Jobs, pay and daily life in La Crosse, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
La Crosse is a city in Wisconsin with 51,356 residents. The median household earns $55,866 a year and the median rent is $1,010 a month, which is 21.7% of the median household income. It is part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 84,380 jobs.
How La Crosse compares. Among the 80 largest places in Wisconsin, La Crosse is #12 by population, #77 for household income (#1 = highest), #74 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #18 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, La Crosse County, is #12 of 72 counties for average pay ($58,448).
La Crosse has 51,356 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.9% of the population of Wisconsin. It covers 22 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,366 people per square mile. The median age is 30.5, 24% younger than the state median (30.5 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $1,010 a month (rent plus utilities), 7% below the state median ($1,010 against $1,087). Over a year that is 21.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $210,100, which is 3.8 times the median household income ($55,866); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 46.1% of households own their home, 32% below the state average (46.1% against 67.8%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metropolitan area has 84,380 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,260 a year, 5% below the national median ($48,260 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (9,150 jobs, median $46,740); transportation and material moving (8,350 jobs, median $45,390); food preparation and serving related (8,260 jobs, median $29,590). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.5 times) and production (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($94,260) and educational instruction and library ($59,370). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of La Crosse County was 2.6%. 64.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in La Crosse County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 68.9% drive alone, 1.8% use public transit, 6.6% walk, 11.9% work from home. 5.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 47% below the state average (5.4% against 10.2%).
35.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5% above the state share (35.0% against 33.4%). 2.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 49% below the state share (2.7% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 21.4%, 103% above the state rate (21.4% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 15°F (-9.6°C). About 943 mm (37 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (140 mm) and Jan the driest (26 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Onalaska (5 miles, rent 12% higher); Winona (27 miles, rent 13% lower); Decorah (46 miles, rent 16% lower); Rochester (64 miles, rent 39% higher). Rent differences are against La Crosse; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Wisconsin (285) →State guide: WisconsinCountry guideLa Crosse CountyWisconsin rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 285 federal postings open in Wisconsin (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Wisconsin →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 2,920 | 1.59 | $98,370 | $79,820 | $120,220 | +1% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,290 | 1.08 | $34,090 | $26,180 | $47,090 | -4% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,130 | 0.91 | $37,140 | $29,080 | $44,030 | +4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,100 | 1.88 | $60,300 | $47,000 | $81,470 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 2,020 | 1.20 | $30,900 | $23,530 | $37,350 | -6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,960 | 0.94 | $28,280 | $22,490 | $34,990 | -9% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,620 | 1.01 | $42,800 | $30,970 | $55,650 | +6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,530 | 1.27 | $36,130 | $29,860 | $46,570 | -2% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,500 | 1.12 | $45,220 | $29,230 | $59,500 | +0% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,470 | 0.96 | $34,150 | $29,080 | $46,820 | -9% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,270 | 1.03 | $28,380 | $16,280 | $59,390 | -19% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,250 | 1.59 | $43,510 | $37,530 | $47,220 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,200 | 0.85 | $45,820 | $31,600 | $63,200 | +2% |
| Bartenders | 1,200 | 2.91 | $23,130 | $16,070 | $39,650 | -33% |
| General and Operations Managers | 960 | 0.51 | $102,670 | $53,650 | $226,060 | -3% |
| Food Batchmakers | 930 | 9.77 | $46,940 | $37,440 | $55,570 | +11% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 920 | 1.11 | $53,160 | $36,590 | $71,090 | +7% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 880 | 1.31 | $62,110 | $39,810 | $115,850 | -14% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 860 | 1.13 | $36,260 | $28,050 | $45,060 | -3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 850 | 1.10 | $38,710 | $29,060 | $44,420 | +5% |
These figures are for the whole La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,260 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.1% |
| Retail trade | 14.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.6% |
| Manufacturing | 10.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.8% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.2% |
| Public administration | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Information | 2.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where La Crosse lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse County | 120,488 | $9,934 million | $82,450 | 69,521 | 3,551 | $58,448 | +1.0% | 2.6% | 67,180 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 15,578 | 25.3% | $71,513 | 1.56 |
| Retail trade | 8,213 | 13.3% | $33,891 | 1.18 |
| Manufacturing | 8,030 | 13.0% | $63,495 | 1.41 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,435 | 10.4% | $20,556 | 1.02 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,111 | 5.0% | $63,678 | 1.06 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,106 | 5.0% | $77,744 | 1.13 |
| Construction | 2,929 | 4.7% | $73,743 | 0.80 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,761 | 4.5% | $39,233 | 1.32 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,338 | 3.8% | $43,823 | 0.57 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,101 | 3.4% | $85,575 | 0.43 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,079 | 3.4% | $87,089 | 0.74 |
| Management of companies | 1,177 | 1.9% | $97,135 | 1.00 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,062 | 1.7% | $24,506 | 0.91 |
| Educational services | 962 | 1.6% | $45,406 | 0.67 |
| Information | 684 | 1.1% | $122,095 | 0.52 |
| Real estate and rental | 598 | 1.0% | $53,901 | 0.55 |
| Utilities | 454 | 0.7% | $112,723 | 1.72 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 67 | 0.1% | $30,315 | 0.12 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 68.9% |
| Public transit | 1.8% |
| Walk | 6.6% |
| Work from home | 11.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,866 |
| Income per person | $34,439 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,010 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.7% |
| Median home value | $210,100 |
| Homeowners | 46.1% |
| Poverty rate | 21.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,260 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.65%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 30.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 35.0% |
| Born abroad | 2.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -9.6 | 15 | 26 |
| Feb | -8.0 | 18 | 32 |
| Mar | -0.0 | 32 | 52 |
| Apr | 7.1 | 45 | 93 |
| May | 13.8 | 57 | 122 |
| Jun | 19.7 | 67 | 140 |
| Jul | 22.7 | 73 | 101 |
| Aug | 21.3 | 70 | 114 |
| Sep | 16.8 | 62 | 103 |
| Oct | 8.5 | 47 | 74 |
| Nov | 1.3 | 34 | 43 |
| Dec | -6.1 | 21 | 43 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onalaska | WI | 5 mi | 19,348 | $85,867 | $1,130 |
| Winona | MN | 27 mi | 26,009 | $56,337 | $882 |
| Decorah | IA | 46 mi | 7,535 | $64,366 | $853 |
| Rochester | MN | 64 mi | 122,330 | $89,389 | $1,399 |
| Eau Claire | WI | 70 mi | 70,322 | $67,395 | $1,045 |
| Chippewa Falls | WI | 77 mi | 14,782 | $57,873 | $910 |
| Marshfield | WI | 78 mi | 18,700 | $58,407 | $842 |
| Baraboo | WI | 78 mi | 12,769 | $69,750 | $940 |
| Wisconsin Rapids | WI | 80 mi | 18,722 | $55,253 | $888 |
| Menomonie | WI | 81 mi | 16,539 | $56,889 | $970 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
51,356 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,010 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.7% of the median household income.
$55,866 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.6% (BLS county, La Crosse County (latest month 2026M09)).
Wisconsin. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.