Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Wisconsin a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Wisconsin.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Badger State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Wisconsin, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 72 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Wisconsin For 2025
- Ozaukee County
- Waukesha County
- St. Croix County
- Washington County
- Calumet County
- Pierce County
- Kewaunee County
- Iowa County
- Dane County
- Outagamie County
Ozaukee County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Wisconsin. And you should avoid Menominee County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Wisconsin. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Wisconsin and the cheapest places to live in Wisconsin.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Wisconsin For 2025
1. Ozaukee County
Biggest Place: Mequon
Population: 92,345
Median Income: $96,734 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $368,900 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (12th best)
More on Ozaukee County:
2. Waukesha County
Biggest Place: Waukesha
Population: 409,040
Median Income: $104,100 (best)
Median Home Price: $373,600 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (14th best)
More on Waukesha County:
3. St. Croix County
Biggest Place: River Falls
Population: 94,819
Median Income: $102,482 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $349,700 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (2nd best)
More on St. Croix County:
4. Washington County
Biggest Place: Milwaukee
Population: 137,320
Median Income: $95,851 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $316,200 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (17th best)
More on Washington County:
5. Calumet County
Biggest Place: Appleton
Population: 52,626
Median Income: $87,700 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $252,100 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (6th best)
More on Calumet County:
6. Pierce County
Biggest Place: River Falls
Population: 42,351
Median Income: $88,802 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $308,600 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (30th best)
More on Pierce County:
7. Kewaunee County
Biggest Place: Algoma
Population: 20,621
Median Income: $80,085 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $208,900 (37th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.6% (best)
More on Kewaunee County:
8. Iowa County
Biggest Place: Dodgeville
Population: 23,832
Median Income: $83,372 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $248,100 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (4best)
More on Iowa County:
9. Dane County
Biggest Place: Madison
Population: 564,777
Median Income: $88,108 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $366,100 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (11th best)
More on Dane County:
10. Outagamie County
Biggest Place: Appleton
Population: 191,537
Median Income: $82,857 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $244,100 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (28th best)
More on Outagamie County:
Methodology: How do you determine which Wisconsin county is the best?
To give you the best county in Wisconsin, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Wisconsin across each of the criteria from one to 72, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Wisconsin.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Badger State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Wisconsin.
Read on to see why Ozaukee County is the best county, while Menominee County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Wisconsin.
Summary: The Best Counties In Wisconsin To Call Home For 2025
Living in Wisconsin can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Wisconsin are Ozaukee County, Waukesha County, St. Croix County, Washington County, Calumet County, Pierce County, Kewaunee County, Iowa County, Dane County, and Outagamie County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Wisconsin according to the data:
