Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Wausau, Wisconsin
A $156,000 home here costs
$1,471per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $802. The real number is $669 higher every month — 83% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Wausau against Marathon County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Wausau | Marathon County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $155,900 | $205,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,040 | $3,108 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.950% | 1.512% |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $950 |
| Population | 39,893 | 138,067 |
The weather behind that power bill
Wausau sits in Marathon County, which averages a high of 80.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 6.7°F in its coldest, with 33.91" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 422 cooling and 8,174 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Marathon County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Marathon County
Full Marathon County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Wausau?
A $156,000 home in Wausau, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,471 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $802 principal and interest, $254 property tax, $40 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $130 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Wausau?
Wausau has an effective property tax rate of 1.950%, based on a median home value of $155,900 and median real estate taxes of $3,040. That is higher than the Marathon County average of 1.512%.
What is the average home price in Wausau?
The median owner-occupied home value in Wausau, Wisconsin is $155,900, against $205,500 across Marathon County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wausau?
Median gross rent in Wausau is $950 a month, against $1,471 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Wausau — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.