What it's like to live in Onalaska
Onalaska is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Onalaska deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 46" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Onalaska compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Onalaska
Based on Onalaska's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,260
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,200 a year
- 38% of Onalaska renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$57,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $28,890
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,130/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,130 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $288,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $288,900 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in La Crosse County is 2.8%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
La Crosse County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 83% below US
55 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2028/100k · Onalaska Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 33% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 14°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 16% above US
42% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 42% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (56 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Onalaska's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,130/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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