?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Eau Claire, WI vs La Crosse, WI

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Eau Claire needs about $85,000 in La Crosse to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from La Crosse, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Eau Claire.

A few differences

Eau Claire vs La Crosse · facet by facet
FacetEau Claire, WILa Crosse, WI
Median home price$247,600$210,100
2-bedroom rent$1,081/mo$1,111/mo
Property tax rate1.61%1.61%
State & local income tax3.17%3.17%
Sales tax5.7%5.7%
Cost of living index8583
Groceries index9696
Utilities$155/mo$155/mo
Median household income$67,395$55,866
Unemployment rate3%3%
Crime index38/10038/100
School rating6.7/106.7/10
Sunny days / year190 days190 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Eau Claire, WI · La Crosse, WI
Questions & answers
Is Eau Claire cheaper than La Crosse?
La Crosse has the lower day-to-day cost index (83 vs 85 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in La Crosse equals $85,000 in Eau Claire?
A household earning $85,000 in Eau Claire needs about $85,000 in La Crosse to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of La Crosse lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Eau Claire.