Housing is affordable in Wausau - but good luck finding it

A recent data set featured in the New York Times doesn't tell the whole story

National outlets just can’t get Wausau’s population right.

In a recent story being tossed around by city officials and others, New York Times reported on a study by Rocket Homes which looked at major metropolitan areas that would be best for someone earning an income of $65,000, which is just under the national median of around $70,000.

That alone is sort of an odd way to do it. It essentially assumes the perspective of someone with a remote job paying about that much, because median incomes are going to vary greatly by city. Wausau’s, for instance, is nowhere near $65,000, whereas that might be high for a large metro like Chicago. (Wausau’s is $27,6161 for an individual and $47,438 for a household, according to U.S. Census Bureau Data. Chicago’s household is closer, at $62,000)

But that aside, Wausau’s population is listed incorrectly, as is the median home price. According to the report, Wausau’s population is 135,000, which is pretty close to the county’s overall population. It’s not even the metro’s population, which is roughly 80,000.

Why can’t anyone get facts about Wausau right? It is all one Google search away, afterall.

But that’s just griping. More interesting is what the data actually revealed about Wausau’s housing situation.