

Eau Claire vs Wausau
$471/mo more in Wausau
Eau ClaireWausauAbout 75 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Wausau leaves you more
- Property tax 1.51%
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $3,000/mo in Wausau. $2,529/mo in Eau Claire. +$5,652 a year.
Eau Claire
$2,529
left each month
Wausau
$3,000
+$471 vs Eau Claire
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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In 2022-2023, 57 households moved Eau Claire → Wausau (avg AGI $57,684). 56 went the other way. The whole move →
+$471 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Eau Claire | Wausau | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,000 | $7,484 | +$484 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,656 | $1,825 | +$169 |
| Take-home pay | $5,344 | $5,659 | +$315 |
| Rent | $911 | $748 | −$163 |
| Getting around | $535 | $542 | +$7 |
| Groceries | $378 | $378 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $425 | $425 | $0 |
| Utilities | $236 | $236 | $0 |
| Everything else | $330 | $330 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,529 | $3,000 | +$471 |
Salary to match Eau Claire
$81,000
Gross pay in Wausau that leaves the same amount as $84,000 in Eau Claire.
Tax difference
−$308
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.7% in Eau Claire, 24.4% in Wausau.
More about Wausau
Eau Claire, WI in full
State income tax topping out at 7.65%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,085 and 184 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
Wausau, WI in full
State income tax topping out at 7.65%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $890 and 190 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
The other way
Start in Wausau.
Wausau → Eau Claire →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Wausau than Eau Claire?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Wausau leaves about $471 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $911 in Eau Claire and $748 in Wausau.
Does Wausau have state income tax?
Wausau is in Wisconsin, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Eau Claire to Wausau?
The paycheck is taxed in Wisconsin. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Eau Claire and Wausau changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.