Is Chippewa Falls, WI a Good Place to Live?
Chippewa Falls is a small city of 14,623 in Wisconsin, with a median household income of $58,558 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 91 (US average = 100), which is 9% below the national average.
Strengths: Chippewa Falls stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Chippewa Falls is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Chippewa Falls city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 91.4Chippewa Falls's overall cost of living index is 91.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Chippewa Falls costs roughly 9% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Chippewa Falls, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $173,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $895 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 51.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $58,558 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeChippewa Falls's violent crime rate is 218.8 per 100,000 residents — 42% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Chippewa Falls is served primarily by Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Chippewa Falls, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 6 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Chippewa Falls sees average highs of 23.4°F in January and 82.8°F in July, with 34.7 inches of annual precipitation and 55.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Chippewa Falls, WI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 23.4°F |
| Average High — July | 82.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 34.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 55.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Chippewa Falls, WI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,623 | — |
| Median Age | 38.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.8% | 16.8% |