How much rent can you afford in Wausau, WI?
Run your salary against Wausau's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Wausau
At a median rent of $1,050/mo, Wausau is very affordable when measured against Wausau median household income of $64,389/yr. Rent would consume roughly 20% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $42,000 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Wausau compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Wausau?
On a $64,389 salary (the Wausau median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $1,610/mo. Wausau's median rent is $1,050/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Wausau?
To keep Wausau's $1,050/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $42,000/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Wausau affordable on the median Wisconsin income?
Wausau is very affordable on a $64,389 income. Rent would take 20% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".