You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Wisconsin. Best sururbs in Wisconsin. Best counties in Wisconsin.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Badger State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Wisconsin based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Wisconsin ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Wisconsin For 2025
- Maple Bluff
- Shorewood Hills
- Cross Plains
- Nashotah
- Wind Point
- Okauchee Lake
- North Prairie
- Bayside
- Summit
- Kohler
- Wright
- North Hudson
- Thiensville
- Dane
- Winneconne
What’s the best small town in Wisconsin? Maple Bluff is the best small town in Wisconsin based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Maple Bluff, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Badger State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Dangerous Cities In Wisconsin
The 15 Best Small Towns In Wisconsin For 2025
1. Maple Bluff
/10
Population: 1,319
Median Income: $180,972 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $838,800 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
2. Shorewood Hills
/10
Population: 2,067
Median Income: $129,688 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $913,200 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
3. Cross Plains
/10
Population: 4,059
Median Income: $103,389 (29th Best)
Median Home Value: $347,400 (19th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
4. Nashotah
/10
Population: 1,272
Median Income: $143,750 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $449,400 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
5. Wind Point
/10
Population: 1,632
Median Income: $134,375 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $295,000 (33rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
6. Okauchee Lake
/10
Population: 4,827
Median Income: $129,241 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $473,600 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
7. North Prairie
/10
Population: 2,514
Median Income: $148,780 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $396,800 (12th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
8. Bayside
/10
Population: 4,398
Median Income: $144,500 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $419,400 (10th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
9. Summit
/10
Population: 4,997
Median Income: $124,750 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $510,200 (7th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
10. Kohler
/10
Population: 2,136
Median Income: $135,688 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $369,300 (16th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
11. Wright
/10
Population: 3,330
Median Income: $100,769 (31st Best)
Median Home Value: $274,800 (49th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
12. North Hudson
/10
Population: 3,848
Median Income: $114,539 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $372,900 (14th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
13. Thiensville
/10
Population: 3,277
Median Income: $93,208 (40th Best)
Median Home Value: $342,800 (20th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
14. Dane
/10
Population: 1,039
Median Income: $110,769 (21st Best)
Median Home Value: $334,800 (25th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
15. Winneconne
/10
Population: 2,519
Median Income: $85,980 (63rd Best)
Median Home Value: $196,900 (113th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Wisconsin
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Wisconsin possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 235 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 235, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Wisconsin. Top of that list — Maple Bluff.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Wisconsin.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Wisconsin are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Wisconsin are Maple Bluff, Shorewood Hills, Cross Plains, Nashotah, Wind Point, Okauchee Lake, North Prairie, Bayside, Summit, and Kohler.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Wisconsin:
