Waterloo composite
71.5 /100
Grade A+ · weighted across 7 dims
Metro comparison
Waterloo vs Wausau
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA and Wausau, WI side by side, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare and environment, all from the same federal datasets so every number is directly comparable.
- 71.5
- Waterloo Life Score
- A+
- Waterloo grade
- 61.1
- Wausau Life Score
- A-
- Wausau grade
Head-to-head verdict
Across the seven dimensions, Waterloo scores higher on 4 (cost of living, rent, safety, childcare) and Wausau on 3 (wages, schools, environment). The radar shows the full shape; the tables below break out every figure.
Waterloo vs Wausau across all seven dimensions (each scored 0–100 as a national percentile, bigger area = stronger overall)
Where each metro wins, and by how much
Every dimension is a national percentile (0–100). Each bar leans toward the stronger metro, a long lean is a decisive edge, a near-even split is a toss-up. The radar shows the overall shape; this shows the per-dimension margins.
◖ Waterloo Wausau ◗
cost of living
91
58
wages
45
56
rent
88
73
safety
72
60
schools
46
49
childcare
64
39
environment
95
96
Waterloo and Wausau differ across eleven dimensions of livability. Waterloo has a cost-of-living index of 87.1 vs Wausau's 92.7 (national average = 100). Median salaries are $61,344 in Waterloo and $63,772 in Wausau. A 2-bedroom averages $1,051/mo vs $1,147/mo.
How to read this matchup
Reading the Waterloo vs Wausau Comparison
Waterloo (IA) and Wausau (WI) are assembled here from the same federal data pipeline, BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, FBI Uniform Crime Reports, NCES public-school counts, and EPA environmental indicators, so every number on this page is directly comparable. The overall cost index reads 87.1 for Waterloo against 92.7 for Wausau, a 5.6-point gap on a scale where 100 equals the U.S. average. HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent, the figure used to set housing-choice voucher payment standards, is $1,051/mo in Waterloo and $1,147/mo in Wausau, a $96/mo difference that compounds to $1,152 over a year.
On wages, BLS OES reports a median salary of $61,344 across 77,420 jobs in Waterloo against $63,772 across 63,730 jobs in Wausau. Adjusted through the BEA cost-of-living lens, $100,000 earned in Waterloo carries the same local purchasing power as $106,426 in Wausau - the most honest way to read the salary headline, because nominal wages and rents move together in tight metros. State-level violent crime, the most reliable geographic tier FBI UCR publishes, is 238.5 per 100,000 residents in IA vs 279.6 in WI, with property-crime rates of 1286.3 and 1156.8 respectively.
Schools are reported at the state tier by NCES: IA lists 1,326 public schools at a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio, while WI lists 2,205 schools at 14.4:1, a signal of class-size staffing, though individual district and school-level variation within each state is substantial. Department of Labor center-based infant care runs $8,306/yr in the Waterloo area versus $11,256/yr in Wausau - a line item that shifts the real cost-of-living picture for households with children under five far more than headline RPP does. When these pieces are read together rather than in isolation, Waterloo and Wausau are not simply "cheaper" or "more expensive" - they trade across dimensions, and which metro wins depends on whether your household optimizes for rent, wages, schools, childcare, safety, or environment. Treat the tables below as inputs to that trade-off, not as a single ranking.
Wausau composite
61.1 /100
Grade A- · weighted across 7 dims
Cost-of-living gap
-5.6 pts
Waterloo vs Wausau BEA RPP
2-bed rent delta
$96 /mo
Wausau priced higher
Composite life score on the national 0–100 scale
Waterloo
Waterloo composite (Grade A+)
Wausau
Wausau composite (Grade A-)
Composite is a weighted roll-up of seven dimensions: cost (20%), wages (20%), rent (15%), safety (15%), schools (10%), childcare (10%), environment (10%). Each input normalized to a 0–100 percentile across all metros.
💰 Cost of Living BEA →
| Category | Waterloo | Wausau |
|---|---|---|
| Overall RPP | 87.1 | 92.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Services | 83.7 | 90.0 |
| Rents | 63.1 | 71.5 |
Salary Equivalent Calculator
What salary in Wausau gives the same purchasing power as your salary in Waterloo?
$
Equivalent in Wausau:
$106,426
Based on BEA Regional Price Parities (Waterloo: 87.1, Wausau: 92.7, national avg = 100).
