Living in Eau Claire, WI
Small city in Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a small city in Wisconsin, home to about 69,000 people, with 153,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Eau Claire a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $299k and rents for $1,580 a month
- Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi
- Strong healthcare: 2 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 153,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Fewer graduates: 35% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Eau Claire ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Eau Claire: common questions
What is the cost of living in Eau Claire?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $299k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,580 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Eau Claire?
Wisconsin collects about $1,734 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.54% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Eau Claire safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Eau Claire?
Eau Claire has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 28°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 54″ of snow a year.
Does Eau Claire get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, cold waves and tornadoes: 1 federally declared disaster has hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.25 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Eau Claire?
The nearest major airport is MSP, about 84 mi away.
How Eau Claire scores
Each bar compares Eau Claire with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Eau Claire right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.