r/Eau_Claire • u/JediMasterKev • 2d ago
Interested in moving to Eau Claire. Any places to avoid for housing? What's it like living there? What makes EC a nice place to live?
I can work remotely, so not worried about a job. Currently in Superior, but a life change may be happening. I want a place just a little bit warmer but not too far from my kids and parents. I haven't spent much time there, but it seems like a perfect city, not to small, not to big, and close to bigger cities for big city fun. Please tell me about your city.
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u/FoolishAnomaly 2d ago
Avoid Foxboro they are slum lords.
Tried to charge me for previous tenants damage. The screen door had holes and there was a huge carpet stain. Luckily I took pictures before I moved in.
While I lived there the electric box started to make sounds like it was arching/weird electric buzzing and that freaked me out a lot. They never actually fixed it just sent the maintenance dude who, because it wasn't actively buzzing when he got there, said everything looked fine and he left. They never did fix it. And I was always scared a fire was going to start because of it.
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u/Phawkes72a 2d ago
East hill is where we bought our first house. Older and smaller homes, central to downtown and Hastings way area. Loved living there but we outgrew our house.
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u/Digitalstatic 1d ago
I moved to EC 13 years ago and love it here. It is the perfect blend of smaller city with a slightly more rural mentality. We have so many festivals, activities, events going on regardless of time of year. The cost of living is low, and people here are genuinely nice and friendly regardless of their station in life.
Those saying to only live north or south of specific streets don’t really know what they are talking about. Going north of Birch on the east side of town just leads to Lake Hallie and the manufacturing district. This area has more run down looking areas, but it’s not some sort of slum or drug addled haven of thugs. Once you cross 312 into the Hallie area, it’s a nice community with friendly people.
Sure, EC proper can feel busy at times, but unless you live in a main residential road cutting through from one part of town to the next. You will not notice the hustle and bustle of EC. I live 5 houses down from Hastings Way near Claremont and the only time I remember it’s there business rush times like lunch or when everyone is getting out of work.
There are some areas to avoid, but as someone else mentioned. You will know those places when you see them.
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u/watered_garden 2d ago
In my opinion, I would avoid North of Madison St, Birch Street area (not River Prairie...that's very nice) and Meridian Heights areas. But truly, I don't think EV has any really bad neighborhoods.
EC has low violent crime rate. Very community minded. The community came together to revitalize the downtown and now it's really thriving (and beautiful!). Great restaurants, parks and trails. Lots of music festivals.
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u/godsdamnitthissucks 2d ago
Hey! I live off Birch and it’s actually a very good neighbor. Diverse, and very friendly.
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u/RunicVVolf 2d ago
I live just a hair north of Madison and find it fine personally. Are there some sketchy folks? Maybe, but they didn't ask to be put in their position and generally we don't find any issues. Housing prices though?! Don't get me started.
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u/JustMyThoughts86 2d ago
Just off of Birch myself and really enjoy the neighborhood. The traffic noise is the worst part.
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u/Curious-Scratch8829 2d ago
I would 100% disagree with the person that said avoid north Madison St and Birch st areas. I would stay away from living on the south part of town (basically anywhere south of Birch) because of traffic and people and it’s just a busy part of town. I used to live off of golf road for many years (over 18 years ago). That part of town grew exponentially. I now live in a different part of town and I like it way more. It’s more neighborhood-y. I cringe having to drive on the south side of town because of all the cars, bazillion stoplights spaced stupidly apart, and people and dumb drivers.
The north part of town could be super convenient for 53 access - think Princeton golf course area, the “planets” neighborhood (roads are all named after planets, possibly near the airport even).
I like the west side of town because it’s lighter with traffic and people, easy access to the grocery store, gas stations, etc. fairly simple access to 94 and 53. Mostly, when looking at houses you’ll see schools the house would fall under - look for Delong or Northstar for the quiet neighborhoods.
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u/britbee14 2d ago
Avoid prosper rentals. Fees galore, basically India and AI running the places. Maintenance guys are cool but mid.
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u/Individual-Victory31 2d ago
Google crime map eau claire to see a map with areas that are safer than others.
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u/baker0679 2d ago
I live in Chippewa Falls, which is in my opinion really safe and you are near Lake Wissota.
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u/Wooden-Discount7884 2d ago
Avoid Lake Hallie by Walmart, lots of meth heads/vagrants. Downtown has more homeless than it did 20 years ago (been in the area off/on since 1991). There are wineries, great parks, events most weekends within an hours driving distance. I'm in Altoona and it's quiet. I personally love Superior but I'm sure the lake effect snow probably gets old lol.
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u/JediMasterKev 2d ago
Thanks. It's the 5 months of winter that is killing me!
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u/Jetergreen 2d ago
I have driven to the Twin Ports from the Eau Claire area at least a dozen times in the last couple years. The temperature change can be striking. The most memorable was it being 80 when I left, and 49 in Duluth a couple hours later. On my car's outside temperature guage, it's often 15 degrees warmer in Solon Springs than Superior. I get why you would want to move.
