Metro Life Score
Wausau, WI
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B, 60th percentile of the national corpus.
- 52.2
- Life Score / 100
- B
- Grade (curved)
- #154
- of 387 metros
- 60%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Wausau is above-median composite Life Score — #154 of 387 (52.2/100, grade B, 60th percentile). Carried by rent at 73/100; held back most by environment at 26/100.
- 60th
- composite percentile
- #154
- of 387 peers
- 58th
- cost dimension percentile
- 47th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · BALANCED · signature composite
Wausau: mid-curve composite with a readable shape
Wausau is a mid-curve MID · BALANCED metro (composite #154, 52.2/100, 60th percentile). Cost MID (58th) · wages MID (47th). Strongest rent 73/100; weakest environment 26/100; dimension gap 47. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Wausau, WI ranks #154 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #163 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 92.7 (rent-RPP 71.5). BLS median salary $63,772, 63,730 jobs (Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Registered Nurses). HUD 2BR FMR $1,147/mo (studio $791).
FBI UCR (WI): 280 violent, 1157 property/100K. NCES: 14.1:1 ratio, 10.6% charter. DOL infant childcare $11,256/yr. EPA: 46 Superfund sites (WI).
Where Wausau sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
52 60th percentile higher than 60% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 52.2 is built
Wausau's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Wausau scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are WI state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Wausau With...
Ranking Context
Wausau outranks 60% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #151 | Jackson, MI | 52.3 | B |
| #152 | Rockford, IL | 52.4 | B |
| #153 | Farmington, NM | 52.4 | B |
| #154 | Wausau, WI | 52.2 | B |
| #155 | Fond du Lac, WI | 52.2 | B |
| #156 | Kokomo, IN | 52.2 | B |
| #157 | Bay City, MI | 52.1 | B |
Quality vs. Affordability
Wausau, WI's quality rank (top 40% highest-quality) and affordability rank (top 42% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
WI Metro Scores
Read with Wausau
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Wausau (MID · BALANCED · MID/MID), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Fond du Lac, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/MID.
Kokomo, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 52.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/MID.
Jackson, MI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.3 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/MID.
Bay City, MI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.1 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/MID.
Corpus Christi, TX (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 58/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
New Orleans-Metairie, LA (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 58/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Wausau, WI relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · BALANCED · MID/MID - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Wausau's middle-third Life Score
Wausau scores 52.2/100 overall, but Rent (73.1) and Environment (26.2) sit 46.9 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Rent is the strongest of Wausau's seven dimensions (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Environment is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Oshkosh is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Oshkosh
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.