Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety87#121/924
Economy78#205/925
Housing71#266/925
Health83#156/925
Healthcare90#92/923
Environment69#287/917
Education86#134/925
Infrastructure84#149/925
Community81#177/925
Leisure & amenities74#243/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Eau Claire, WI metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Mammography screening · high60.8%
98/100Wisconsin 53.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · high114 /100k
95/100Wisconsin 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Lack of reliable transportation · low6.7%
95/100Wisconsin 7.2%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high95.0%
93/100Wisconsin 93.6%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Food insecurity · low11.3%
93/100Wisconsin 12.8%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high13.5 /10k
92/100Wisconsin 12.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Grocery stores · low0.9 /10k
9/100Wisconsin 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high3.0%
10/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Child care cost burden · high35.8%
17/100Wisconsin 30.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high89 mi
22/100Wisconsin 37 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-1.4%
24/100Wisconsin 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · high1.15%
26/100Wisconsin 1.32%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
6% (2021) → 25% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+19 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
7.1 /1k (2020) → 11.2 /1k (2025)
+58%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
61.3% (2010 & 2021) → 72.8% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
24.8% (2020 & 2021) → 35.8% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
24.2% (Dec 2021) → 32.7% (Aug 2026)
+8.6 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Property crime rateImproving
1,735 /100k (2020) → 1,086 /100k (2025)
−37%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Eau Claire, WI metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 4 moved within the margin of error and 8 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Rent / income−2.3 points27.7% → 25.4%
Rent burden−5.2 points45.3% → 40.1%
Bachelor's++3.9 points27.7% → 31.6%
Gyms+19%1.3 /10k → 1.6 /10k
New businesses+58%7.1 /1k → 11.2 /1k

Declined4

Homicides+86%0.9 /100k → 1.7 /100k
Firearm deaths+32%8.6 /100k → 11.3 /100k
Suicides+18%14.5 /100k → 17.1 /100k
Price / income+0.7×2.8× → 3.5×

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Eau Claire, WI metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.1 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	+8.5%	Improved	49%
Average commute time	19.8 min2015-2019	19.8 min2020-2024	+0.0 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Average weekly wage	$9452020	$1,1222025	+19%	Improved	14%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.7%2015-2019	31.6%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	76%
Broadband subscriptions	84.6%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Improved	10%
Child poverty rate	13.5%2015-2019	11.1%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Improved	50%
Distance to an airport	89 mi2020	89 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	84%
Drug overdose deaths	13.5 /100k2020	11.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−17%	Improved	41%
Effective property tax rate	1.52%2015-2019	1.15%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Little change	95%
Firearm deaths	8.6 /100k2020	11.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+32%	Declined	17%
Grocery stores	0.8 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	+4.5%	Little change	67%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+19%	Improved	69%
High school diploma or higher	93.5%2015-2019	95.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	29%
Homicide rate	0.9 /100k2020	1.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+86%	Declined	2%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,8692019	$66,4422024	+28%	Improved	22%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4272015-2019	0.4312020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	43%
Median household income	$59,5842015-2019	$74,5952020-2024	+25%	Improved	40%
New business applications	7.1 /1k2020	11.2 /1k2025	+58%	Improved	67%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+1.9%	Little change	78%
Poverty rate	12.5%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Improved	59%
Property crime rate	1,735 /100k2020	1,086 /100k2025	−37%	Improved	59%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−3.8%	Little change	30%
Public transit commuters	0.4%2015-2019	0.8%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Little change	97%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	25.4%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Improved	89%
Rent-burdened households	45.3%2015-2019	40.1%2020-2024	−5.2 points	Improved	89%
Restaurants and bars	13.5 /10k2020	13.5 /10k2025	+0%	Little change	45%
Suicide rate	14.5 /100k2020	17.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+18%	Declined	27%
Traffic deaths	8.2 /100k2015-2019	8.3 /100k2020-2024	+0.4%	Little change	62%
Unemployment rate	6.0%2020	3.2%2025	−2.8 points	Improved	44%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.2%2015-2019	6.6%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Violent crime rate	191 /100k2020	143 /100k2025	−25%	Improved	66%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Eau Claire, WI metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Eau Claire, WI metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Eau Claire, WI metro area itself moved +1.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

173,915 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

71,865 households (±563)

Eau Claire, WI metro area
United States share

Under $25k12%8,683
$25k–50k19%13,773
$50k–75k19%13,700

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

71,865 households (±563)

Eau Claire, WI metro area
United States share

Own66%47,425
Rent34%24,440

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−1.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

90,882 workers (±1,088)

