Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Wausau is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, ranked 274th of 357 in Wisconsin, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: homes are within reach, about $248K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Wausau metro’s $78K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $64K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. 40% of working residents work locally in Wausau, above both the Wisconsin town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Hiram C. Stewart House and Cyrus C. Yawkey House. Only 57 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on walkability.
Where Wausau beats most towns.
Hiram C. Stewart House
Census counts: 543 in 1860, 39,994 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 3 maps from 1963 on.
22 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Wausau is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wausau, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Wausau.
Wausau draws workers from Weston and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s.
29,558 jobs are based in Wausau, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 15.4 minutes, against 22.2 across Wisconsin.
The average trip to work in Wausau is 15 minutes. The top destinations are Weston (8%), Schofield (5%) and Rib Mountain (3%).
| Wausau | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Wausau School District. Two of its 20 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Muir MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 967 | B− |
| West HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,470 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
6.6 miles of trail in 43 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Sylvan Hill Park, at 81 acres.
| Wausau | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.6% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Isle of Ferns Park | 0.9 mi | 27 |
| 2. Peoples Sports Complex | 0.5 mi | 68 |
| 3. Eau Claire River Conservancy | 0.5 mi | 49 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
58% of Wausau households own their home. Typical home values rose 8.3% in the year to September 2026.
| Wausau | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,010 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wausau.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wausau has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Wausau’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 22.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 78% of Wisconsin’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 615 to 401 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Wisconsin average. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Wisconsin.
| Wausau | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.2 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 21% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.3 points). Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 39.2, men 37.0.
| Wausau | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.6% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.4% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.5% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.1% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Against the 9,809 U.S. towns with household incomes like Wausau’s, it is healthier than 71%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Wausau beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Wausau.
| Wausau | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Wausau | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 14.3% | 12.1% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 7.7% | 6.7% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 83.9% | 85.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wausau. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumLeigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
in town TheatreGrand TheaterLeigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum: User:Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Grand Theater: Billertl, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wausau
About 4 of every 100 Wausau residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
22 places in Wausau on the National Register of Historic Places.
35 notable people were born in Wausau.
City in Marathon County, Wisconsin, US
Wausau ( WAH-sah or Wə-sə) is a city in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin and had a population of 39,994 at the 2020 census. The Wausau metropolitan statistical area, consisting solely of Marathon County, had a population of 138,013. The Wausau area was inhabited by various indigenous peoples, including the Ojibwe. It was settled by European immigrants in the mid-19th century and developed as a lumbering center due to its access to pine forests and river transport. Cultural and recreational attractions in Wausau include the Grand Theater, Granite Peak Ski Area, Rib Mountain State Park, Leigh Yawkey Woods…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Wausau.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wausau | #274 | B− | B | C+ | C+ | B− |
| Stettin | #299 | C+ | C− | — | C+ | B |
| Wausau | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Maine | #112 | A− | B− | — | C+ | A− |
| Rib Mountain | #229 | B | C+ | — | C+ | A− |
| Weston | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Schofield | — | — | A− | — | B+ | B |
| Texas | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
Wausau, Schofield and Texas have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Stettin, Wausau, Maine, Rib Mountain, Schofield and Texas report no FBI crime data of their own. Weston isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Wausau with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Wausau grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #274 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools.
35 notable people were born here, including Marissa Mayer and Jalen Johnson.
