Wausau, WI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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Marathon County · Wausau-Weston · population 40,262

First-time buyersInvestors
Wausau, WI
Image: Wikipedia · Wausau, Wisconsin
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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79
Hot
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Wausau stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 8.7% in the last year. averaging 8.3% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 8.8% in the last year.

Median home $243,982
1-year +8.7%
5-yr CAGR +8.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$244k$110k$158k$206k$254k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
78/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,007/mo$0$534$1,068202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent13211680100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.2
Lean rent

At a 20.2 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Wausau. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
88 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
80 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
48 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
78 · w10%
Long thesis

Wausau has averaged 8.3% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+8.7% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Wausau's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Wausau

Wausau is a city in Marathon County, Wisconsin, with an estimated population of 40,262. It anchors the Wausau-Weston metro area. The median home value in Wausau is $243,982 as of 2026-04, up 8.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Wausau average $1,007 per month, up 8.8% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 79 of 100 (Hot). Buyers should expect competition and limited negotiation room in this market.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.3% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Trend still working: prices up 8.7% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $243,982 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 8.8% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 8.8% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Wausau (Wikipedia)

Wausau is a city in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin and had a population of 39,994 at the 2020 census. The Wausau metropolitan statistical area, consisting solely of Marathon County, had a population of 138,013.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

Expect competition, escalation clauses, and pressure to waive inspections. Make your strongest offer up front — Hot markets reward decisiveness, not negotiation. If you can't write a clean offer, you may not be the best fit for this market right now.

Seller

Price slightly above recent comps and let multiple offers work. Days-on-market should be short. Don't accept the first offer in the first 48 hours unless it's significantly above ask.

Investor

Cap rates will look ugly in a Hot market — your thesis has to be appreciation, not yield. Don't expect cash flow; expect to ride the trend and exit before it stalls.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Marathon County right now.

NWS active alerts (WI)Wisconsin Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Marathon County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Wausau

10 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Rib Mountain$333,838+12.6%
2Riverview$286,870+8.0%
3Forest Park$263,951+11.5%
4Southeast Side$218,620+8.5%
5Athletic Park$202,639+4.4%
6Westies$182,238+6.6%
7Jones$171,343+8.1%
8Longfellow$170,639+9.6%
9Werle Park$169,850+16.9%
10East Towne$150,176+7.3%

Cities like Wausau

Beloit, WI77 · RisingStevens Point, WI74 · RisingWisconsin Rapids, WI80 · HotAppleton, WI76 · Rising

Run the numbers for Wausau

ToolCan I afford Wausau?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Wausau rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Wausau to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWausau cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
27° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
81° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
188
~52% of year
Annual precip
33″ rain
47″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Wausau listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Wausau-Weston area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$72,500
Wisconsin state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareDairy/Food

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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