Cost of living in La Crosse research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means La Crosse is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Wisconsin, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in La Crosse is 97, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in La Crosse is 1.0x lower than the national average.
La Crosse ranks as the #59 cheapest in Wisconsin out of 146.
La Crosse ranks as the #2,245 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in La Crosse is $272,563.
The median income in La Crosse is $53,803.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, La Crosse has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Wisconsin, La Crosse has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Wisconsin's index of 95.
The standard of living in La Crosse ranks as #59 most affordable out of the 146 places we measured in Wisconsin. By definition, that implies La Crosse ranks as the #87 most expensive place in the Badger State.
For more reading on life in La Crosse, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in La Crosse. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in La Crosse is 105.
The Groceries index in La Crosse is 98.
The Health index in La Crosse is 112.
The Housing index in La Crosse is 83.
The Transportation index in La Crosse is 98.
The Utilities index in La Crosse is 99.
| Living Expense | La Crosse | Wisconsin | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
| Services | 105 | 98 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 111 | 100 | |
| Housing | 83 | 88 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 99 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Wisconsin, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in La Crosse is $272,563.
The Median Rent in La Crosse is $977.
The Median Income in La Crosse is $53,803.
The Home Value To Income in La Crosse is 5.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in La Crosse is 0.22x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around La Crosse. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Winona, MN has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x La Crosse.
Onalaska, WI has a cost of living index of 103, 1.1x La Crosse.
Holmen, WI has a cost of living index of 105, 1.1x La Crosse.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. La Crosse | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Winona, MN | 25,998 | 96 | 1.0x | 
| Onalaska, WI | 18,909 | 103 | 1.1x | 
| Holmen, WI | 11,027 | 105 | 1.1x | 
| Sparta, WI | 9,921 | 86 | 0.9x | 
| Tomah, WI | 9,505 | 87 | 0.9x | 
| Decorah, IA | 7,597 | 87 | 0.9x | 
| West Salem, WI | 5,268 | 100 | 1.0x | 
| La Crescent, MN | 5,266 | 100 | 1.0x |