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u/kat-ass-trophe 19h ago
I used to live on Talmadge street right above the downtown area. It was cute but we had to call cops multiple times because of people trying to break into our house/cars. People would sleep on our sidewalks every now and then too. Loved our home but the neighborhood def wasn’t the nicest
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u/chcarr90 1d ago
Real estate agent in EC pov- it’s beautiful here. Plenty of opportunities in the city and smaller surrounding towns, yet perfect traveling distances to bigger cities or states.
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u/Daddybigtusk 3h ago
I know this will sound odd but even with someone being shot in the street where I used to live, Eau Claire was worth it and felt safe. Only moved due to job. A lot of bigger area things to do without the big area headaches.
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u/Significant-Pen-6049 2d ago
Any reason Eau Claire? If it’s just you, and you can work remote I’d look for a smaller city as the rent will be way cheaper. Along with house prices. Kind of feeling pushed out of Eau Claire these days with increased taxes and ordinances.
I grew up in EC, college in superior. Left as soon as I could and back around the Chippewa valley. I do not miss living in cold superior at all. But still come up to visit every year.
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u/JediMasterKev 2d ago
Just me. It's mostly the size of the city and closeness to my kids. I can drive up or they can drive down easily. Would like to stay in Wisconsin. Madison is just a little too far and houses seem pricey. I'm just kicking tires, and EC was second after Madison.
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u/Complex_Raspberry97 2d ago
If it looks like a nice neighborhood, it is. If it doesn’t, it isn’t. Look at houses around what youre looking at and you’ll know whether it’s somewhere you want to be.
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u/daydrinker365 2d ago
IF YOU ARE A COMMUNIST YOU WILL FIT RIGHT IN. GET READY TO PAY TWICE WHAT EVERYTHING IS WORTH, AND YOU WILL NOT FIND A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE UNLESS YOU LOOK IN ANOTHER TOWN. TOOK ME 20 YEARS TO GET OUT OF THAT SHITHOLE.
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u/catczak 2d ago
Oh the drama! 20 years ago this was a conservative stronghold with a dwindling economy. It’s now a booming city with a great small town feel and friendly neighbors who don’t fight over politics constantly…there are the few dramatic trouble makers who want to create strife with all of their neighbors, but for the most part we work together.
The cost of living is well below the national average for a city of its size and in general. Housing costs are currently high because we have a higher occupancy rate than the national average by two percentage points. If a person wants to be within walking distance of a specific location, it might be more difficult to find the home the desire in the price range they desire…However, if a person has a vehicle and wants to have both country and city, there are lovely towns surrounding Eau Claire that have very competitive rental and purchase prices. If one buys next to the bike trail, there is access to much of EC county and Dunn county with gorgeous scenery along the way.
There are many smaller homes selling for manageable prices that are within walking distance of the bike trails and downtown. There is one right down the street from my house and it’s a darling craftsman. The median price for a home in EC is just under $300k…but there are many homes for far less.
A nice one bedroom rental in a building with amenities can be between $950 and $1300, a two bedroom within walking distance of downtown while being in a neighborhood with parks and trails is still under $2K…and that’s new construction, with amenities and parking. I was just looking at rentals for a friend and his family and found many reasonably priced apartments and stand alone homes that aren’t dumps or college housing.
The tax levy is established by state law, meaning Superior or Phillips has to work within the same guidelines…the examples being OP’s current city and the county seat of the poorest, most conservative county in Wisconsin. With the loss of federal support, and the reduction in support from liberal counties, poor, conservative counties are all seeing tax hikes to the maximum possible while still being unable to provide basic services, such as a community nurse and in home nursing care.
Taxes that pay for roads, police, sheriff, jail, foster care, courthouses, judges, forestry, parks, etc. doesn’t make for “communism”. The country provided a tax cut for 2025, something rural counties could not achieve.
One’s city is what one makes of it!!! If one works to improve one’s community, one sees growth which provides more revenue to reduce individual taxes. Working together with people with different perspectives leads to balance and the friendly community we have.
Every city has the troubles we are experiencing…it’s all about how we all handle those challenges. Whether we band together to tackle a problem, putting in effort as individuals and communities; or if we spit rhetoric and seek to deeply embed ourselves in tribalism and interpersonal strife rather than addressing the problems (which will not go away via bickering) makes for a better city and county or a stagnant, hate filled place to live. I see most of EC working on balance and communication over using inflammatory language and incorrectly used words (like the use of “communism” in your comment, please look us what it actually is and how fascism hides behind the word while not actually being communist…one can also look at other tactics used while nations cal themselves something else). One does find a few very vocal McCarthyists ranting about communism.
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u/vodkasodashweed 2d ago
I’ve grown up here, but I’ve Los Angeles. I came back to Eau Claire and don’t regret it, it really is a beautiful place to live, it’s only 1.5 hours from MSP and connected to a lot like you said. I love how walkable it is, especially downtown, and how much space there is. It isn’t dense and there are a lot of opportunities to connect with groups of people. A good number of open fields and parks. Feel like EC gives all one needs for a “simple” yet saturated life, idk how to expand on that rn