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.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Wausau home affordability to other cities.

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Income Ratios

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

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 120.1
June 2011 118.8
March 2011 120.8
December 2010 123.4
September 2010 123.2
June 2010 121.8
March 2010 120.1
December 2009 121.6
September 2009 122.2

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

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 Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Wausau, Wisconsin Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 107.0
June 2011 105.8
March 2011 107.6
December 2010 109.9
September 2010 109.7
June 2010 108.4
March 2010 107.0
December 2009 106.7
September 2009 107.2

Wausau, Wisconsin Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value 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

Wausau, Wisconsin Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
November 2011 $258,766
October 2011 $256,283
September 2011 $255,054
August 2011 $250,227
July 2011 $242,102
June 2011 $243,238
May 2011 $239,574
April 2011 $234,098
March 2011 $234,098
February 2011 $231,166
January 2011 $236,266
December 2010 $237,636
November 2010 $249,337

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data. ↩

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