What it's like to live in La Crosse
La Crosse is a smaller city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. La Crosse deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 54" per year
How La Crosse compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to La Crosse
Based on La Crosse's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,020
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,400 a year
- 45% of La Crosse renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$42,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,010
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,010/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,010 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $210,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $210,100 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 30% below US
3.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 30% above US
428 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 3486/100k · La Crosse Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 39% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.9 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary and 10 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Effigy Mounds National Monument (51 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
La Crosse's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,010/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near La Crosse
All Wisconsin guides →Not sure La Crosse is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.