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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Wausau Metro

Wausau, WI · 1 counties · 125,834 residents · 1,545 sq mi
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The short version

Wausau is a metro area of 125,834 people. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Poverty is uncommon here, at 6.6% of people across the metro. Getting to work takes 11 minutes on average. Home values have risen by half since 1990, reaching $96,200.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 36.3
US median: 35.2
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 34%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
125,834
+9%since 1990
from 115,400 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
81 / sq mi
+9%since 1990
from 75 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
36.3
+11%since 1990
from 32.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,545 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
113K120K127K134K141K19902000201020202024Wausau
2024138K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.4%(8,098)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.5%(9,383)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 148%(10,058)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.7%(9,702)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.4%(6,799)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413%(16,347)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.5%(20,823)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.9%(17,471)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.6%(10,832)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.4%(8,075)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.8%(6,057)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.7%(2,189)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,165
+14%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $30,143 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,703
+63%since 1990
from $12,718 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
6.6%
−1.3 ptssince 1990
from 7.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$96,200
+34%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $54,600 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$484
+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $365 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
75.7%
+0.9 ptssince 1990
from 74.7% in 1990
24.3% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic97.4%(112,403)
Black0.1%(77)
Hispanic / Latino0.4%(416)
Asian2.1%(2,430)
2000
White, non-Hispanic93.4%(117,517)
Black0.3%(337)
Hispanic / Latino0.8%(979)
Asian4.5%(5,703)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.4%(3,364)
Nicaraguan0.3%(426)
Puerto Rican0.2%(302)
Spaniard0.1%(94)
Colombian0.1%(90)
Cuban0%(68)
Dominican0%(56)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Hmong4.4%(6,026)
Asian Indian0.3%(384)
Filipino0.3%(359)
Chinese0.3%(353)
Kazakh0.2%(345)
Vietnamese0.1%(98)
Japanese0%(64)
Laotian0%(50)
Korean0%(33)
Cambodian0%(15)
Taiwanese0%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(6)
Ancestry
German46.9%(64,847)
Polish14.5%(20,105)
Irish7.9%(10,892)
English5.8%(8,063)
Norwegian4.3%(5,954)
American3%(4,100)
French2.3%(3,217)
Swedish2.2%(3,018)
Italian2%(2,719)
Dutch1.8%(2,521)
Czech1.8%(2,430)
French Canadian1.1%(1,557)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss0.7%(1,030)
Scottish0.7%(979)
Danish0.6%(772)
Finnish0.5%(675)
Russian0.4%(616)
Austrian0.4%(537)
Welsh0.3%(425)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(421)
Ukrainian0.3%(359)
Belgian0.2%(270)
British0.2%(258)
Croatian0.2%(231)
Hungarian0.2%(230)
Slovak0.2%(224)
Lithuanian0.2%(219)
Greek0.1%(190)
Arab0.1%(166)
West Indian0.1%(124)
Jamaican0.1%(124)
Slovene0.1%(110)
Portuguese0.1%(108)
Canadian0.1%(92)
Romanian0.1%(72)
Syrian0%(58)
Lebanese0%(53)
Nigerian0%(45)
Latvian0%(36)
Bulgarian0%(28)
Serbian0%(19)
Brazilian0%(15)
Turkish0%(7)
Iranian0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.3%
+4.8 ptssince 1990
from 13.5% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
83.8%
+7.8 ptssince 1990
from 75.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
5.7%
+1.6 ptssince 1990
from 4.1% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
11.5 min
−45%since 1990
from 20.7 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married28.2%(13,758)
Married62%(30,232)
Widowed2.3%(1,138)
Divorced7.5%(3,633)
Women 15+
Never married20.4%(10,096)
Married61.2%(30,353)
Widowed9.9%(4,901)
Divorced8.6%(4,261)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
5.8%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 8.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.2%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 61.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 16.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 16.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.4%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 75.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.9%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 32.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)25.8%(1,868)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.2%(1,100)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.7%(2,511)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(331)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(46)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 7,241 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

WausauCENTRAL40,188Weston15,931Kronenwetter8,413Rib Mountain7,280Rothschild5,627Mosinee4,529Maine2,621Schofield2,311Spencer1,809Stratford1,619Marathon City1,547Edgar1,425Athens1,190Birnamwood730Hatley661Elderon150Fenwood140Knowlton91
What's inside

1 component county

Marathon CountyCENTRAL139,432
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Wausau

Lebanon
Pop 146,380
Albany
Pop 132,843
Harrisonburg
Pop 140,155
Glens Falls
Pop 124,373
Places similar to Wausau
Head to head

Compare Wausau side by side

WAUSAU VS
Lebanon
Income$78,425+74%
Home value$242,000+152%
Population146,380+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAUSAU VS
Albany
Income$76,329+69%
Home value$376,400+291%
Population132,843−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAUSAU VS
Harrisonburg
Income$73,776+63%
Home value$307,785+220%
Population140,155+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAUSAU VS
Glens Falls
Income$76,067+68%
Home value$233,211+142%
Population124,373−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Wausau, WI?

Wausau, WI has about 125,834 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Wausau, WI?

The typical household in Wausau, WI earns about $45,165 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wausau, WI expensive?

In Wausau, WI, the median home is worth about $96,200, and the typical rent is about $484 a month.

How educated are people in Wausau, WI?

About 18.3% of adults age 25 and over in Wausau, WI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Wausau, WI?

About 6.6% of people in Wausau, WI live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wausau, WI grown since 1990?

Yes, Wausau, WI has grown since 1990. The population has added about 10,434 residents, a change of about 9 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 →