Relocating to La Crosse or Onalaska Areas

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The right answer is there isn’t one “best” school district because we are surrounded with excellent educational programs. GreatSchools.org can provide specifics for our public schools about test scores, student progress ratings, college readiness, and equity overviews (including information on race/ethnicity, income diversity and disability makeup.) Similarly, PrivateSchoolReview.com has data on the multitude of high-quality private school education available here. 

One thing to be aware of when looking for your new home in the La Crosse, Holmen. West Salem or Onalaska areas is that the boundaries for the districts do NOT always align with the municipality. For example, there are areas in the northern portions of the City of Onalaska that are part of the Holmen School District. If school district is critical to you, make sure you discuss with your real estate agent. Even lifelong residents have made this “mistake” and have had to open enroll into a district to keep their kids where they want them to be. 

Most of us in Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem, and Trempealeau drive and the average household has 2 vehicles. Our roads are not clogged and there is abundant parking. Most areas, especially those taxed by a City or Village municipality have sidewalks and bikes lanes. For those commuting to and from a workplace, DataUSA says you can expect a commute under 20 minutes, about the drive time to get from Onalaska into the heart of Downtown La Crosse. 

For those who prefer mass transit, the City of La Crosse’s Mass Transit Unit offers public buses with an unlimited monthly option for $35, and they have bike racks for those who want to bike-and-ride.

Tax rates can vary widely depending on the municipality you are in. Generally speaking, being a in a City municipality equates to greater services like sanitation, emergency & protective, road maintenance, water & sewage treatment, and education services. In the Town of Medary, for example, the roadways are not salted in the winter, instead sand is put down for traction. 

Below are the assessment rates for many of the local municipalities in 2022.

Percent of Assessment 

This figure is the locally assessed value divided by the full value (expressed as a percent). These levels vary substantially, from less than 1 percent to more than 1 percent across Wisconsin.

• City of Onalaska & Village of Bangor .97
• Town of Washington .96
• City of La Crosse .94
• Town of Greenfield .93
• Town of Medary, Town of Ettrick & City of Galesville .91
• Town of Hamilton .90
• Town of Holland .89
• Town of Farmington .88
• Village of Holmen .83
• Village of Rockland & Town of Burns .82
• Village of West Salem .75
• Town of Onalaska .74
• Town of Trempealeau .71
• Village of Trempealeau & Town of Campbell .70
• Village of Ettrick .69
• Town of Shelby .68

Just like with the school district borders, you’ll want to be cognizant of where a residential address sits. There are some unexpected boundaries that trip up even those who’ve been here for decades. 

For example, within the Holmen community, there are portions that are considered the Town of Onalaska and Town of Holland. The Town of Onalaska gets fire protection from the City of Onalaska, versus the nearby Village of Holmen. However, the Town of Holland on the north end of Holmen is served by the Village of Holmen. 

These scenarios may not be top-of-mind and can certainly change from one budget year to the next, but it may be worth knowing what services you’ll receive as a homeowner, and from where.  

There is so much  local information to be had at DataUSA, where you can explore things like patient-to-clinician numbers, data on health insurance coverage,  life expectancy and more.

Our local La Crosse Chamber of Commerce has a very successful and popular First Friends program for those wanting to get into the specifics on community resources that include introductions to the Greater La Crosse Area Diversity Council, faith communities, social justice organizations and cultural groups. The Chamber's personal concierge service has been known to create lists of places to obtain ethnic groceries locally and identify connections with others of similar backgrounds, when requested. 

You have to see it to believe it! During the Ice Age, the glaciers never made it here so our topography is filled with steep hills, soaring bluffs, and large cliffs that lead to the deep river valley. The La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem, and Trempealeau areas specifically fall into the Coulee Region, which is indicative by the number ravines dotting the landscape.

This means we have year-round activities from hiking, hunting, mountain biking, trail riding, cross country and downhill skiing, boating, kayaking, camping and ice fishing like nowhere else. Additionally, this means you can have some unbeatable views from your picture windows!

Many of the finer subdivisions created in recent years have taken advantage of these views, positioned in locations like: 

• Savannah Oaks in the coulees of Onalaska, 
• Rivendell on Brice Prairie with the wetlands a stone’s throw away, 
• Waterford Valley in La Crosse featuring hilltop homes, and 
• August Prairie in Holmen where you can see all the way across the river to Minnesota – to name a few.

Clearly this comes down to personal preference, but exactly where you want to reside can play a big part. Downtown La Crosse is home to many spectacular homes with stories to tell back to the formation of the state in 1848, and the tales of logging, fur trading, fishing and brewing throughout the Mississippi River Valley. 

La Crosse itself has five neighborhoods designated as historical districts on the National Register of Historic Places, along with over 30 individual buildings, both residences and commercial properties.

Currently most new home construction is happening in areas like Brice Prairie and north of Holmen, simply because that’s where the space is. Our landlocked position between soaring bluffs and ample waterways means expansion is going to have to occur on the north or south ends of the corridor. There are many rural opportunities as well, as farms divide or sell, so really, it only depends on preference and timing!

From a logistical perspective, this is a non-issue in most locales. Wi-Fi is readily available in nearly all municipalities and fiber internet installs have been happening since about 2022. Rural residences often use Starlink satellite internet for service. 

From a social perspective, remote work can be isolating. In the La Crosse and Onalaska area, there are aver 1,000 non-profit organizations to get involved with and that isn’t even including many social opportunities like joining the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, the YMCA, Oktoberfest planning, Pickleball, book clubs, or joining a gym! 

The La Crosse area is the biggest small town you’ll ever live in. 

The people here wave to their neighbors and shovel each other’s sidewalks, but we also have abundant cultural opportunities. La Crosse is home to many national caliber fine & performing arts programs like: 

• Weber Center for the Performing Arts 
• La Crosse Community Theater 
• Pump House Regional Arts Center 
• Blue Star Drum & Bugle Corp 
• Ballet La Crosse
• Viterbo Fine Arts Center
• All Vibez Entertainment 
• La Crosse Symphony Orchestra

Museums include the:

• Children’s Museum of La Crosse
• La Crosse County Historical Society
• Dahl Auto Museum
• Hixon House
• Hmong Cultural & Community Agency
• La Crosse Are Heritage Center
• Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Sports Teams such as the: 

• La Crosse Loggers Baseball
• La Crosse Steam Softball
• Mississippi Mayhem Roller Derby
• And locations like Mt. La Crosse Ski Area, La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway and ORA Recreational Alliance to name just a few of many.