Department of Numbers

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Wausau, Wisconsin metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics. The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated.

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Income Index

The chart below shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Wausau HPI series.1 Median household income data for Wausau is from the Census American Community Survey.2

Price-to-Income: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Income Index History

Date FHFA
June 2010 111.3
March 2010 108.9
December 2009 111.8
September 2009 113.3
June 2009 114.7

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Rent Index

The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Wausau median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Rent Index History

Date FHFA
June 2010 104.5
March 2010 102.3
December 2009 105.0
September 2009 106.4
June 2009 107.7

Wausau, Wisconsin Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage is determined by taking the median household income for Wausau, Wisconsin and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Date Inferred Mortgage
July 2010 $267,752
June 2010 $262,208
May 2010 $257,720
April 2010 $251,630
March 2010 $255,374
February 2010 $254,792
January 2010 $253,635
December 2009 $256,543
November 2009 $258,015
October 2009 $255,957
September 2009 $252,773
August 2009 $249,086
July 2009 $248,247

1. Specifically, FHFA data is from the non seasonally adjusted, all-transactions quarterly series.

2. Income data for the previous year is carried into the following year prior to the release of new income data.