Living in Wausau

Wausau is a large place in Wisconsin, United States, home to 39,094 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are movers on a budget (top 1%, #67 of 12,111), low-income households (top 6%, #547 of 9,771), low-income families (top 7%, #487 of 8,006).

Residents39,094

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport264 km (General Mitchell International)

Nearest city of 100k+136 km

Within 30 km99,000 people

Lake shore23 km (Lake DuBay)

Climate typeContinental, warm summer (Dfb)

Terrain around itabout 390 m, height range 60 m

Nearest large lakeLake Dubay, 23 km

Nearest major riverWisconsin, 1.4 km

Main railway lineunder 1 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.1,240 km

Within 10 km54,641 people

Winter daylight8 h 46 min, sunset 23:20

See Wausau on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Wausau

On the shortest day the sun is up for 8 h 46 min and sets around 23:20; in late June it sets around 3:49.

How Wausau ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In Wisconsin
Young family	61	#1,756 of 11,898	#108 of 285	Map
Low-income household	60	#547 of 9,771	#42 of 208	Map
Low-income family	66	#487 of 8,006	#47 of 169	Map
Single parent	66	#642 of 6,237	#50 of 126	Map
Pensioner couple	63	#3,389 of 9,474	#71 of 209	Map
Single pensioner	68	#1,814 of 9,474	#52 of 209	Map
Early retiree	56	#6,545 of 10,762	#123 of 234	Map
Single professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Young professional		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
DINKS		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Remote worker	61	#2,081 of 7,271	#69 of 146	Map
Commuter		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Car-free household		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer	44	#3,580 of 8,006	#129 of 169	Map
Budget-constrained mover	66	#67 of 12,111	#19 of 276	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Expat professional	43	#4,987 of 7,271	#110 of 146	Map
Healthcare-first mover	65	#2,839 of 9,474	#86 of 209	Map
Nature-focused household	57	#5,121 of 18,063	#252 of 468	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	18	#9,221 of 16,523	#206 of 418	Map
Rural value seeker	58	#3,488 of 18,063	#253 of 468	Map
High-net-worth mover	52	#7,298 of 16,523	#185 of 418	Map
Lottery winner	45	#7,494 of 21,167	#146 of 573	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	72	#988 of 12,111	#59 of 276	Map
Coastal living	62	#4,292 of 6,413	#123 of 191	Map
Business owner	39	#7,585 of 12,111	#192 of 276	Map
Digital native		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)98
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)93
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)90
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)88
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)78
Health and elderly72
Affordability70
Education and family67
Sea or lake shore64
Safety and community63
Jobs and economy62
Foundation57
Flat land (terrain relief)55
Green space42
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)41
Lifestyle and amenities41
Mobility and connectivity37
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)34
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)19
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)17
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)13
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)5
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.