Best places to live: Where Milwaukee ranks in 2024 report of US cities
MILWAUKEE - A new report picked 150 major U.S. cities – including three in Wisconsin – to determine where the best places to live are in 2024-2025.
The U.S. News & World Report released its findings on Tuesday, May 21. The report looked at things like quality of life, job markets and a "desirability index" to rank the 150 cities.
Naples, Florida took the top spot, while San Juan, Puerto Rico ranked last. Here's how Wisconsin cities performed.
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No. 12: Green Bay
U.S. News & World Report ranked Green Bay as the top major city in Wisconsin. It received an overall score of 6.7 with high marks for value. The report highlighted the Green Bay Packers and a "mix of big-city amenities complemented with a Midwestern, small-town feel."
Lambeau Field in Green Bay
No. 14: Madison
Wisconsin's capital came in just behind Green Bay in the U.S. News and World Report study. It ranked higher than Green Bay in terms of quality of life, but lower for value. Madison's business and education opportunities garnered attention in the report, which lauded the city as a "hotbed of the health care, information technology and manufacturing industries."
Madison skyline
No. 112: Milwaukee
Milwaukee ranked last among Wisconsin cities included in the report, but ahead of other big Midwest cities – including Chicago and Detroit. U.S. News & World Report highlighted historic architecture mixed with new construction and a "relatively low cost of living." Summerfest got a shutout, as did the city's "bustling nightlife, award-winning restaurants, lakefront museums, and a thriving music and arts scene."
Opening day of Summerfest 2023
In Wisconsin, neighboring states
- No. 12: Green Bay
- No. 14: Madison
- No. 19: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- No, 43: Davenport, Iowa
- No. 45: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- No. 55: Des Moines, Iowa
- No. 82: Peoria, Illinois
- No. 90: Kalamazoo, Michigan
- No. 94: Minneapolis
- No. 104: Lansing, Michigan
- No. 105: Rockford, Illinois
- No. 112: Milwaukee
- No. 119: Chicago
- No. 146: Flint, Michigan
- No. 149: Detroit
Visit the U.S. News & World Report website for the full list and methodology.