MUST READ about Eau Claire: Cost of Living in Eau Claire

Hi! Welcome to my blog. 

Today we’re covering the cost of living in Eau Claire. This blog is a mixture of my personal experiences of living here for 10 years, my experiences as an Eau Claire Realtor, and some fun research online - mostly government websites when I could.

So let's say you’re moving to Eau Claire, you’re scrolling through the internet, and BAM you end up here… This blog is specifically for someone moving to Eau Claire who has no idea what the costs of living in Eau Claire entail. If that’s you, this is perfect for you! 

Eau Claire Housing Costs Compared to National Average 

Let's hop in! Alright, as I said, I’m an Eau Claire Realtor. It only makes sense we hop into the price of housing FIRST, especially since it's usually the most expensive expense we have in our lifetime - whether you own or rent a home. 

As of February of 2022, the current average house price in Eau Claire is around $220,000 which has significantly increased with the housing bubble we’re currently experiencing. The lack of housing has definitely increased house prices dramatically in the past few years. When I first became a Realtor in 2018, house prices were only $175,000 and a lot more affordable. However, considering the interesting fact that the national average house price is $290,000, maybe our prices aren’t so bad after all, right? I did find it super interesting that the national average house price as I’m writing this blog is about $70,000 more than the average Eau Claire house price. Considering the amount of decent-paying jobs around Eau Claire, I thought this was a pretty attractive point! What do you think?

Alight, so if I were moving to Eau Claire fresh, personally I’d rent first, then buy. I called the property management company that manages my properties and was able to get some data from them. They’ve been managing properties for 30 years so I figured they’d be a great resource as I wrote this… 

Eau Claire Average Rents (Thanks General Property Management!) 

• 1 bedroom apartment/ house costs $700- $1,000 to rent in Eau Claire. 

• 2 bedroom apartment/ house costs $850-$1,350 to rent in Eau Claire. 

• 3 bedroom apartment/ house costs $1,000-$1,7000 to rent in Eau Claire. 

National Average rents (according to rent .com)

• 1 bedroom apartment/ house costs about $1,688 nationally 

• 2 bedroom apartment/ house costs about $1,985 nationally

Sorry, I don’t have the stats on a 3 bedroom apartment, but you get the point! Look at the differences between Eau Claire average price ranges and the national average! The national average is around $600 more expensive than the TOP of the rent average in Eau Claire. Whew! That’s pricey. I couldn’t imagine paying nearly $1,700 for a 1 bedroom apartment, even if it was downtown LA (I bet it's much higher there). 

Eau Claire Utilities Compared to National Average 

I’m going to go through this quickly…

The biggest point I want to bring up to you is that the cost to maintain your home in the Winter VS summer, especially if you compare the southern states of the United States, is much higher. For example, it usually costs me around $220 per month for heat (Gas furnace) and electricity at my 3 bedroom house. Compare that to the springtime or Fall time when the weather is much milder, my bills are going to be closer to $120 per month. Again in the middle of the summer like August, my bills may go back up to $220 because I’m running my AC. 

Garbage bills are around $20 / month. Water bills usually average out to $30 per month. Wifi is usually $40-$50 per month depending on what type of promotion they have going on. FYI if you are moving here - Charter is the best place to get your wireless internet. 

Costs of Childcare in Eau Claire VS National Average

Just FYI, I don’t have any kids. I texted my buddy who does have a toddler for what it costs him for daycare and he let me know he pays around $210 per 4 days a week. This is about $50 per day for daycare. When I did some quick research online, I found that it was consistently around $50 per day nationwide (Maybe your area is higher). 

Two costs most people don’t think about when to move to Eau Claire Wisconsin….

The first one is Vehicle maintenance. I’m sorry to tell you but the winter takes wear and tear on your vehicle. The salt that the plow trucks lay on the roads to melt snow and ice actually eats away and corrodes the paint and mechanicals of your vehicle. Your car is literally being eaten away every winter - so sorry! Yeah, this sucks. I’ve just become used to not seeing cars older than 20 years old that don’t look like rust buckets driving around. It's always so surprising when I travel south and see older vehicles without a spot of rust on them - that’s crazy to me! 

Lastly, snow removal *PUKE* … my least favorite thing on earth. My parents had me shovel their house when I was a kiddo (it was on the corner of a block and the lot was huuuge). The sidewalks seemed like they stretched out forever.  Yeah… Either shovel your own driveway, hopefully, it's small, or hire a plow company that will do it for you. It's usually $35 per plow minimum. Unless you can find a local kid or retired gentlemen to do it cheaper. The good thing is - most Eau Claire folks are friendly and will lend a hand. 

I hope you find this helpful! 

Best,

Dan Gjerseth