You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Wisconsin. Best sururbs in Wisconsin. Best counties in Wisconsin.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Badger State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Wisconsin based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Wisconsin ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Wisconsin For 2024
- Maple Bluff
- Shorewood Hills
- Cross Plains
- Okauchee Lake
- Nashotah
- Sauk City
- Wind Point
- North Prairie
- Summit
- River Hills
- Kohler
- St. Peter
- North Hudson
- Bayside
- Thiensville
What’s the best small town in Wisconsin? Maple Bluff is the best small town in Wisconsin based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Maple Bluff, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Badger State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Dangerous Cities In Wisconsin
The 15 Best Small Towns In Wisconsin For 2024
1. Maple Bluff
/10
Population: 1,327
Median Income: $172,174 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $858,963 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
2. Shorewood Hills
/10
Population: 2,085
Median Income: $116,250 (19th Best)
Median Home Value: $951,760 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
3. Cross Plains
/10
Population: 4,053
Median Income: $97,843 (30th Best)
Median Home Value: $428,437 (15th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
4. Okauchee Lake
/10
Population: 4,690
Median Income: $128,785 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $522,454 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
5. Nashotah
/10
Population: 1,216
Median Income: $131,250 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $529,257 (7th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
6. Sauk City
/10
Population: 3,506
Median Income: $78,984 (69th Best)
Median Home Value: $324,292 (62nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
7. Wind Point
/10
Population: 1,688
Median Income: $143,000 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $373,022 (34th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
8. North Prairie
/10
Population: 2,485
Median Income: $143,068 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $422,869 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
9. Summit
/10
Population: 4,914
Median Income: $125,298 (14th Best)
Median Home Value: $656,576 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.5%
10. River Hills
/10
Population: 1,530
Median Income: $200,625 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $872,078 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
11. Kohler
/10
Population: 2,142
Median Income: $128,036 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $383,681 (26th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
12. St. Peter
/10
Population: 1,365
Median Income: $153,188 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $386,324 (25th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%
13. North Hudson
/10
Population: 3,837
Median Income: $127,982 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $378,685 (32nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
14. Bayside
/10
Population: 4,506
Median Income: $129,348 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $488,586 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
15. Thiensville
/10
Population: 3,279
Median Income: $85,542 (53rd Best)
Median Home Value: $368,575 (37th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Wisconsin
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Wisconsin possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 231 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 231, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Wisconsin. Top of that list — Maple Bluff.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Wisconsin.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Wisconsin are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Wisconsin are Maple Bluff, Shorewood Hills, Cross Plains, Okauchee Lake, Nashotah, Sauk City, Wind Point, North Prairie, Summit, and River Hills.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Wisconsin:
- Adams
- Necedah
- Little Round Lake
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Wisconsin
- Safest Places In Wisconsin
- Worst Places To Live In Wisconsin
Best Small Towns In Wisconsin
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Bluff, WI | 1,327 | $172,174 | 1.3% | |
| 2 | Shorewood Hills, WI | 2,085 | $116,250 | 1.6% | |
| 3 | Cross Plains, WI | 4,053 | $97,843 | 0.7% | |
| 4 | Okauchee Lake, WI | 4,690 | $128,785 | 1.5% | |
| 5 | Nashotah, WI | 1,216 | $131,250 | 1.0% | |
| 6 | Sauk City, WI | 3,506 | $78,984 | 1.0% | |
