Citytistics
Shortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

43.56° N · 90.89° W · GEOID 5582925

Viroqua

Vernon County, Wisconsin · part of the La Crosse, WI metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

Limited data population under 5,000

WisconsinViroqua, WIViroquaViroqua

The short answer

Viroqua is home to 4,471 people. Median household income is $67,438 a year and median rent is $815 a month, 14.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $209,900, about 3.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$815
40% below the median place
Median household income
$67,438
16% below the median place
Median home value
$209,900
34% below the median place
Unemployment
2.5%
49% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Viroqua

  • 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of the 1,842 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Wisconsin places.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 12% a year while rent rose 5.2%, so pay gained on rent more than in 93% of places its size. It is the lowest of 157 Wisconsin places.
  • Only 27% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 96% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.01 people, smaller than in 92% of places its size.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 120 hours a year commuting, less than in 87% of places its size.
01

Moving to Viroqua

Vernon County gains about 2.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,120
Moved out1,050
Net+70

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

La Crosse County, WI193237−44
Monroe County, WI125101+24
Crawford County, WI7988−9
Richland County, WI5468−14
Dane County, WI4938+11
Juneau County, WI5035+15

Within Wisconsin, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WisconsinOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$56K
Leavers$53K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Vernon County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Vernon County report $56,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$32,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $815 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,337 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $209,900.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 14.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Old Forge, PA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
6.9%
20% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$52,777
25% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.0%
49% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureViroquaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year16.9%20% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%49% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure2.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$56,20720% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$52,77725% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 26.6%, 47% below the median place.

Viroqua14.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$32,600
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.5%
29% below the median place
Home price to income
3.1x
18% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$59,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Viroqua, $815 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Viroqua.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Viroqua? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
26.6%
47% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,337
29% below the median place
Median year built1
1964
1% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureViroquaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$81540% below
Rent to income114.5%29% below
Property tax rate11.5%68% above
Home price to income13.1x18% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.89% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,09732% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,2201% below
Median home value1$209,90034% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.2%0% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure54.1%5% above
Homeownership165.7%1% below
Renters paying 30%+126.6%47% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,33729% below
Vacant homes1County figure11.7%65% above
Median year built119641% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 18 min, 27% below the median place.

Mean commute1
18 min
27% below the median place
Poverty rate1
7.7%
28% below the median place
Median household income1
$67,438
16% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureViroquaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$67,43816% below
Income per person1$45,30113% above
Unemployment1County figure2.5%49% below
Average annual pay5County figure$48,68826% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.4%8% below
Jobs5County figure8,67294% below
Poverty rate17.7%28% below
Mean commute118 min27% below
Works from home114.0%13% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%16% below
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 0.0%, below the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
0.0%
below the median place (median 8.8%)
Household size1
2.0
20% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
82.8%
10% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age46.4 +19%
No health insurance3.1% −52%
High school or higher93.7% +2%
Bachelor's or higher31.3% −2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureViroquaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population14,4716646th largest
Population change since 20206-2.3%below (median 1.1%)
Median age146.419% above
Bachelor's or higher131.3%2% below
High school or higher193.7%2% above
Household size12.020% below
Born abroad10.0%below (median 8.8%)
No health insurance13.1%52% below
Homes with broadband182.8%10% below
05

Life in Viroqua

5 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Vernon County Courthouse listed 1980
  • Bekkedal Leaf Tobacco Warehouse listed 2003
  • Viroqua Downtown Historic District listed 2003
  • Vernon County Normal School listed 2011
  • Cunningham, Bert and Mary, Round Barn listed 2014

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents17.9 +76%
Playgrounds per 10k6.7 −29%
Grocery stores per 10k8.9 4.2×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k31.3 2.8×
Libraries per 10k2.2 2.6×
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.5×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.4 2.1×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.6 −6%
Shops26.7 −12%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.5 +10%
Doctors' offices and clinics10.3 −49%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students12
1,038
79% below the median place
Students per teacher12
13.7
11% below the median place
Public schools12
6
33% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureViroquaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12633% below
Public school students121,03879% below
Students per teacher1213.711% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.66% below
Shops per 10k8County figure26.712% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.510% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure10.349% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k917.976% above
Playgrounds per 10k96.729% below
Grocery stores per 10k98.9322% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k931.3181% above
Libraries per 10k92.2157% above
Named paths and bike trails99.1355% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.4110% above
National Register listings10562% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 160, 17% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
160
17% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
731
40% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

January average low13
8°F
67% below the median place
Good air days15
93.4%
36% above the median place
Average temperature13
46°F
17% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureViroquaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure81°F7% below
January average low13County figure8°F67% below
Average temperature13County figure46°F17% below
Annual precipitation13County figure37.5 in14% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure75.019% below
Hurricane risk14County figure9.686% below
Tornado risk14County figure69.415% below
Wildfire risk14County figure17.272% below
Heat wave risk14County figure66.926% below
Median air quality index15Metro figure3714% below
Good air days15Metro figure93.4%36% above
08

Viroqua in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 14% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$815/mo (2024)$1,050/mo$860 to $1,270/mo+4.2%
Median household income$67,438 (2024)$89,000$75,000 to $105,000+4.7%
Median home value$209,900 (2024)$307,000$223,000 to $424,000+6.6%
Population4,435 (2025)4,4104,230 to 4,590−0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Viroqua

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Old Forge, PA$859$71,812Compare
Cortland, OH$720$71,563Compare
Lacombe, LA$886$72,813Compare
Hubbard, OH$799$62,593Compare
Hubbard, OHLacombe, LACortland, OHOld Forge, PAViroqua, WIViroquaOld ForgeCortlandLacombeHubbardViroquaOld ForgeCortlandLacombeHubbard

Common questions

Is Viroqua a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of the 1,842 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Wisconsin places. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 12% a year while rent rose 5.2%, so pay gained on rent more than in 93% of places its size. It is the lowest of 157 Wisconsin places. On cost, space and class size it scores 70 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Viroqua expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $209,900.

What salary do you need to live in Viroqua?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $32,600 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Viroqua safe?

There were 160 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Viroqua?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Old Forge, PA, Cortland, OH, Lacombe, LA and Hubbard, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Viroqua with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Viroqua itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/viroqua-wisconsin

Citytistics. “Viroqua, Wisconsin.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/viroqua-wisconsin/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.