NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Wausau, WI

Metro Market Score 32.9 (Favorable), ranked #84 of 330 metros. 100 establishments, 599 jobs.

Metro Market Score 32.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing wages in Wausau run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 17.6), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 15.5. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

18.5

LQ: 0.55

Rank #61 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

17.6

$47,490 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 30.6

Employment growth index

Rank #230 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

15.5

YoY wage change index

100 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Wausau

100

Establishments

+6.4% YoY

599

Total Employment

-1.3% YoY

$47,490

Average Annual Wage

+2.4% YoY

0.55

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#8 of 12

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#2 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

+1.8

worse than median (31.2)

Wausau vs Wisconsin Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to Wisconsin overall. The state ranks #2/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Wausau	WI Statewide
Overall Score	32.9 Favorable	26.0 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#84 of 330 metros	#2 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Wausau

Accommodation and Food Services 16.5 Information 19.9 Administrative and Support Services 29.2 Construction 30.7 Retail Trade 34.6 Other Services 38.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 40.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.3 Finance and Insurance 60.6

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other Wisconsin Metros

Sheboygan 8.3 #1/330 Racine-Mount Pleasant 11.1 #3/330 Green Bay 17.2 #13/330 Eau Claire 17.3 #14/330 Appleton 27.7 #56/330 Oshkosh-Neenah 29.7 #65/330 Fond du Lac 31.2 #75/330 Kenosha 34.9 #97/330 Janesville-Beloit 35.5 #102/330 Madison 37.8 #115/330

+ 1 more metros. View all in Wisconsin →

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Wausau's 32.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 33.0 #85/330 Tyler, TX 32.8 #83/330 Rocky Mount, NC 33.1 #86/330 Joplin, MO 32.4 #82/330 Las Cruces, NM 32.4 #81/330 Canton-Massillon, OH 33.8 #87/330 Mankato, MN 33.8 #88/330 Flagstaff, AZ 32.0 #80/330 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 31.8 #79/330 Laredo, TX 31.8 #78/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering Wisconsin

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Iowa 35.6 #16/51 Michigan 39.3 #26/51 Minnesota 42.1 #31/51 Illinois 44.3 #33/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Wausau's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the employment growth component (69.4) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Wausau, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment