The 10 Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin For 2024


The best places to retire in Wisconsin are Two Rivers and Cedarburg for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

If you’re considering retirement and want to live in Wisconsin, don’t waste another minute.

With ice fishing just off of La Crosse’s Goose Island and the Green Bay Packers in your backyard, your can spend your retirement years in Wisconsin. Make sure the city you choose is on our list of the best places to retire in Wisconsin for 2024.

You’ll be happy that you did.

How did we determine the best places to retire in the Badger State? To identify Wisconsin’s top ten, we consulted the numbers for factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent and distance to closest national airport. We analyzed 80 cities with over 10,000 residents.

Most of Wisconsin’s biggest cities like Milwaukee and Kenosha are the nexus for retirement. Many of the state’s retirees want to live in urban areas where they don’t have to drive or mow a lawn.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin For 2024

  1. Two Rivers
  2. Cedarburg
  3. Manitowoc
  4. Cudahy
  5. Elkhorn
  6. Burlington
  7. Waupun
  8. Caledonia
  9. Marinette
  10. Superior

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 2024.

Grab a bratwurst and some booyah stew as you learn more about the top ten on our list.

Why did Two Rivers take the top spot? And where are Milwaukee and Madison?

For more Wisconsin state reading:

The 10 Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin For 2024

Two Rivers, WI

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Royalbroil at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 11,252
Median Income: $56,236
Median Home Price: $256,600
Median Rent: $744
Distance to Closest Airport: 35 miles
More on Two Rivers: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cedarburg, WI

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 12,213
Median Income: $79,610
Median Home Price: $475,448
Median Rent: $1,018
Distance to Closest Airport: 24 miles
More on Cedarburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Manitowoc, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Jonathunder | GFDL 1.2
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 34,500
Median Income: $60,040
Median Home Price: $199,459
Median Rent: $743
Distance to Closest Airport: 34 miles
More on Manitowoc: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cudahy, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Sulfur at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 18,087
Median Income: $66,592
Median Home Price: $248,599
Median Rent: $949
Distance to Closest Airport: 1 miles
More on Cudahy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Elkhorn, WI

Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 10,253
Median Income: $72,958
Median Home Price: $310,154
Median Rent: $951
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Elkhorn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Burlington, WI

Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 11,000
Median Income: $80,529
Median Home Price: $305,324
Median Rent: $939
Distance to Closest Airport: 26 miles
More on Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Waupun, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Royalbroil | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 11,109
Median Income: $66,033
Median Home Price: $216,145
Median Rent: $797
Distance to Closest Airport: 63 miles
More on Waupun: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Caledonia, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Royalbroil – | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 25,277
Median Income: $90,346
Median Home Price: $327,335
Median Rent: $982
Distance to Closest Airport: 10 miles
More on Caledonia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Marinette, WI

Source: Wikipedia User User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 11,065
Median Income: $54,969
Median Home Price: $166,215
Median Rent: $751
Distance to Closest Airport: 48 miles
More on Marinette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Superior, WI

Source: Wikipedia User Bobak Ha’Eri | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 26,562
Median Income: $54,935
Median Home Price: $198,624
Median Rent: $817
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Superior: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Badger State for 2024

To create our ranking of the best places in Wisconsin to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed 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 80 places from across the state.

For these 80, 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 criterion from one to 80, 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 career.

The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Wisconsin.

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.

The best places to retire in Wisconsin are Two Rivers, Cedarburg, Manitowoc, Cudahy, Elkhorn, Burlington, Waupun, Caledonia, Marinette, and Superior.

If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:

  1. Madison
  2. Fitchburg
  3. Onalaska

For more Wisconsin reading, check out:

Best Places To Retire In Wisconsin

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Prices Median Rent
1 Two Rivers 11,252 $56,236 $256,600 $744
2 Cedarburg 12,213 $79,610 $475,448 $1,018
3 Manitowoc 34,500 $60,040 $199,459 $743
4 Cudahy 18,087 $66,592 $248,599 $949
5 Elkhorn 10,253 $72,958 $310,154 $951
6 Burlington 11,000 $80,529 $305,324 $939
7 Waupun 11,109 $66,033 $216,145 $797
8 Caledonia 25,277 $90,346 $327,335 $982
9 Marinette 11,065 $54,969 $166,215 $751
10 Superior 26,562 $54,935 $198,624 $817
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.