- Menominee County
- Forest County
- Rusk County
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Wisconsin
- Richest Cities In Wisconsin
- Best Places To Buy A House In Wisconsin
- Safest Places In Wisconsin
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Wisconsin
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ozaukee County | 92,345 | $96,734 | $368,900 |
| 2 | Waukesha County | 409,040 | $104,100 | $373,600 |
| 3 | St. Croix County | 94,819 | $102,482 | $349,700 |
| 4 | Washington County | 137,320 | $95,851 | $316,200 |
| 5 | Calumet County | 52,626 | $87,700 | $252,100 |
| 6 | Pierce County | 42,351 | $88,802 | $308,600 |
| 7 | Kewaunee County | 20,621 | $80,085 | $208,900 |
| 8 | Iowa County | 23,832 | $83,372 | $248,100 |
| 9 | Dane County | 564,777 | $88,108 | $366,100 |
| 10 | Outagamie County | 191,537 | $82,857 | $244,100 |
| 11 | Columbia County | 58,322 | $82,792 | $258,700 |
| 12 | Oconto County | 39,329 | $75,886 | $212,000 |
| 13 | Oneida County | 38,007 | $69,621 | $227,500 |
| 14 | Door County | 30,279 | $71,785 | $305,800 |
| 15 | Jefferson County | 85,867 | $80,604 | $253,800 |
| 16 | Green County | 37,036 | $80,248 | $236,900 |
| 17 | Sheboygan County | 117,783 | $71,898 | $218,400 |
| 18 | Sauk County | 65,759 | $77,648 | $242,400 |
| 19 | Chippewa County | 66,558 | $74,009 | $237,700 |
| 20 | Brown County | 269,425 | $77,490 | $245,900 |
| 21 | La Crosse County | 120,262 | $70,704 | $243,200 |
| 22 | Fond Du Lac County | 104,053 | $73,154 | $209,800 |
| 23 | Pepin County | 7,372 | $74,536 | $196,100 |
| 24 | Winnebago County | 171,357 | $72,873 | $208,600 |
| 25 | Portage County | 70,375 | $73,284 | $230,400 |
| 26 | Polk County | 45,327 | $76,208 | $241,200 |
| 27 | Marathon County | 138,067 | $76,185 | $205,500 |
| 28 | Dodge County | 88,818 | $73,992 | $218,400 |
| 29 | Bayfield County | 16,410 | $69,609 | $228,100 |
| 30 | Walworth County | 105,447 | $77,359 | $275,900 |
| 31 | Eau Claire County | 106,328 | $71,834 | $242,400 |
| 32 | Douglas County | 44,197 | $72,579 | $190,400 |
| 33 | Buffalo County | 13,341 | $68,722 | $197,600 |
| 34 | Trempealeau County | 30,786 | $71,295 | $203,300 |
| 35 | Manitowoc County | 81,314 | $68,611 | $172,900 |
| 36 | Vilas County | 23,410 | $67,132 | $270,700 |
| 37 | Rock County | 163,944 | $74,390 | $215,900 |
| 38 | Dunn County | 45,349 | $71,785 | $226,200 |
| 39 | Racine County | 196,888 | $75,331 | $239,400 |
| 40 | Kenosha County | 168,413 | $79,412 | $247,800 |
| 41 | Wood County | 74,039 | $66,417 | $168,100 |
| 42 | Lincoln County | 28,403 | $67,726 | $177,700 |
| 43 | Waupaca County | 51,714 | $71,189 | $192,800 |
| 44 | Iron County | 6,164 | $59,058 | $155,200 |
| 45 | Lafayette County | 16,788 | $72,091 | $182,100 |
| 46 | Marquette County | 15,706 | $63,471 | $201,100 |
| 47 | Barron County | 46,741 | $64,619 | $198,300 |
| 48 | Marinette County | 41,907 | $63,401 | $154,600 |
| 49 | Washburn County | 16,749 | $61,270 | $207,900 |
| 50 | Taylor County | 19,972 | $63,142 | $186,500 |
| 51 | Shawano County | 40,927 | $67,032 | $179,100 |
| 52 | Price County | 14,077 | $58,720 | $146,000 |
| 53 | Green Lake County | 19,165 | $66,917 | $206,300 |
| 54 | Grant County | 51,678 | $64,349 | $186,300 |
| 55 | Monroe County | 46,169 | $68,213 | $197,200 |
| 56 | Vernon County | 30,915 | $69,556 | $210,600 |
| 57 | Crawford County | 16,064 | $63,496 | $175,100 |
| 58 | Florence County | 4,617 | $62,786 | $170,000 |
| 59 | Burnett County | 16,741 | $61,664 | $215,500 |
| 60 | Sawyer County | 18,243 | $59,055 | $223,300 |
| 61 | Ashland County | 16,050 | $57,645 | $160,500 |
| 62 | Milwaukee County | 927,656 | $62,118 | $216,500 |
| 63 | Jackson County | 20,971 | $65,508 | $186,900 |
| 64 | Langlade County | 19,473 | $57,258 | $145,800 |
| 65 | Richland County | 17,229 | $62,649 | $182,800 |
| 66 | Waushara County | 24,752 | $64,968 | $186,000 |
| 67 | Clark County | 34,736 | $66,250 | $163,800 |
| 68 | Adams County | 20,928 | $59,153 | $184,500 |
| 69 | Juneau County | 26,695 | $65,150 | $165,200 |
| 70 | Rusk County | 14,146 | $58,322 | $152,000 |
| 71 | Forest County | 9,261 | $59,727 | $170,000 |
| 72 | Menominee County | 4,256 | $59,528 | $97,000 |