A town of 19,348, settled in 1851. Nearly 6.1% of it is conserved land.
The 3 things Onalaska does most differently from other towns.
6.1% of the town is conserved land, across 29 parks and preserves.
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
I love that our city has such a strong sense of community, and I think one thing that really makes Onalaska special is the way we make new…
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Onalaska. Another town gets a different order.
17 miles of trails across 29 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mayo Clinic Health System | 5 mi | 131 |
| 2. Greens Coulee Park | 2.6 mi | 73 |
| 3. La Crosse River Conservancy | 1.7 mi | 264 |
The public schools Onalaska’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 68% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Bluff Elementary | PK–5 | 471 | A− |
| Northern Hills Elementary | PK–5 | 463 | B+ |
| Pertzsch Elementary | PK–5 | 373 | B+ |
| St. Pauls Lutheran School Private | PK–8 | 264 | |
| St. Paul Lutheran School Private | PK–8 | 263 | |
| St. Patrick School Private | PK–6 | 224 |
Most working residents leave Onalaska for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are La Crosse (45%), West Salem (3%) and Holmen (3%). Half commute less than 6 miles.
The median sale price was $338,000 in May 2026.
Onalaska beats the Wisconsin average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| What stands out | Onalaska | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 12.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.7% | 8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.6% |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 15% of U.S. communities.
Onalaska has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Onalaska reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 62% report less.
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 2 places on the National Register.
City in the United States
Onalaska ( ON-ə-LASS-kə) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,803 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the La Crosse–Onalaska metropolitan area. Onalaska is built on a slightly elevated ridge above the Black River. Natural areas include both river bottom land and high, heavily wooded, scenic bluffs. A man-made reservoir at the city's western edge is known as Lake Onalaska. Onalaska is known as "The Sunfish Capital of the World."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Onalaska.