Green Bay and Madison are among best places to live in 2023-24 U.S. News Report; Milwaukee has some catching up to do
The Badger state can be proud of itself.
Wisconsin was prominently featured in the recently released U.S. News & World Report's Best States rankings with not only the best city to live in — take a bow Green Bay — but another in the top 15.
When you have the Water Capitol of the World, Lambeau Field, Door County, thousands of lakes, and all four seasons, who wouldn't want to live here?
Wisconsin was No. 8 overall in the annual rankings with education (sixth), fiscal stability (seventh) and opportunity (eighth) in the top 10 for the categories the survey scores. Utah took the crown in the state rankings.
Here's a closer look at where Wisconsin's top cities ranked in the best places to live in the U.S.
Green Bay is No. 1 with a perfect mix of 'big-city, small-town feel'
Green Bay, which was announced Monday as the host site of the 2025 NFL draft, will get its big moment in the spotlight and show why it was named the best city in the U.S.
"Home to one of the most storied football franchises in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers, Green Bay has the perfect mix of big-city amenities complemented with a Midwestern, small-town feel," the survey website said. "This city boasts a thriving entertainment and arts scene, revitalized downtown, and two college campuses, creating an energy that may appeal to young families as well as retirees."
The website also says summertime on the Fox River is "alive with waterskiing, riverfront dining and sunset cruises" and highlights Green Bay's boutique shopping and museums in and around the city.
Green Bay, with a population of about 107,000, is a "thriving craft beer industry" and with having the destination of Door County so close the city is a "good place to settle down and stay," the site adds.
Green Bay was the seventh best place to live for quality of life, eighth cheapest place to live, 18th safest place and the 27th best place to retire.
More: 13 must-visit Door County restaurants, from Chives to White Gull Inn
Wisconsin bucket list: 20 things you have to do, from Devil's Lake State Park to visiting Lambeau Field and the Apostle Islands to Holy Hill
Madison is again one of the best places to live in the U.S.
The state's capital city ranked No. 11 overall for best places to live. It also ranked third in best places to live for quality of life and No. 54 for best places to retire.
"Against a backdrop of high-tech businesses and acclaimed academic institutions, Madison, Wisconsin, exudes the casual, down-to-earth feel you'd expect in the capital of America's Dairyland," the site said. "On a given night, Madisonians can dine on food prepared by award-winning chefs and take in performances by national and international musicians and actors.
"A hotbed of the health care, information technology and manufacturing industries, Madison has steadily welcomed new residents over the past decade and is growing to accommodate and entertain these transplants."
The website also mentions that Madison is becoming a hotspot for mixed-use luxury housing with "trendy restaurants and coffee shops." It also likes the city's dining, brewery and craft cocktail scene.
Madison bucket list: 15 things you have to do in Wisconsin's state capital
Milwaukee is ranked lower but still in the top half of the rankings
Milwaukee is never far from a "best" rankings list as well.
Just last year, National Geographic named the city one of the 25 best places to travel to in 2023 on its annual Best of the World list.
While Milwaukee has work to do to catch up to Green Bay and Madison on U.S. News' rankings, it still ranked as the 65th best place to live and 63rd best place to retire out of the 150 metro cities included in the list. And Milwaukee has bragging rights over our friends to the south as Chicago ranked 123rd.
Milwaukee, however, ranked as 19th in most dangerous places. The city set a homicide record for the third straight year in 2022 with 215. Overall, violent crime and other forms of serious offenses such as burglary and car theft in Milwaukee did drop by 7% in 2022.
The website highlights Milwaukee's historical architecture as well as the changing skyline of the metro as reasons for its ranking. However, increased development doesn't always equate to a financially prosperous city.
Milwaukee's nightlife, award-winning restaurants, lakefront museums and its music and arts scene, and the city's festivals are also noted by the website as attributes.
More: Milwaukee residents are concerned about safety. Here are personal stories behind the stats.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Green Bay is best place to live via US News; Where did Milwaukee rank?
