Eau Claire, WI
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.32×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Wisconsin
- 3.08×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.11
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
19.5%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Wisconsin
- 19.4%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-3.7
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.83%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Wisconsin
- 3.95%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.11%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Wisconsin
- 0.01%+0.10
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.08
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
6.53
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Wisconsin
- 3.58+2.95
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+3.00
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.2%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Wisconsin
- 2.7%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.7
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+55.7%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+6.2%
Median home value
$240,700
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $962 | $11,544 | 15.9% |
| 2 BR | $1,181 | $14,172 | 19.5% |
| 3 BR | $1,582 | $18,984 | 26.2% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.2%
Median household income
$72,513
What's being built
Total TTM
1,122
+64.0% YoY
Single-family
328
2–4 unit
132
5+ unit
662
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire County | 105,697 | $242,400 | $71,834 | 905 | +88.5% |
| Chippewa County | 66,254 | $237,700 | $74,009 | 217 |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Eau Claire | 171,951 | $72,513 | 3.32× | 3.83% | +55.7% | 6.53 | 3.2% |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 171,197 | $72,873 | — | — | +63.8% | — | 2.7% |
| Iowa City, IA | 175,894 | $74,142 | — | — | +34.6% | — | 2.4% |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | 163,817 | $74,390 | — | — | +59.8% | — | 3.2% |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 168,404 | $68,916 | — | — | +38.3% | — | 3.6% |
| Redding, CA | 181,852 | $71,931 | — | — | +27.0% | — | 5.2% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+188
+0.11% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Eau Claire County, WI | 754 |
| Chippewa County, WI | 594 |
| Dunn County, WI | 340 |
| Barron County, WI | 206 |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 146 |
| Hennepin County, MN | 125 |
Who lives in Eau Claire
- Median age
- 38
- Bachelor's+
- 30.9%
- Owner-occupancy
- 67.3%
- Vacancy rate
- 6.7%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 37.4%
- Median household income
- $72,513
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.