Housing variety within an outdoor recreation magnet
When people drive down Onalaska’s Second Avenue, a giant roadside sculpture leaves no doubt about one of the reasons people are attracted to the community. The oversized sunfish is a nod to the area’s nickname, “Sunfish Capital of the World.” Lake Onalaska flows alongside the city and is popular with anglers eyeing sunfish, northern pike and more. Onalaska unfolds east of the lake into a community of 19,000 with a broad mix of homes, highly rated schools and access to jobs throughout the region. “I would say schools are probably a top [draw],” says Lisa Kind, a Realtor with Re/Max Results with more than 20 years of industry experience. “And proximity to La Crosse, as far as commuting to work."
Due to its excellent sunfish fishing in Lake Onalaska, the city is known as "The Sunfish Capital of the World."
Onalaska has sprawling suburban housing developments along its outer edges.
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Home prices range from affordable to high-end
Onalaska is made up mostly of a series of winding residential streets full of homes dating back to the 19th century. Buyers can find established options around 1,000 square feet, including some townhomes, for under $200,000. Some of these are in the Downtown Onalaska area. The city spreads out into newer developments from there. The newest single-family houses and townhomes cost between $400,000 and $500,000. The median list price here is $326,000. Onalaska is considered an attractive area to live within the region, Kind says, so there’s high interest when homes hit the market — they sell after an average of 18 days on the market, much quicker than the national average of 45. “In general, everything in Onalaska that comes up and is priced right will go quickly,” Kind says.
You can find affordable townhouses in Onalaska outside of the downtown area.
Larger single-family homes in Onalaska can run you up to a half million.
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Proximity to La Crosse boosts employment options
Major employers in Onalaska cover industries like manufacturing with Empire Screen Printing and construction with Interstate Roofing & Waterproofing Inc. But Onalaska also borders the larger city of La Crosse, home to about 51,300 people and more jobs. Companies like the Mayo Clinic Health System and the Gundersen Health System, which includes the 325-bed Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, have major footprints in La Crosse. Convenience store company Kwik Trip is also based there, on a 140-acre campus. Kind says it’s common for people to live in Onalaska and work in La Crosse.
Empire Screen Printing is one of Onalaska's major employers, and has been in business since 1960.
Among other construction companies, Interstate Roofing is another known employer in Onalaska.
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Outdoor activity doesn’t stop with Lake Onalaska
The man-made Lake Onalaska glistens alongside Second Avenue as drivers trek into the heart of the city. The 8,400-acre body of water draws people even when it’s frozen. “Lake Onalaska is very prevalent for ice fishing,” Kind says. “It looks like a little village some weekends out there.” The nearby Black and Mississippi rivers attract angers as well, Kind adds. She says bird watching is also big in the area, particularly by the lake. On land, Onalaska offers 400 acres of parks, including the 154-acre Greens Coulee Park known in part for its views of the city. Onalaska is constructing a new community center, which will feature an indoor gymnasium and is expected to be finished by July 2025. The gymnasium could be an option for escaping Onlaska winters, which average 44 inches of snow.
Lake Onalaska provides recreation opportunities year-round.
Onalaska's new community center is still under construction as of early 2025, and will feature a large indoor gymnasium.
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Onalaska Omni Center offers a myriad of events
The Onalaska Omni Center, on the city's north end, encompasses 50,000 square feet of indoor event space and another 4,000 square feet of outdoor room. The center hosts all sorts of events and programs, including gift and craft shows and an annual cards and sports show. An ice rink here provides public open skates on Sunday evenings from November to February.Many of the city’s commercial offerings are downtown, around Second Avenue and Main Street, including multiple restaurants, salons, a bike shop and an ice cream parlor. The Crossing Meadows Shopping Center has big-box stores and chain eateries.
Onalaska's Omni Center is a hub for local events and markets, with an indoor hockey rink as its main feature.
Coulee Bicycle Co. in Onalaska sells and services bicycles, including electric ones.
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Upgrades on the way at Onalaska Middle
Most kids in town attend the School District of Onalaska, a system that earns an A grade on Niche and tops the site’s ranking of the best school districts across La Crosse County. The school system is undertaking a $50 million renovation of its middle school and a $25 million renovation of its high school, which are expected to be completed by fall 2025. Some parts of Onalaska bleed into the B-plus-rated School District of Holmen. Private schools in the area include the B-rated Luther High, part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Municipal Transit Utility extends to Main Street
La Crosse’s Municipal Transit Utility service, or MTU, extends to Onalaska. The network includes stops on Route 9 along Main Street and stops on Route 8 at the Crossing Meadows Shopping Center. Interstate 90 Alternate/Second Avenue is a direct route south into next-door La Crosse. The La Crosse Regional Airport is 4 miles away and provides connecting flights to O’Hare International Airport through American Airlines.
Crime
The city saw drops in multiple categories of violent and property crime from 2022 to 2023, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Uniform Crime Reporting Data Dashboard.
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