(85)
Serbian0%(63)
Arab0%(58)
Latvian0%(32)
Ethiopian0%(31)
Egyptian0%(22)
Moroccan0%(18)
Bulgarian0%(18)
Kenyan0%(16)
Brazilian0%(12)
Armenian0%(11)
Turkish0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.4%
+9.7 ptssince 2000
from 22.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.2%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 87.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
11.7%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 7.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.3 min
+62%since 2000
from 12.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 77.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.1%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 5.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.1%
−4.3 ptssince 2011
from 69.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.8%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
37.8%
+5.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Foreign born
2.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
6.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
89.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.9%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married38.2%(26,644)
Married50.1%(34,954)
Widowed2.5%(1,755)
Divorced9.2%(6,436)
Women 15+
Never married32%(22,887)
Married48.7%(34,810)
Widowed8.4%(5,967)
Divorced10.9%(7,749)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
63.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.7%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
18.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.5%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
77.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
30.9%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.4%(1,660)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)19.9%(2,013)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.5%(3,697)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9%(913)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.3%(337)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 10,125 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
In this metro

Largest cities

La CrosseCENTRAL50,784OnalaskaCENTRAL20,297Holmen12,105West Salem5,288La Crescent5,261Viroqua4,435French Island4,188Caledonia2,768Westby2,435Brice Prairie1,782Bangor1,564Hillsboro1,401Spring Grove1,206Houston970Stoddard911Coon Valley760Rockland754La Farge701St. Joseph548Brownsville545Hokah536Readstown370Eitzen264Chaseburg240Genoa228Mindoro225
What's inside

3 component counties

La Crosse CountyCENTRAL121,339Vernon County31,443Houston CountyCENTRAL18,400
Drill deeper

Metros similar to La Crosse

Grand Junction
Pop 162,845
Oshkosh
Pop 174,218
Eau Claire
Pop 176,647
Odessa
Pop 173,801
Places similar to La Crosse
Head to head

Compare La Crosse side by side

LA CROSSE VS
Grand Junction
Income$73,658+24%
Home value$378,600+111%
Population162,845−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LA CROSSE VS
Oshkosh
Income$74,925+27%
Home value$225,800+26%
Population174,218+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LA CROSSE VS
Eau Claire
Income$74,597+26%
Home value$259,809+45%
Population176,647+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LA CROSSE VS
Odessa
Income$71,536+21%
Home value$200,200+11%
Population173,801+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN has about 170,341 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

The typical household in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN earns about $59,181 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN expensive?

In La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, the median home is worth about $179,595, and the typical rent is about $820 a month.

How educated are people in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

About 32.4% of adults age 25 and over in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

About 12.2% of people in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN live below the federal poverty line.

Has La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN grown since 1990?

Yes, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN has grown since 1990. The population has added about 28,323 residents, a change of about 20 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →