Eau Claire, Chippewa County, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Eau Claire, Wisconsin, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The estimated population of Eau Claire, Wisconsin is 69,030 people, with a median age of 32.4.

We can look at the total population in Eau Claire over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
69,030
+0.45%
+1.60%
2020
68,720
+0.78%
-
2019
68,187
+0.15%
-
2018
68,086
+0.21%
-
2017
67,945
- -

Population of Eau Claire, Wisconsin by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
86.2%
88.9%
-3.04%
Black/African American
1.3%
0.9%
+44.44%
Native
0.2%
0.4%
-50.00%
Hispanic
3.1%
2.4%
+29.17%
Asian
5.7%
4.7%
+21.28%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.7%
0.6%
+16.67%
Two Or More Races
2.8%
2%
+40.00%
Other
0%
0.1%
-100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Eau Claire, Wisconsin by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 32.4 +0.62% 32.7 +0.93% 31.9 -0.31%
2020 32.2 +1.58% 32.4 +2.86% 32 +0.31%
2019 31.7 +1.28% 31.5 +2.27% 31.9 +0.95%
2018 31.3 -0.32% 30.8 -0.65% 31.6 0%
2017 31.4 - 31 - 31.6 -

The median age of Eau Claire, Wisconsin gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 3,765 -10.84% 3,646 +4.46% 3,361 3,802
10 to 19 4,372 -0.089999999999999% 4,837 +2.57% 4,339 4,947
20 to 29 7,903 -4.6% 8,277 -1.47% 7,536 8,152
30 to 39 4,805 +3.48% 4,203 +5.34% 4,970 4,430
40 to 49 3,171 +4.3% 3,118 +6.2% 3,304 3,311
50 to 59 3,671 -4.46% 3,848 -18.87% 3,506 3,170
60 to 69 2,918 +19.65% 3,350 +15.15% 3,531 3,871
70+ 2,387 +20.97% 3,674 +5.53% 2,924 3,876

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Eau Claire, Wisconsin is $60,562.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Eau Claire.

  • Under 25
    $31,282.00
  • 25 to 44
    $70,822.00
  • 45 to 64
    $70,444.00
  • 65 and over
    $50,515.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Eau Claire, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Eau Claire, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Eau Claire, Wisconsin is currently $78,101.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.89% of households in Eau Claire are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Eau Claire against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    16.86%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.27%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    22.78%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.99%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.73%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.48%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.89%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Eau Claire is $33,142.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Eau Claire by the total population of Eau Claire.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Eau Claire to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.70%
  • Bachelor's degree
    37.56%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.22%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    38.19%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.33%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Eau Claire that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Eau Claire over the age of 16 is 57,659.

Of those people, a total of 69.90% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Eau Claire is 67.20%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 5,078 58.20% 9.90%
20 to 24 years 10,232 85.30% 4.30%
25 to 29 years 5,456 93.60% 3.00%
30 to 34 years 4,783 87.20% 3.70%
35 to 44 years 7,844 87.70% 1.10%
45 to 54 years 6,752 84.60% 7.00%
55 to 59 years 3,312 77.10% 1.90%
60 to 64 years 3,916 70.60% 0.50%
65 to 74 years 6,234 19.60% 1.60%
75 years and over 4,052 5.40% 9.20%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Eau Claire. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 51,749 69.20% 3.80%
Black or African American 686 68.40% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 159 44.00% 0.00%
Asian 3,031 76.90% 4.60%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 304 88.80% 0.00%
Other 229 59.00% 5.20%
Two or more races 1,501 80.90% 6.80%
Hispanic or Latino 1,342 69.60% 3.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 51,116 69.30% 3.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Eau Claire as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Eau Claire is 38,728, with median earnings of $33,605.00.

Women in Eau Claire, Wisconsin earning approximately 64.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 38,728 $33,605.00
Male 19,577 $40,646.00
Female 19,151 $26,196.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 3,520 $47,946.00
Business and Financial 1,829 $55,785.00
Computer and Mathematical 1,438 $68,750.00
Architecture and Engineering 658 $52,439.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 274 $54,688.00
Community and Social Service 920 $44,634.00
Legal 103 $44,250.00
Educational and Library 2,390 $44,688.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 601 $30,788.00
Healthcare Practitioners 2,447 $55,066.00
Healthcare Support 1,561 $16,465.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 221 $26,484.00
Law Enforcement 240 $48,214.00
Food Preparation and Serving 2,813 $12,564.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 1,134 $25,143.00
Personal Care and Service 1,493 $15,284.00
Sales 4,048 $21,250.00
Office and Administrative Support 4,205 $30,666.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 79 $52,656.00
Construction and Extraction 780 $44,607.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 896 $42,708.00
Production 2,976 $36,635.00
Transportation and Material Moving 1,295 $54,320.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 1,991 $52,156.00 1,529 $45,064.00
Business and Financial 918 $70,833.00 911 $50,842.00
Computer and Mathematical 1,086 $76,691.00 352 $40,000.00
Architecture and Engineering 618 $54,333.00 40 $43,125.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 99 $95,365.00 175 $50,609.00
Community and Social Service 355 $45,944.00 565 $41,775.00
Legal 49 $123,625.00 54 $21,944.00
Educational and Library 652 $44,866.00 1,738 $42,331.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 185 $62,969.00 416 $26,161.00
Healthcare Practitioners 542 $52,778.00 1,905 $55,328.00
Healthcare Support 277 $12,076.00 1,284 $16,623.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 126 $32,115.00 95 $9,309.00
Law Enforcement 232 $48,571.00 8 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,279 $14,707.00 1,534 $10,694.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 581 $33,819.00 553 $20,083.00
Personal Care and Service 183 $8,203.00 1,310 $15,507.00
Sales 2,155 $34,316.00 1,893 $12,363.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,279 $33,273.00 2,926 $29,265.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 79 $52,656.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 772 $44,494.00 8 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 774 $49,688.00 122 $6,130.00
Production 1,926 $39,110.00 1,050 $29,750.00
Transportation and Material Moving 1,210 $56,125.00 85 $8,750.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 28,346 households in Eau Claire, with an average household size of 2.31 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 14,964 families in Eau Claire with an average family size of 2.89 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 11,345 1,263 2,356 13,382
Average Household Size 2.9 3.6 3.21 1.52
Total Families 11,345 1,263 2,356 0
Average Household Size 2.89 2.9 2.87 0

Poverty

Of the 14,964 families in Eau Claire, 6.20% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Eau Claire:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 29,893 housing units in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 28,346 94.82%
Vacant 1,547 5.18%

40.30% of the total 29,893 housing units in Eau Claire are rental units. This is approximately 12,047 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 15,965 are occupied by the owner - or 53.41% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Eau Claire is $851.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Eau Claire that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    334
  • Less than $500
    1,116
  • $500 to $999
    7,091
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    3,077
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    676
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    38
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    36
  • $3,000 or more
    13

Property Value

The median value of a property in Eau Claire is $178,000.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Eau Claire that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    728
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,217
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    3,535
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3,993
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    4,528
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,632
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    222
  • $1,000,000 or more
    110

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Eau Claire. The chart below shows the number of properties in Eau Claire that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    5,396
  • 1940 to 1949
    1,971
  • 1950 to 1959
    3,392
  • 1960 to 1969
    2,505
  • 1970 to 1979
    5,341
  • 1980 to 1989
    3,097
  • 1990 to 1999
    3,783
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,674
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,715
  • 2014 or later
    19

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Eau Claire that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    1,759
  • 1 vehicle available
    10,217
  • 2 vehicles available
    11,193
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    5,177

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Eau Claire get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Eau Claire that commute to work in a particular way.

16.3 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Eau Claire.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    1,299
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    6,716
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    9,147
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    7,978
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    3,941
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    1,386
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,745
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    340
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    361
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    561
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    458
  • 90 or more minutes
    445

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Eau Claire, Wisconsin in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.