Overall
92.7
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Wausau, WI
Cost-of-living indicators for Wausau, WI, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 92.7
- Overall RPP
- #225
- of 387 metros
- 71.5
- Rents RPP
- $108K
- $100K national buys
Wausau ranks #225 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 2.1 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Corpus Christi
The verdict
Wausau costs less than 58% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 92.7, 7.3% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 71.5.
- bottom 42%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 93.8
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 90.0
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $107,932 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $92,651.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 2.1 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2014, when the index dropped 3.6 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Wausau overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.8 |
| 2009 | 95.0 |
| 2010 | 94.6 |
| 2011 | 93.3 |
| 2012 | 94.1 |
| 2013 | 94.3 |
| 2014 | 90.7 |
| 2015 | 92.5 |
| 2016 | 92.0 |
| 2017 | 91.1 |
| 2018 | 92.2 |
| 2019 | 93.0 |
| 2020 | 90.2 |
| 2021 | 91.2 |
| 2022 | 91.8 |
| 2023 | 90.7 |
| 2024 | 92.7 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Wausau's overall RPP rose +1.9 points, from 90.7 in 2023 to 92.7 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 66.0 to 71.5. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$92,651
in Wausau, WI purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$46,326
$75,000 nationally
$69,488
$125,000 nationally
$115,814
$150,000 nationally
$138,977
$200,000 nationally
$185,302
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
C
66/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability C
66th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Housing-led affordability profile
How Wausau's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Wausau: rents index at 71.5, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 92.7.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Springfield, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Lawrence, KS. They resemble Wausau across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Wausau's overall index has fallen by 2.1 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Wausau vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
93 Bottom 42% higher than 42% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Wausau cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
71.5 RPP
- Services
Services
90 RPP
- Overall
Overall
92.7 RPP
- Goods
Goods
93.8 RPP
What this shows Wausau's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 71.5 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 90.0. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Wausau's cost comes from
Metros near Wausau's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 93.8, rents 72.7). Wausau is more affordable than similar-cost metros across the board. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Read the chart as text
- Wausau (Wausau, this metro): goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 71.5
- Corpus Christi: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 84.9
- Utica: goods RPP 99.7, rents RPP 66.1
- Dayton: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 72.7
- Champaign: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 71.6
- New Orleans: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 86
- Yuma: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 73.8
Price Index Summary
Goods
93.8
Below avg
Services
90.0
Cheap
Rents
71.5
Cheap
WI-relative analysis
Goods prices places Wausau, WI near the bottom of WI's metros
Among the 13 WI metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Wausau, WI ranks #3 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Wausau, WI only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#3 of 13
0th percentile in WI
Services prices
#9 of 13
31st percentile in WI
Rent prices
#10 of 13
23rd percentile in WI
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within WI only, not a livability score.
Other WI Metros
Kenosha, WI 101.1 Madison, WI 97.3 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 96.9 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 96.0 Sheboygan, WI 94.0 Janesville-Beloit, WI 93.7
View all WI metros → Cheapest in WI → Most expensive in WI →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Wausau, WI's index of 92.7.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Wausau's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Springfield, IL
Goods 93.6 · Services 90.4 · Rents 71.6 Champaign-Urbana, IL
Goods 93.6 · Services 90.5 · Rents 71.6 Lawrence, KS
Goods 94.0 · Services 89.3 · Rents 71.6 Appleton, WI
Goods 93.8 · Services 90.6 · Rents 70.8 Rockford, IL
Goods 93.6 · Services 89.4 · Rents 70.1 Eau Claire, WI
Goods 93.8 · Services 90.9 · Rents 72.8
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Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Wausau
How to read Wausau's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $107,932 in Wausau. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 71.5, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Wausau head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Wausau, WI?
Wausau, WI has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 92.7, meaning it is 7.3% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.8, services at 90.0, and rents at 71.5. It ranks #225 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Wausau, WI to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $92,651 in Wausau, WI. Conversely, $100K earned in Wausau, WI has the purchasing power of $107,932 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Wausau, WI?
Rents in Wausau, WI are indexed at 71.5, which is 28.5% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Wausau, WI getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Wausau, WI's overall cost index changed by -2.1 points (from 94.8 to 92.7). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Wausau, WI?
The priciest category in Wausau, WI is goods at 93.8, 6.2% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 71.5, 28.5% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Wausau, WI?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Corpus Christi, Utica-Rome, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Wausau, WI's 92.7.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.