The 10 Best Counties To Live In Wisconsin For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which counties in Wisconsin have the most for people looking to make the move to Wisconsin.

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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.

So, 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.

After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Badger State for 2022.

Ozaukee County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Wisconsin. And you might want to avoid Menominee County if you can — at least according to the data.

So if you’re thinking of making the move Wisconsin, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.

Or, check out the best places to live in Wisconsin and the cheapest places to live in Wisconsin.

The Best Counties To Live In Wisconsin For 2022

1. Ozaukee County

Belgium, WI

Biggest Place: Mequon

Population: 89,179
Median Income: $84,394.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $292,200.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (2best)
More on Ozaukee County: PhotosData

2. Iowa County

Dodgeville, WI

Biggest Place: Dodgeville

Population: 23,632
Median Income: $68,714.0 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $194,600.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (5th best)
More on Iowa County: PhotosData

3. Kewaunee County

Algoma, WI

Biggest Place: Algoma

Population: 20,398
Median Income: $68,474.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $166,900.0 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (3rd best)
More on Kewaunee County: PhotosData

4. Calumet County

Appleton, WI

Biggest Place: Appleton

Population: 50,005
Median Income: $76,065.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $189,700.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (8th best)
More on Calumet County: PhotosData

5. Washington County

Hartford, WI

Biggest Place: Milwaukee

Population: 135,529
Median Income: $80,839.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $248,000.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (25th best)
More on Washington County: PhotosData

6. St. Croix County

Baldwin, WI

Biggest Place: River Falls

Population: 89,702
Median Income: $84,985.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $264,100.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (4th best)
More on St. Croix County: PhotosData

7. Pierce County

Ellsworth, WI

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: River Falls

Population: 42,336
Median Income: $73,873.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $224,900.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (32nd best)
More on Pierce County: PhotosData

8. Door County

Sturgeon Bay, WI

Biggest Place: Sturgeon Bay

Population: 27,621
Median Income: $61,765.0 (26th best)
Median Home Price: $223,200.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (42nd best)
More on Door County: PhotosData

9. Waukesha County

Brookfield, WI

Biggest Place: Waukesha

Population: 402,637
Median Income: $88,985.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $293,500.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (3best)
More on Waukesha County: PhotosData

10. Outagamie County

Appleton, WI

Biggest Place: Appleton

Population: 186,829
Median Income: $68,441.0 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $176,900.0 (25th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (33rd best)
More on Outagamie County: PhotosData

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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.

With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Badger State.

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 2018

It turns out living in Wisconsin can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?

But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.

Here’s a look at the worst counties in Wisconsin according to the data:

  1. Menominee County
  2. Milwaukee County
  3. Ashland County

For more Wisconsin reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Wisconsin

County Rank Population Median Income Median Home Price
Ozaukee County 1 89,179 $84,394.0 $292,200.0
Iowa County 2 23,632 $68,714.0 $194,600.0
Kewaunee County 3 20,398 $68,474.0 $166,900.0
Calumet County 4 50,005 $76,065.0 $189,700.0
Washington County 5 135,529 $80,839.0 $248,000.0
St. Croix County 6 89,702 $84,985.0 $264,100.0
Pierce County 7 42,336 $73,873.0 $224,900.0
Door County 8 27,621 $61,765.0 $223,200.0
Waukesha County 9 402,637 $88,985.0 $293,500.0
Outagamie County 10 186,829 $68,441.0 $176,900.0
Columbia County 11 57,331 $69,262.0 $202,000.0
Dane County 12 542,459 $75,179.0 $277,000.0
Jefferson County 13 84,837 $67,167.0 $194,300.0
Green County 14 36,790 $66,212.0 $177,000.0
Dodge County 15 87,569 $62,591.0 $169,000.0
Sheboygan County 16 115,152 $62,101.0 $165,400.0
Brown County 17 262,559 $64,728.0 $181,300.0
Oconto County 18 37,870 $64,528.0 $162,400.0
Trempealeau County 19 29,525 $59,606.0 $161,500.0
Marathon County 20 135,485 $63,029.0 $161,500.0
Fond Du Lac County 21 102,654 $64,147.0 $162,600.0
Portage County 22 70,822 $60,316.0 $178,600.0
Buffalo County 23 13,087 $58,364.0 $164,100.0
Lafayette County 24 16,682 $61,070.0 $143,600.0
Manitowoc County 25 78,977 $58,464.0 $133,200.0
Chippewa County 26 64,175 $61,215.0 $180,000.0
Oneida County 27 35,480 $58,156.0 $179,000.0
Lincoln County 28 27,687 $59,183.0 $141,700.0
Walworth County 29 103,391 $66,034.0 $212,900.0
La Crosse County 30 118,168 $60,307.0 $184,500.0
Waupaca County 31 50,997 $60,106.0 $154,000.0
Winnebago County 32 170,924 $59,947.0 $158,400.0
Pepin County 33 7,261 $58,750.0 $151,200.0
Sauk County 34 64,152 $62,808.0 $185,000.0
Monroe County 35 46,155 $60,595.0 $157,600.0
Marquette County 36 15,380 $53,293.0 $156,500.0
Wood County 37 72,892 $55,684.0 $133,700.0
Eau Claire County 38 104,132 $62,508.0 $180,000.0
Polk County 39 43,549 $61,814.0 $177,100.0
Green Lake County 40 18,807 $57,339.0 $149,600.0
Racine County 41 195,859 $62,556.0 $187,700.0
Bayfield County 42 15,088 $57,257.0 $176,900.0
Vilas County 43 21,923 $50,039.0 $212,700.0
Iron County 44 5,679 $45,588.0 $130,100.0
Kenosha County 45 168,998 $66,595.0 $188,400.0
Dunn County 46 45,029 $59,588.0 $172,500.0
Douglas County 47 43,497 $56,855.0 $149,100.0
Richland County 48 17,408 $52,052.0 $141,800.0
Price County 49 13,351 $49,749.0 $119,800.0
Vernon County 50 30,759 $54,549.0 $161,900.0
Shawano County 51 40,813 $57,322.0 $141,300.0
Washburn County 52 15,726 $51,711.0 $163,300.0
Crawford County 53 16,155 $51,218.0 $136,600.0
Taylor County 54 20,320 $52,860.0 $145,800.0
Clark County 55 34,668 $54,463.0 $128,200.0
Grant County 56 51,570 $54,144.0 $151,600.0
Rock County 57 162,532 $59,519.0 $156,800.0
Sawyer County 58 16,477 $52,022.0 $174,000.0
Marinette County 59 40,312 $52,385.0 $125,600.0
Rusk County 60 14,074 $48,961.0 $111,900.0
Burnett County 61 15,363 $53,555.0 $163,200.0
Barron County 62 45,182 $52,346.0 $159,300.0
Waushara County 63 24,256 $54,320.0 $149,300.0
Jackson County 64 20,556 $55,228.0 $143,600.0
Florence County 65 4,312 $50,821.0 $130,700.0
Juneau County 66 26,603 $53,928.0 $131,100.0
Forest County 67 9,003 $48,394.0 $131,600.0
Adams County 68 20,208 $48,906.0 $140,000.0
Langlade County 69 19,167 $52,074.0 $113,600.0
Ashland County 70 15,524 $47,869.0 $115,300.0
Milwaukee County 71 949,180 $52,260.0 $164,200.0
Menominee County 72 4,566 $47,188.0 $105,900.0
Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best counties to live in Wisconsin.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.