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Onalaska Town, WI

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

5,798
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

43.5
years ∙ half population younger than 43.5, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
15.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.4%
foreign-born population
97.6%Native
2.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Onalaska Town is a town in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States.
Location
Town in La Crosse County, WI, US
Co-ordinates
DEC43.934825° N, 91.267333° W
DMS43° 56′ 05.37″ N, 91° 16′ 02.40″ W

Population Density & area

170/sq mi (65.59/km²)
Total Area
42.5 sq mi (110.3 km²)
Land Area
34.1 sq mi (88.4 km²) · 80.2%
Water Area
8.4 sq mi (21.9 km²) · 19.8%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.3% male
Male 50.3%
Female 49.7%
males per 100 females
Onalaska Town 101.2
La Crosse County 96.8
Wisconsin 100.3

Nativity

2.4%
foreign-born population
97.6%Native
2.4% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Onalaska Town 2.4%
La Crosse County 3%
Wisconsin 5.2%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.5
years ∙ half population younger than 43.5, half older
Onalaska Town
43.5
La Crosse County
37.5
Wisconsin
40.2

Dependency ratio

Low High
84.5
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Onalaska Town 84.5
La Crosse County 59.9
Wisconsin 66.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 24.3% 19.4% 21.4%
Working age (18-64) 54.2% 62.5% 60.1%
Senior (65+) 21.5% 18.1% 18.5%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 84.5 59.9 66.4
Child dependency ratio 44.8 31 35.6
Old-age dependency ratio 39.8 28.9 30.8
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
91.8%
Black
0.2%
Asian
2.2%
Hispanic
0.5%
Other
5.3%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
15.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Onalaska Town 15.5%
La Crosse County 23.2%
Wisconsin 37%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Onalaska Town population
Racial and ethnic composition — Onalaska Town vs La Crosse County vs Wisconsin. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Hispanic or Latino 0.5% 2.7% 8%
Mexican 0.5% 1.6% 5.4%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.5% 1.1%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 0.6% 1.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino 99.5% 97.3% 92%
One race 96.6% 93.9% 88.3%
White 91.8% 87.4% 78.6%
Black or African American 0.2% 1.5% 5.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.2% 0.5%
Asian 2.2% 4.5% 2.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 2.3% 0.3% 0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 2.9% 3.4% 3.7%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

83.3% family
Family 83.3%
Non family 16.7%
% family households
Onalaska Town 83.3%
La Crosse County 55%
Wisconsin 60.5%

Average household size

2.76
persons per household
Onalaska Town
2.76
La Crosse County
2.25
Wisconsin
2.33

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Onalaska Town population
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Total households 2,096 51,497 2,479,480
Average houshold size 2.76 2.25 2.33
Family households 1,747 28,341 1,500,296
Average family size 3.02 2.88 2.95
Married couple family 1,686 22,252 1,161,326
Other families 61 6,089 338,970
Male householder 10 2,209 112,650
Female householder 51 3,880 226,320
Non-family households 349 23,156 979,184
One-person households 227 16,267 781,452
Male householder 98 7,911 373,428
Senior (65+) living alone 47 1,964 109,743
Female householder 129 8,356 408,024
Senior (65+) living alone 85 4,396 210,915
Other living arrangements 122 6,889 197,732

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

2,320
housing units
Onalaska Town 2,320
La Crosse County 54,011
Wisconsin 2,778,572

Occupancy status

90.3% occupied
Occupied 90.3%
Vacant 9.7%
vacancy rate
Onalaska Town 9.7%
La Crosse County 4.7%
Wisconsin 10.8%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

96.7%
Single family houses
Single family houses
96.7%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
2.3%
Mobile homes
0.9%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1977
Half of houses were built before 1977, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
2.9%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
24.4%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
50.5%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
22.2%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.5 5.6 5.6
1–3 rooms 2.2% 15.9% 13.2%
4–6 rooms 48.5% 47.1% 52%
7+ rooms 49.3% 37% 34.9%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0.4% 2.7% 2.1%
1 bedroom 1.1% 11.2% 10%
2 bedrooms 9.6% 29% 27.8%
3 bedrooms 54.4% 33.6% 40%
4+ bedrooms 34.5% 23.6% 20.1%
At a glance
Median year built 1977 1978 1975
Total housing units 2,320 54,011 2,778,572
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

94.8% owners
Renter-occupied 5.2%
Owner-occupied 94.8%
homeownership rate
Onalaska Town 94.8%
La Crosse County 62.2%
Wisconsin 67.8%

Average household size

2.78
Owner-occupied
2.42
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Onalaska Town 2.78
La Crosse County 2.47
Wisconsin 2.49