🏠 Rent (Fair Market Rent) HUD →
| Bedrooms | Waterloo | Wausau |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $725/mo | $791/mo |
| 1 Bedroom | $801/mo | $889/mo |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,051/mo | $1,147/mo |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,357/mo | $1,511/mo |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,763/mo | $1,519/mo |
💼 Wages & Employment BLS →
| Metric | Waterloo | Wausau |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Median Salary | $61,344 | $63,772 |
| Total Employment | 77,420 | 63,730 |
🛡️ Crime Rates (state-level) FBI →
| Crime Type (per 100K) | Waterloo (IA) | Wausau (WI) |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 238.5 | 279.6 |
| Property Crime | 1286.3 | 1156.8 |
🎓 Schools (state-level) NCES →
| Metric | IA | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 1,326 | 2,205 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 14.8:1 | 14.4:1 |
| Charter Schools | 0.3% | 10.7% |
👶 Childcare Costs (Annual Avg) (state-level) DOL →
| Age Group | IA | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (Center) | $8,306/yr | $11,256/yr |
| Toddler (Center) | $7,157/yr | $10,203/yr |
| Preschool (Center) | $7,157/yr | $10,203/yr |
🌿 Environment (state-level) EPA →
| Metric | IA | WI |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Facilities | 546 | 991 |
| Water Systems | 1,077 | 977 |
| Superfund Sites | 25 | 46 |
| Water Violations | 729 | 2,233 |
Government-verified data - Air quality (EPA AQS), water safety (EPA SDWIS), healthcare access (HRSA), and disaster risk (FEMA NRI) are sourced directly from U.S. federal agencies. No crowdsourced estimates.
💨 Air Quality (EPA AQS) EPA AQS →
| Metric | Waterloo | Wausau |
|---|---|---|
| Median AQI | 48.0 | 37.0 |
| Good Air Days | 55.1% | 85.0% |
| Unhealthy Air Days | 0 days | 1 days |
💧 Water Safety (EPA SDWIS, state-level) EPA SDWIS →
| Metric | IA | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Water Safety Score | 6/100 | 36/100 |
| Total Violations | 138,271 | 285,161 |
| Health-Based Violations | 27,946 | 58,688 |
| Systems with Violations | 95.2% | 72.1% |
🏥 Healthcare Access (HRSA, state-level) HRSA →
| Metric | IA | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Access Score | 0/100 | 0/100 |
| Population in Shortage Area | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| HPSA Designations | 448 | 454 |
HPSA = Health Professional Shortage Area, designated by HRSA. Higher access score = better healthcare availability.
⚠️ Natural Disaster Risk (FEMA NRI, state-level) FEMA NRI →
| Metric | IA | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster Safety Score | 77/100 | 51/100 |
| NRI Risk Score (avg county) | 39.7 | 59.1 |
| Expected Annual Loss Score | 47.9 | 62.0 |
FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) scores are county-level percentiles (0–100). Higher disaster safety score = lower relative risk. State-level values are county averages.
Crime, schools, childcare, and environment data shown at state level. Metro-specific data for these dimensions is not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waterloo more expensive than Wausau? ▼
Waterloo has a cost of living index of 87.1 compared to Wausau's 92.7 (national average = 100). Wausau is 5.6 points above Waterloo on the BEA Regional Price Parity scale.
What is the rent difference between Waterloo and Wausau? ▼
A 2-bedroom apartment averages $1,051/mo in Waterloo vs $1,147/mo in Wausau, based on HUD Fair Market Rent data. Studios range from $725/mo to $791/mo.
How do salaries compare between Waterloo and Wausau? ▼
The average median salary across all occupations is $61,344 in Waterloo and $63,772 in Wausau, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. After adjusting for cost of living, $100,000 in Waterloo has the same purchasing power as $106,426 in Wausau.
Is Waterloo or Wausau safer? ▼
At the state level, IA has a violent crime rate of 238.5 per 100,000 residents compared to WI's 279.6 per 100,000. Property crime rates are 1286.3 vs 1156.8 per 100,000 respectively, based on FBI Uniform Crime Report data.
How do schools compare between Waterloo and Wausau? ▼
IA has 1,326 public schools with an average student-teacher ratio of 14.8:1, while WI has 2,205 schools at 14.4:1. Charter schools make up 0.3% of IA schools vs 10.7% in WI. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Where does the comparison data come from? ▼
All data comes from official U.S. government sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (cost of living), HUD (fair market rents), BLS (wages), FBI UCR (crime), NCES (schools), Department of Labor (childcare), EPA (environment, air quality, water safety), HRSA (healthcare access), and FEMA NRI (disaster risk). No crowdsourced estimates or proprietary ratings are used.
Research Guides
Explore more
Data from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OES, NCES, DOL, EPA AQS, EPA SDWIS, HRSA, and FEMA NRI. Not affiliated with the U.S. Government.
Disclaimer: This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or relocation advice. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets, current as of 2026. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare Editorial