Live-In Caregivers in Onalaska, WI: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Onalaska, WI: the local picture

708

residents 85 or older (3.7% of all residents)

1,765

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (66%)

60%

of Onalaska homes have 3 or more bedrooms (58% in La Crosse County)

$7.25

Wisconsin minimum wage per hour

About 708 Onalaska residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 60% of homes in Onalaska have three or more bedrooms (58% in La Crosse County), while 8.0% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6 rooms.

Of Onalaska households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,765 own their home and 922 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 190 owners and 460 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Onalaska compared with La Crosse County and Wisconsin

Census figure	Onalaska	La Crosse County	Wisconsin
Residents 85 or older	3.7%	2.4%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	31%	30%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	36%	32%	28%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	4.6%	9.7%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	20%	18%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	10%	6.7%	9.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$60,347	$55,379	—

Older residents in towns around Onalaska

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
French Island, WI	3.5 mi	898	31
La Crosse, WI	4.6 mi	8,794	1,227
West Salem, WI	5.9 mi	975	123
Holmen, WI	6.4 mi	1,556	373
La Crescent, MN	6.5 mi	1,204	155
Sparta, WI	20 mi	1,636	142

Emergency hospitals near Onalaska

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center Inc	La Crosse, WI	6.3 mi	5 of 5	(608) 785-0940
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center	La Crosse, WI	6.3 mi	4 of 5	(608) 782-7300
Mayo Clinic Hlth Systm Franciscan Hlthcare Sparta	Sparta, WI	20 mi	not rated	(608) 269-2132

Straight-line miles from the center of Onalaska. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Onalaska

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (75% of the $5,029 monthly median income of Onalaska households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (253% of the $5,029 monthly median income of Onalaska households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Onalaska: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Onalaska?

Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center Inc in La Crosse, about 6.3 mi in a straight line from the center of Onalaska (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (608) 785-0940. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Onalaska?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (75% of the $5,029 monthly median income of Onalaska households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (253% of the $5,029 monthly median income of Onalaska households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Onalaska?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Onalaska it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Onalaska

More senior care near Onalaska

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Onalaska

More for Onalaska families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Onalaska, WI