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Total occupied units 2,096 51,497 2,479,480
Year moved in
2020 or later 10.5% 25.5% 23.1%
2010 to 2019 36% 39.9% 38%
2000 to 2009 18.9% 16.8% 17.1%
1999 or earlier 34.6% 17.8% 21.8%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 98.9% 99% 98.3%
1.01 to 1.50 1.1% 0.6% 1.2%
1.51 or more 0% 0.4% 0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 1.7% 7% 6.4%
1 vehicle 16.1% 33.2% 33%
2 vehicles 50.8% 41.3% 39.5%
3 or more vehicles 31.4% 18.5% 21.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas 84.8% 67.6% 76.6%
Electricity 8.4% 28.1% 17.8%
Solar 0.3% 0% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 2.2% 1.5% 1.4%
All other fuels 4.2% 2.1% 3.5%
No fuel used 0% 0.6% 0.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.1% 0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 1% 0.8%
No telephone service available 0% 1.1% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$320,100
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Onalaska Town
$320,100
La Crosse County
$257,000
Wisconsin
$266,500

Housing Cost Burden

18.4%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
18.4%
Owners without a mortgage
10.5%
Renters
86%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Property value
Median Value $320,100 $257,000 $266,500
Under $100,000 1.9% 8.5% 9.1%
$100,000 - $200,000 13.2% 22% 23%
$200,000 - $300,000 29.7% 30.7% 25.5%
$300,000 - $500,000 42.9% 29.8% 29.4%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 11.9% 8.1% 11.4%
$1,000,000 and more 0.4% 0.9% 1.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 64.8% 59.4% 61.1%
Without a mortgage 35.2% 40.6% 38.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,792 $1,698 $1,689
Without a mortgage $628 $656 $659
Gross rent
Median rent $1,754 $1,059 $1,087

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

40.6%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Onalaska Town 40.6%
La Crosse County 36.5%
Wisconsin 33.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

2.4%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Onalaska Town 2.4%
La Crosse County 3.5%
Wisconsin 6.4%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,421
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
7.2%
K–12
77.7%
College / Undergraduate
12.7%
Graduate / Professional
2.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

31.4%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Onalaska Town
31.4%
La Crosse County
62.3%
Wisconsin
39.8%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Total enrolled (age 3+) 1,421 32,753 1,356,381
Nursery / preschool 7.2% 4.8% 5.3%
K–12 77.7% 52.5% 69.3%
Kindergarten 9.5% 3.2% 5.5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 18.9% 15.5% 20.2%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 23.9% 17.7% 21.3%
High School: Grades 9–12 25.3% 16.1% 22.3%
College or graduate school 15.1% 42.7% 25.3%
College, undergraduate 12.7% 38.2% 20.7%
Graduate, professional school 2.4% 4.5% 4.7%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 31.4% 62.3% 39.8%
School type
Public school 76.4% 87.5% 82.4%
Private school 23.6% 12.5% 17.6%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

4,181
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
0.4%
9th-12th, no diploma
2%
HS graduate
18.9%
Some college no degree
21%
Associates degree
17.1%
Bachelors degree
25.7%
Graduate or professional degree
14.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
37.5% · 62.5%
9th-12th, no diploma
32.1% · 67.9%
HS graduate
58.2% · 41.8%
Some college no degree
50.2% · 49.8%
Associates degree
57.6% · 42.4%
Bachelors degree
40.5% · 59.5%
Graduate or professional degree
49.2% · 50.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Population (25+) 4,181 78,820 4,099,973
Less than 9th grade 0.4% 1.4% 2.3%
9th–12th, no diploma 2% 2.1% 4.1%
High school diploma or GED 18.9% 23.3% 29.4%
Some college, no degree 21% 22.8% 19.5%
Associate's degree 17.1% 14% 11.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 40.6% 36.5% 33.4%
Bachelor's degree 25.7% 22.2% 22%
Graduate or professional 14.9% 14.3% 11.4%
High School or higher 97.6% 96.5% 93.6%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$62,241
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$47,703
Some college or associates
$50,189
Bachelors degree
$76,806
Graduate or professional degree
$71,071

Poverty Rate

0.8%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
26%
HS graduate
7.8%
Some college or associates
2.1%
Bachelors degree or higher
0.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Onalaska Town La Crosse County Wisconsin
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $62,241 $51,794 $53,060
Less than high school graduate $— $33,194 $36,585
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $47,703 $40,210 $42,367
Some college or associate's degree $50,189 $47,463 $49,438
Bachelor's degree $76,806 $61,851 $66,239
Graduate or professional degree $71,071 $76,145 $79,916
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 26% 18.9% 22.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 7.8% 13.6% 12.2%
Some college or associate's degree 2.1% 6.7% 7.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0.8% 4.3% 3.7%

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