The 10 Best Places To Live Right Now In Wisconsin

For anyone who values affordability, natural beauty, friendly communities, good schools, and outdoor recreation, Wisconsin is a great state to live in.

Yes, Wisconsinites must be prepared for long, cold winters and potentially limited high-tech job growth compared to coastal areas, but the pros of living in the Badger State far outweigh the cons.

However, not all places in Wisconsin are created equal, so just where are the best places to live in the state? A recent study set out to answer that very question, and based on its criteria, the best cities have been identified.

Determining The Best Places To Live In Wisconsin

To determine the best cities to live in Wisconsin, they first broke the best places to live into three tiers:

• Cities: Populations over 5,000
• Towns: Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
• Small Towns: Populations below 1,000

This filter left 142 cities, 241 towns, and 380 small towns.

Next, they analyzed data from various sources, focusing specifically on the following criteria:

• Median Home Values
• Median Income
• Population Density (Higher is better)
• Unemployment Rate
• Commute Time
• Crime
• Education Levels
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Poverty rates

After crunching all the data, the best cities were identified.

The 10 Best Places To Live In Wisconsin

10. McFarland

• Population: 9,230 5,892,023
• Median Home Value: $363,400
• Median Income: $93,810
• Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0068

Located 20 minutes southeast of Madison on the eastern side of Lake Wauseba, McFarland is Wisconsin's 10th best place to live in terms of safety, great schools, great jobs, and fun stuff to do.

9. Mount Horeb

• Population: 7,719
• Median Home Value: $359,500
• Median Income: $100,956
• Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0016

Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is the “Troll Capital of the World”, and it's the 9th best place to live in the state. The community offers significant draws for families, with 36.3% of households in town having children.

8. Oregon

• Population: 11,384
• Median Home Value: $361,200
• Median Income: $100,695
• Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0043

Centrally located just south of Madison, this little town of 11,384 residents is #8 because residents enjoy great schools, an extremely low crime rate, and a strong job market.

7. Fox Point

• Population: 6,746
• Median Home Value: $414,900
• Median Income: $140,818
• Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0093

Fox Point is on Lake Michigan’s western shore, just 15 minutes north of Milwaukee, so you don't have to travel far for a lot of activities and entertainment options. It also ranks as the 7th best for home values.

6. Cedarburg

• Population: 12,317
• Median Home Value: $386,400
• Median Income: $82,110
• Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0041

Cedarburg is a cozy suburb of nearby Milwaukee, and it's one of the top places in Wisconsin to call home and raise a family.

5. Verona

• Population: 14,499
• Median Home Value: $382,800
• Median Income: $119,148
• Unemployment Rate: 2.0%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0066

Verona is located in Dane County and is a suburb of Madison. Its 14,499 residents enjoy a 119,148 median income and property values of $382,800.

4. Elm Grove

• Population 6,428
• Median Home Value: $468,000
• Median Income: $133,304
• Unemployment Rate: 0.3%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0061

This Milwaukee suburb in Waukesha County is, after all, one of the richest places in Wisconsin, with 31% of Elm Grove’s residents making $200,000 or more a year.

3. Cottage Grove

• Population: 7,906
• Median Home Value: $401,900
• Median Income: $132,717
• Unemployment Rate: 0.5%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0023

SEE NOW: The 10 Most Dangerous Cities To Live Right Now In Wisconsin

Located about 15 miles east of Madison, Cottage Grove offers an A-grade school system and an affordable cost of living. It's also near the University of Wisconsin, so there are plenty of things to do nearby.

2. Whitefish Bay

• Population: 14,750
• Median Home Value: $498,700
• Median Income: $154,255
• Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0085

Holding strong with the #2 rank two years in a row, Whitefish Bay's unemployment rate is well below the national average at 2.9%. It's also known for its great schools and was recently named one of Wisconsin’s best places to raise a family.

1. Waunakee

• Population: 14,927
• Median Home Value: $490,300
• Median Income: $128,750
• Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
• Crime Per Capita: 0.0030

SEE NOW: People In Wisconsin Are Now Warned Not To Travel To These Locations

Located in Dane County, just north of Lake Mendota, Waunakee is the #1 place to live right now in Wisconsin because of a terrific quality of life that includes low crime, great schools, low unemployment rates, and year-round fun.