| 7 | Wind Point, WI | 1,688 | $143,000 | 1.8% | |
| 8 | North Prairie, WI | 2,485 | $143,068 | 0.7% | |
| 9 | Summit, WI | 4,914 | $125,298 | 0.5% | |
| 10 | River Hills, WI | 1,530 | $200,625 | 1.4% | |
| 11 | Kohler, WI | 2,142 | $128,036 | 4.0% | |
| 12 | St. Peter, WI | 1,365 | $153,188 | 1.2% | |
| 13 | North Hudson, WI | 3,837 | $127,982 | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Bayside, WI | 4,506 | $129,348 | 4.5% | |
| 15 | Thiensville, WI | 3,279 | $85,542 | 1.1% | |
| 16 | Winneconne, WI | 2,520 | $78,792 | 1.2% | |
| 17 | Prairie Du Sac, WI | 4,392 | $81,818 | 1.4% | |
| 18 | Lodi, WI | 3,196 | $108,168 | 4.1% | |
| 19 | Merton, WI | 3,463 | $159,577 | 3.2% | |
| 20 | Wales, WI | 2,880 | $114,286 | 2.7% | |
| 21 | Dane, WI | 1,104 | $102,000 | 1.8% | |
| 22 | Prescott, WI | 4,343 | $74,195 | 1.5% | |
| 23 | Combined Locks, WI | 3,620 | $89,375 | 2.3% | |
| 24 | Cuba City, WI | 2,163 | $73,393 | 0.1% | |
| 25 | Seymour, WI | 1,356 | $84,932 | 0.9% | |
| 26 | Sherwood, WI | 3,224 | $125,156 | 1.1% | |
| 27 | Belleville, WI | 2,712 | $84,474 | 2.3% | |
| 28 | Lannon, WI | 1,351 | $75,675 | 1.6% | |
| 29 | Spring Green, WI | 1,538 | $87,813 | 1.8% | |
| 30 | Wright, WI | 3,196 | $89,196 | 1.2% | |
| 31 | Howards Grove, WI | 3,241 | $72,792 | 0.6% | |
| 32 | Browns Lake, WI | 1,831 | $120,719 | 0.0% | |
| 33 | Baldwin, WI | 4,280 | $73,594 | 1.2% | |
| 34 | Pulaski, WI | 3,861 | $65,906 | 0.0% | |
| 35 | East Troy, WI | 4,669 | $79,504 | 2.0% | |
| 36 | Brooklyn, WI | 1,375 | $97,500 | 3.7% | |
| 37 | Rochester, WI | 3,776 | $91,000 | 0.7% | |
| 38 | Ixonia, WI | 2,064 | $88,882 | 2.3% | |
| 39 | Union Grove, WI | 4,916 | $103,005 | 1.4% | |
| 40 | Lake Camelot, WI | 1,148 | $92,463 | 0.0% | |
| 41 | Lancaster, WI | 3,917 | $77,328 | 1.5% | |
| 42 | Luxemburg, WI | 2,686 | $75,061 | 1.4% | |
| 43 | Brice Prairie, WI | 1,945 | $89,013 | 1.6% | |
| 44 | Oostburg, WI | 3,066 | $81,208 | 3.5% | |
| 45 | Marathon City, WI | 1,398 | $84,550 | 2.0% | |
| 46 | Black Earth, WI | 1,694 | $65,714 | 1.7% | |
| 47 | Lake Wissota, WI | 3,001 | $126,667 | 6.3% | |
| 48 | Cambridge, WI | 1,442 | $90,385 | 1.7% | |
| 49 | Oakfield, WI | 1,218 | $100,804 | 1.6% | |
| 50 | Lake Wisconsin, WI | 4,886 | $114,241 | 1.9% | |
| 51 | Eagle, WI | 2,050 | $110,500 | 1.8% | |
| 52 | Johnson Creek, WI | 3,337 | $92,826 | 2.1% | |
| 53 | Elkhart Lake, WI | 1,170 | $82,045 | 9.1% | |
| 54 | Barneveld, WI | 1,454 | $116,563 | 1.7% | |
| 55 | Poynette, WI | 2,585 | $90,026 | 0.0% | |
| 56 | Bangor, WI | 1,317 | $72,019 | 2.0% | |
| 57 | Saukville, WI | 4,274 | $65,294 | 0.0% | |
| 58 | Omro, WI | 3,639 | $65,150 | 1.7% | |
| 59 | Deerfield, WI | 2,207 | $83,264 | 2.2% | |
| 60 | Kewaskum, WI | 4,335 | $92,500 | 5.4% | |
| 61 | Dousman, WI | 2,099 | $85,909 | 1.6% | |
| 62 | Cleveland, WI | 1,686 | $74,632 | 0.4% | |
| 63 | Hortonville, WI | 3,110 | $85,469 | 0.8% | |
| 64 | Whiting, WI | 1,538 | $69,821 | 3.5% | |
| 65 | Fall Creek, WI | 1,459 | $76,417 | 2.8% | |
| 66 | Newburg, WI | 1,306 | $68,882 | 3.5% | |
| 67 | Lake Wazeecha, WI | 2,682 | $88,505 | 2.6% | |
| 68 | Lauderdale Lakes, WI | 1,584 | $84,167 | 1.8% | |
| 69 | Tainter Lake, WI | 2,789 | $101,691 | 4.6% | |
| 70 | Dodgeville, WI | 4,994 | $68,002 | 4.1% | |
| 71 | Chilton, WI | 4,017 | $70,099 | 0.9% | |
| 72 | Fredonia, WI | 2,446 | $86,518 | 4.0% | |
| 73 | Random Lake, WI | 1,580 | $82,010 | 6.2% | |
| 74 | Cedar Grove, WI | 2,433 | $85,724 | 2.2% | |
| 75 | Spencer, WI | 1,669 | $67,411 | 0.7% | |
| 76 | Butler, WI | 1,906 | $53,051 | 3.2% | |
| 77 | Lomira, WI | 2,674 | $63,750 | 0.3% | |
| 78 | Mineral Point, WI | 2,569 | $67,656 | 1.7% | |
| 79 | Galesville, WI | 1,582 | $66,774 | 0.3% | |
| 80 | Belgium, WI | 2,573 | $71,250 | 6.0% | |
| 81 | Rosendale, WI | 1,006 | $86,364 | 3.6% | |
| 82 | Mazomanie, WI | 1,765 | $86,250 | 1.3% | |
| 83 | Powers Lake, WI | 1,381 | $102,614 | 4.9% | |
| 84 | King, WI | 1,703 | $79,167 | 2.2% | |
| 85 | Kiel, WI | 3,878 | $71,019 | 2.2% | |
| 86 | New Glarus, WI | 2,360 | $87,401 | 5.6% | |
| 87 | Delavan Lake, WI | 2,926 | $66,667 | 2.2% | |
| 88 | Roberts, WI | 1,969 | $86,466 | 0.7% | |
| 89 | Fontana-On-Geneva Lake, WI | 1,545 | $102,955 | 3.8% | |
| 90 | Seymour, WI | 3,534 | $71,074 | 3.8% | |
| 91 | Paddock Lake, WI | 2,966 | $80,625 | 2.9% | |
| 92 | Fox Lake, WI | 1,792 | $77,756 | 1.2% | |
| 93 | Denmark, WI | 2,400 | $71,750 | 1.7% | |
| 94 | Campbellsport, WI | 1,932 | $73,750 | 1.8% | |
| 95 | Kewaunee, WI | 2,819 | $64,643 | 0.3% | |
| 96 | Bloomer, WI | 3,679 | $48,398 | 2.3% | |
| 97 | Walworth, WI | 2,778 | $61,472 | 2.9% | |
| 98 | Woodville, WI | 1,537 | $76,042 | 1.4% | |
| 99 | Trempealeau, WI | 1,769 | $62,115 | 2.1% | |
| 100 | Big Bend, WI | 1,407 | $127,188 | 3.2% |