State place rankings
Best Places in Wisconsin
Compare places by General Quality score or population. Each place links to its sourced facts, scores, and local summary.
General Quality score
Best overall places
- st
Cedarburg, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 12,916
- Median home value
- $422,000
- nd
Brookfield, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 41,448
- Median home value
- $443,900
- rd
Verona, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 16,821
- Median home value
- $420,400
- th
Grafton, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 13,389
- Median home value
- $328,800
- th
Mequon, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 25,120
- Median home value
- $501,600
- th
Fox Point, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 6,583
- Median home value
- $444,700
- th
Middleton, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 23,115
- Median home value
- $484,200
- th
Thiensville, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 3,267
- Median home value
- $352,100
- th
Whitefish Bay, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 14,489
- Median home value
- $533,800
- th
Elm Grove, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 6,354
- Median home value
- $510,400
- th
New Berlin, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 39,953
- Median home value
- $365,700
- th
Madison, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 286,233
- Median home value
- $372,900
- th
Waunakee, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 16,411
- Median home value
- $515,900
- th
Appleton, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 75,452
- Median home value
- $231,400
- th
Shorewood, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 13,474
- Median home value
- $443,700
- th
Sun Prairie, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 39,227
- Median home value
- $365,700
- th
Bayside, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 4,331
- Median home value
- $431,900
- th
Menomonee Falls, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 41,291
- Median home value
- $368,000
- th
Muskego, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 25,602
- Median home value
- $417,400
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 12,658
- Median home value
- $296,300
- st
Cottage Grove, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 8,930
- Median home value
- $449,700
- nd
Hartland, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 10,740
- Median home value
- $393,100
- rd
Onalaska, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 20,297
- Median home value
- $288,900
- th
Wauwatosa, WI
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 48,649
- Median home value
- $339,000
- th
DeForest, WI
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 13,094
- Median home value
- $359,600
How this list is ranked
Places are ordered by General Quality score. General Quality is a balanced livability composite spanning safety, affordability, healthcare, climate, education, jobs, mobility, outdoors, taxes, and other core factors.
Largest to smallest
Population-ranked places
- st
Milwaukee, WI
City
- Population
- 562,407
- Median home value
- $184,000
- Median rent
- $1,059
- nd
Madison, WI
City
- Population
- 286,233
- Median home value
- $372,900
- Median rent
- $1,413
- rd
Green Bay, WI
City
- Population
- 106,675
- Median home value
- $207,200
- Median rent
- $932
- th
Kenosha, WI
City
- Population
- 99,239
- Median home value
- $225,200
- Median rent
- $1,186
- th
Racine, WI
City
- Population
- 77,908
- Median home value
- $166,500
- Median rent
- $1,033
- th
Appleton, WI
City
- Population
- 75,452
- Median home value
- $231,400
- Median rent
- $1,030
- th
Eau Claire, WI
City
- Population
- 72,465
- Median home value
- $247,600
- Median rent
- $1,045
- th
- Population
- 70,872
- Median home value
- $315,500
- Median rent
- $1,219
- th
Oshkosh, WI
City
- Population
- 67,460
- Median home value
- $177,700
- Median rent
- $935
- th
Janesville, WI
City
- Population
- 66,929
- Median home value
- $223,400
- Median rent
- $1,054
- th
West Allis, WI
City
- Population
- 60,119
- Median home value
- $203,800
- Median rent
- $1,007
- th
La Crosse, WI
City
- Population
- 50,784
- Median home value
- $210,100
- Median rent
- $1,010
- th
Sheboygan, WI
City
- Population
- 49,376
- Median home value
- $174,200
- Median rent
- $924
- th
Wauwatosa, WI
City
- Population
- 48,649
- Median home value
- $339,000
- Median rent
- $1,438
- th
Fond du Lac, WI
City
- Population
- 44,541
- Median home value
- $173,700
- Median rent
- $913
- th
Brookfield, WI
City
- Population
- 41,448
- Median home value
- $443,900
- Median rent
- $1,886
- th
Menomonee Falls, WI
Village
- Population
- 41,291
- Median home value
- $368,000
- Median rent
- $1,313
- th
Wausau, WI
City
- Population
- 40,188
- Median home value
- $167,900
- Median rent
- $1,010
- th
New Berlin, WI
City
- Population
- 39,953
- Median home value
- $365,700
- Median rent
- $1,426
- th
Sun Prairie, WI
City
- Population
- 39,227
- Median home value
- $365,700
- Median rent
- $1,419
- st
Oak Creek, WI
City
- Population
- 38,296
- Median home value
- $331,700
- Median rent
- $1,452
- nd
Greenfield, WI
City
- Population
- 37,159
- Median home value
- $261,100
- Median rent
- $1,170
- rd
Franklin, WI
City
- Population
- 36,687
- Median home value
- $364,200
- Median rent
- $1,458
- th
Beloit, WI
City
- Population
- 36,649
- Median home value
- $156,500
- Median rent
- $1,066
- th
Manitowoc, WI
City
- Population
- 34,671
- Median home value
- $160,700
- Median rent
- $804
How this list is ranked
Places are ordered by their latest available population estimate. Incorporated places and census-designated places are both eligible when they appear in the published location data.
Annual Census population estimates are used where available; ACS place estimates fill coverage gaps.