Eau Claire, WI metro area
United States share

Drive alone76%69,118
Carpool7.0%6,395
Public transit0.8%†731

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Eau Claire, WI employ 20,780 people. 2 pay a median above the US median and 8 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Eau Claire, WI by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,890 jobs	2,890	$34,340US $35,800	−4%	1.21×
Retail Salespersons2,650 jobs	2,650	$34,000US $35,410	−4%	1.23×
Registered Nurses2,420 jobs	2,420	$93,410US $97,550	−4%	1.29×
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,370 jobs	2,370	$28,070US $31,200	−10%	1.11×
Cashiers2,190 jobs	2,190	$31,440US $32,880	−4%	1.28×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,160 jobs	2,160	$45,320US $40,240	+13%	1.32×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,710 jobs	1,710	$34,790US $37,330	−7%	1.09×
Office Clerks, General1,510 jobs	1,510	$44,250US $45,010	−2%	1.11×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers1,480 jobs	1,480	$57,220US $58,640	−2%	1.3×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,400 jobs	1,400	$37,230US $36,840	+1%	1.14×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Eau Claire, WI.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Eau Claire, WI has 4,413 employer establishments, 252 for every 10,000 residents (1.02× the US rate of 248), with 74,880 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,616. The Census Bureau also counts 12,020 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,413; 12,020 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 252; US 248
Paid employees: 74,880
Average annual pay: $54,616; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Eau Claire, WI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	305	17.4	1.13×About typical	2,434	$71,417	949
Ambulatory health care services	302	17.3	0.83×About typical	5,758	$91,812	477
Restaurants and other eating places	293	16.8	0.91×About typical	5,404	$19,029	53
Truck transportation	146	8.3	1.65×More than typical	1,117	$57,545	279
Full-service restaurants	139	7.9	1.03×About typical	2,619	$20,337	24
Lessors of real estate	136	7.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	827	$43,227	1,321
Religious organizations	131	7.5	1.35×More than typical	851	$21,290	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	125	7.1	1.06×About typical	1,042	$34,713	551
Limited-service restaurants	117	6.7	0.83×About typical	2,266	$17,910	16
Offices of other health practitioners	117	6.7	1.10×About typical	880	$38,974	292
Automotive repair and maintenance	107	6.1	1.21×About typical	594	$49,160	180
Construction of buildings	106	6.1	0.80×About typical	765	$68,388	445

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 174,924 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $16M on contracts performed in Eau Claire, WI metro area: $90.75 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $16M; +19% vs FY2025
Per resident: $90.75; US $1,995
Sole-source: 3.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.5%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Agricultural Marketing Service$11.2M70%
Defense Logistics Agency$2.8M17%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.1M7.0%
Department of the Navy$514.1K3.2%
Public Buildings Service$189.7K1.2%
Federal Acquisition Service$135.5K0.8%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$62K0.4%
Defense Information Systems Agency$18.7K0.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

10.7MFY2017
15.7MFY2018
12.8MFY2019
18MFY2020
23.6MFY2021
16.4MFY2022
6.4MFY2023
9.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Animal slaughtering and processing · 3116$11.2M70%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$1.8M11%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$607.3K3.8%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342$537.6K3.4%
General freight trucking · 4841$446.9K2.8%
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$418.9K

Largest awards

COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011224/4100033949/BISON GROUND LEAN FRZ PKG-40/1 LB,BISON STEW MEAT FRZ PKG-20/2 LB$9.6M
DAKOTA PURE MEATS, LLC· Chippewa County, WI· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 8, 2026 – Sep 29, 2026· 123J1426C0881
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000010941/4100032882/BISON GROUND LEAN FRZ PKG-40/1 LB$2.7M
DAKOTA PURE BISON LLC· Chippewa County, WI· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 4, 2025 – Oct 6, 2025· 123J1425C1882
TELEPHONE SET$1.7M
ATLANTIC DIVING SUPPLY, INC.· Chippewa County, WI· IT & telecom· Dec 11, 2025 – Dec 11, 2025· SPRMM126FE30B
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011478/4100034880/BISON STEW MEAT FRZ PKG-20/2 LB

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Eau Claire, WI metro area: $6,070 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.1B; −5.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,070; US $12,975
Loan face value: $75.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$723M67%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$81.6M7.6%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$79.5M7.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$50.9M4.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$20M1.9%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$16.3M1.5%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$15.4M1.4%
64.015 · Veterans State Nursing Home Care$8.8M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$23.6M2.2%
MADISON, WI
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM$13.5M1.3%
EAU CLAIRE, WI
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS$8.7M0.8%
UNION GROVE, WI
CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE$7M0.7%
EAU CLAIRE, WI
SKYWEST AIRLINES INC

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$873.4M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$92M8.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$23.6M2.2%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$19.1M1.8%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$13.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

929.8MFY2021
921MFY2022
1BFY2023
1.1BFY2024
1.1BFY2025
1.1BFY2026

County aggregates

92%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Eau Claire, WI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Eau ClairePrincipal city70,322

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Areas based in Wisconsin, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M20740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Eau Claire, WI metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Eau Claire, WI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought