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If you live in Wisconsin and need to think about retirement now, don't waste another minute, read this.
Yes, if ice fishing just off of La Crosse's Goose Island and cheering on the Green Bay Packers with other loyal Cheeseheads is on your bucket list, then look no further than HomeSnacks' list of the best places to retire in Wisconsin for 2023. You'll be happy that you did.
But first, how did we determine the best places to retire in the Badger State? Well, we know that when people are searching for the best places to retire, they are also looking for things like convenience, affordable healthcare, and an economy that protects their bottom line. So, to identify Wisconsin's top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 78 cities. We looked at important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent and distance to closest national airport for every place with over 10,000 residents.
And if you guessed that most of Wisconsin's best places to retire are centered around the state's biggest cities like Milwaukee and Kenosha, you guessed right. Many of the state's retirees want to live in urban areas where they don't have to drive and they don't have to mow a lawn.
So, want to know where Wisconsin's best places to retire are located? Keep reading
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin For 2023
Why did Two Rivers take the top spot? And where are Milwaukee and Madison?
When you choose to live in one of Wisconsin's best places to retire, you are choosing to live where your dollar will go the furthest, where you will have the most fun, and where your safety is a priority. Yes, it's not lost on us that many of Wisconsin's best places to retire are also the state's safest.
So, where is the best place to retire in Wisconsin? According to the latest data, Two Rivers is the best place to retire in Wisconsin for 2023.
To see how your favorite places in Wisconsin compared, take a look at the list below; and if you don't see it there, head to the bottom.
For more Wisconsin state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Wisconsin
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin For 2023
/10
Population: 11,276
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Rent: $694
Distance to Closest Airport: 35 miles
More on Two Rivers: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,109
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Rent: $913
Distance to Closest Airport: 24 miles
More on Cedarburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 18,197
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $858
Distance to Closest Airport: 1 miles
More on Cudahy: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 34,267
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $690
Distance to Closest Airport: 34 miles
More on Manitowoc: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,668
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 5)
Median Rent: $793
Distance to Closest Airport: 91 miles
More on Monroe: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,971
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)
Median Rent: $860
Distance to Closest Airport: 26 miles
More on Burlington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,494
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 4)
Median Rent: $705
Distance to Closest Airport: 63 miles
More on Waupun: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,529
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 8)
Median Rent: $904
Distance to Closest Airport: 47 miles
More on Fort Atkinson: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 18,157
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $749
Distance to Closest Airport: 23 miles
More on Menasha: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 24,814
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $2,050
Distance to Closest Airport: 19 miles
More on Mequon: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Badger State for 2023
To create our list of the best places in Wisconsin to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Badger State -- 773 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 78 places from across the state.
For these 78, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criteria from one to 78, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Two Rivers, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Summary: Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Wisconsin Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Wisconsin goes to Two Rivers.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Fitchburg
- Madison
- Onalaska
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two Rivers | 11,276 |
| 2 | Cedarburg | 12,109 |
| 3 | Cudahy | 18,197 |
| 4 | Manitowoc | 34,267 |
| 5 | Monroe | 10,668 |
| 6 | Burlington | 10,971 |
| 7 | Waupun | 11,494 |
| 8 | Fort Atkinson | 12,529 |
| 9 | Menasha | 18,157 |
| 10 | Mequon | 24,814 |
