Why Wisconsin cities earn national recognition as best places to live

Wisconsin cities rank highly in lists from online news outlets and financial companies that evaluate the best place to live in the United States.

This summer, Fortune magazine ranked Middleton the 18th best place to live in the country, while the company SmartAsset included Eau Claire, Appleton and Oshkosh in the top 10 of most livable small cities, nationwide.

These types of lists cite objective metrics like cost of living, employment rates and average incomes to justify their rankings, but numbers don’t tell the full story of why Wisconsin residents love the cities they live in.

Middleton Mayor Emily Kuhn told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that she surveyed local homeowners and renters about why they moved to her city, with a significant portion of its workforce working remotely.

“They said that they moved for the safe neighborhoods and the schools and the parks,” Kuhn said. “It’s that community focus. It’s getting out into nature.”

Middleton has expanded over the years to butt up against Madison and other surrounding municipalities, so Kuhn said the city tried to provide more dense housing along its transit corridor while expanding single-family neighborhoods where space allows.

The suburb wants to maintain a distinct identity from its metropolitan neighbor, while also taking advantage of its proximity to a major city.

“We are hearing a lot from widows who are moving to the county to help with grandkids, and they actually are choosing to live far enough away and find places and things to do,” Kuhn said. “That’s one of my favorite stories because a lot of our luxury apartments are actually being taken by widows who sold the house and can afford it.”

Eau Claire doesn’t have the same metropolitan dynamics at play, but it and other mid-size Wisconsin cities still get their own recognition as places residents enjoy living.

City Manager Stephanie Hirsch told WPR that the community balances the amenities of a bigger city while still maintaining a small-town feel.

She grew up in Eau Claire and left for the East Coast before returning to the city to work in local government.

“I was just struck, in retrospect, about how much people cared about Eau Claire,” Hirsch said. “It was the kind of community where people volunteered to do anything and everything.”

Census data show Eau Claire as one of the fastest growing cities in the state since 2010, which Hirsch said has spurred more development but also contributed to housing shortages.

While rankings in online lists might not seem like much, both Hirsch and Kuhn said the designations are a welcomed recognition of the work their communities have put in toward attracting and retaining visitors and residents.