Wisconsin
These 14 cities are the best places to live in Wisconsin, report says
Check out the frozen Lake Michigan lakefront in Milwaukee from a drone
The recent deep freeze has left the shoreline and banks of Lake Michigan around Milwaukee beautifully frozen in a picturesque display.
What makes a good place to live?
Maybe it’s affordable housing and a strong local economy, or access to quality schools and health care, or even healthy air quality and a low chance of extreme weather.
These were all among the metrics U.S. News & World Report measured in its latest ranking of the best places to live in the United States. Of the 250 cities named in the list, 14 in Wisconsin made the cut.
U.S. News & World Report named Eau Claire the top Wisconsin city to live in and the 49th-best city overall. Appleton wasn’t far behind, ranking as the 53rd-best place nationwide. Milwaukee, meanwhile, placed at the bottom of the list of Wisconsin cities.
Here’s what else to know about the rankings:
Here are the best places to live in Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report
These 14 cities are the best places to live in Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report:
- Eau Claire
- Appleton
- Waukesha
- Oshkosh
- Wausau
- Green Bay
- Sheboygan
- Janesville
- Kenosha
- La Crosse
- Madison
- Fond du Lac
- Racine
- Milwaukee
What makes Eau Claire one of the best places to live?
Eau Claire’s low cost of living and its strong job market earned it the top spot among Wisconsin cities.
The median home value in Eau Claire is $260,971, compared to the national average of $370,489, according to the study. Most data in the report was from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
As of 2023, the city’s unemployment rate of 3.6% was nearly a full percentage point below the national rate. Eau Claire’s job market index – based on local unemployment and average household income – was also better than other similarly sized metro areas, the report said.
As for Eau Claire’s population, the report found residents’ ages were fairly evenly distributed across age groups. The under-20 group made up the largest proportion of the population, accounting for 23% of the approximately 72,000 residents.
The average commute time in Eau Claire is just over 13 minutes, or eight minutes lower than the national average, the study found. Nearly 84% of Eau Claire commuters drive to work, and under 5% walk, ride a bike or use public transportation.
What did the report have to say about Milwaukee?
Milwaukee residents may take issue with the city’s placement on the list, but U.S. News & World Report still ranked it among the best places to live nationally.
Like Eau Claire, the report found Milwaukee offers a lower cost of living than most similarly sized cities. The city’s median home value is $197,153, and its median household income is $53,370. Median rent is $900.
Milwaukee’s population skews younger, with under-20 residents making up 28% of the population; 20- to 24-year-olds making up 8%; 25- to 34-year-olds making up 17%; 45- to 64-year-olds making up 21%; and residents over 65 making up 12%.
The city’s median age is 31.7, and just over 26% of residents are married, the report said.
10 best places to live in the US, according to U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report ranked these 10 cities as the best places to live in the country:
- Johns Creek, Georgia
- Carmel, Indiana
- Pearland, Texas
- Fishers, Indiana
- Cary, North Carolina
- League City, Texas
- Apex, North Carolina
- Leander, Texas
- Rochester Hills, Michigan
- Troy, Michigan
Wisconsin
Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards
Wisconsin
Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?
With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.
We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.
There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.
Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)
Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).
Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).
Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).
Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).
Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).
Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).
Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).
Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).
Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).
Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).
Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).
Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).
Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).
Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).
Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).
Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).
Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).
Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).
Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).
Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).
About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com
Wisconsin
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