- Adams
- Necedah
- Boyceville
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Wisconsin
- Safest Places In Wisconsin
- Worst Places To Live In Wisconsin
Best Small Towns In Wisconsin
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Bluff, WI | 1,319 | $180,972 | 2.2% | |
| 2 | Shorewood Hills, WI | 2,067 | $129,688 | 2.5% | |
| 3 | Cross Plains, WI | 4,059 | $103,389 | 0.7% | |
| 4 | Nashotah, WI | 1,272 | $143,750 | 0.7% | |
| 5 | Wind Point, WI | 1,632 | $134,375 | 0.7% | |
| 6 | Okauchee Lake, WI | 4,827 | $129,241 | 1.3% | |
| 7 | North Prairie, WI | 2,514 | $148,780 | 0.6% | |
| 8 | Bayside, WI | 4,398 | $144,500 | 3.0% | |
| 9 | Summit, WI | 4,997 | $124,750 | 0.0% | |
| 10 | Kohler, WI | 2,136 | $135,688 | 3.7% | |
| 11 | Wright, WI | 3,330 | $100,769 | 1.0% | |
| 12 | North Hudson, WI | 3,848 | $114,539 | 2.1% | |
| 13 | Thiensville, WI | 3,277 | $93,208 | 1.5% | |
| 14 | Dane, WI | 1,039 | $110,769 | 0.6% | |
| 15 | Winneconne, WI | 2,519 | $85,980 | 1.0% | |
| 16 | Sauk City, WI | 3,500 | $82,813 | 2.0% | |
| 17 | Wales, WI | 2,915 | $110,804 | 1.5% | |
| 18 | River Hills, WI | 1,639 | $198,750 | 1.2% | |
| 19 | Merton, WI | 3,495 | $168,661 | 2.7% | |
| 20 | Butte Des Morts, WI | 1,053 | $121,111 | 2.6% | |
| 21 | Prairie Du Sac, WI | 4,385 | $92,672 | 1.4% | |
| 22 | Prescott, WI | 4,376 | $82,730 | 2.0% | |
| 23 | Lodi, WI | 3,206 | $109,821 | 3.6% | |
| 24 | Baldwin, WI | 4,313 | $76,675 | 0.3% | |
| 25 | Oakfield, WI | 1,219 | $100,417 | 1.0% | |
| 26 | Combined Locks, WI | 3,633 | $89,310 | 2.3% | |
| 27 | Belleville, WI | 2,628 | $88,393 | 2.1% | |
| 28 | Johnson Creek, WI | 3,367 | $94,552 | 1.0% | |
| 29 | Deerfield, WI | 2,489 | $88,424 | 1.3% | |
| 30 | Sherwood, WI | 3,231 | $114,205 | 0.8% | |
| 31 | St. Peter, WI | 1,403 | $153,400 | 1.1% | |
| 32 | Lancaster, WI | 3,916 | $80,625 | 2.0% | |
| 33 | Oostburg, WI | 3,077 | $87,276 | 2.8% | |
| 34 | Seymour, WI | 1,547 | $92,614 | 0.8% | |
| 35 | Lake Wissota, WI | 3,103 | $101,445 | 6.9% | |
| 36 | Dousman, WI | 2,043 | $87,011 | 1.3% | |
| 37 | Ixonia, WI | 2,470 | $110,000 | 1.7% | |
| 38 | Marathon City, WI | 1,397 | $90,000 | 1.8% | |
| 39 | Cedar Grove, WI | 2,430 | $87,500 | 1.4% | |
| 40 | Union Grove, WI | 4,968 | $94,621 | 1.2% | |
| 41 | Lake Camelot, WI | 1,197 | $96,023 | 0.0% | |
| 42 | Elkhart Lake, WI | 1,097 | $86,071 | 10.1% | |
| 43 | Eagle, WI | 2,016 | $109,545 | 1.4% | |
| 44 | Brooklyn, WI | 1,457 | $100,357 | 3.3% | |
| 45 | Spring Green, WI | 1,499 | $89,375 | 2.9% | |
| 46 | Lannon, WI | 1,475 | $79,191 | 1.5% | |
| 47 | Barneveld, WI | 1,485 | $112,375 | 2.1% | |
| 48 | Cuba City, WI | 2,094 | $72,434 | 0.3% | |
| 49 | Pulaski, WI | 3,892 | $66,399 | 1.2% | |
| 50 | Whiting, WI | 1,496 | $72,257 | 2.3% | |
| 51 | Cambridge, WI | 1,507 | $93,424 | 2.2% | |
| 52 | Random Lake, WI | 1,494 | $87,370 | 3.4% | |
| 53 | Bangor, WI | 1,409 | $74,271 | 2.0% | |
| 54 | Brice Prairie, WI | 1,858 | $90,795 | 1.6% | |
| 55 | Luxemburg, WI | 2,722 | $73,056 | 1.4% | |
| 56 | Black Earth, WI | 1,724 | $72,667 | 3.8% | |
| 57 | Howards Grove, WI | 3,245 | $72,348 | 1.9% | |
| 58 | King, WI | 1,474 | $72,500 | 0.0% | |
| 59 | Cleveland, WI | 1,655 | $75,000 | 0.7% | |
| 60 | Rochester, WI | 3,780 | $104,429 | 1.5% | |
| 61 | Fredonia, WI | 2,382 | $86,442 | 3.8% | |
| 62 | Newburg, WI | 1,285 | $71,786 | 3.5% | |
| 63 | New Holstein, WI | 3,104 | $61,086 | 0.7% | |
| 64 | Bohners Lake, WI | 2,138 | $77,021 | 2.4% | |
| 65 | Denmark, WI | 2,472 | $72,083 | 1.3% | |
| 66 | Big Bend, WI | 1,311 | $136,042 | 1.6% | |
| 67 | Hortonville, WI | 3,180 | $90,446 | 1.3% | |
| 68 | New Glarus, WI | 2,276 | $98,224 | 5.7% | |
| 69 | Eagle Lake, WI | 1,019 | $87,244 | 3.0% | |
| 70 | Saukville, WI | 4,268 | $79,148 | 2.6% | |
| 71 | Mineral Point, WI | 2,575 | $78,958 | 1.6% | |
| 72 | Viroqua, WI | 4,469 | $66,039 | 4.0% | |
| 73 | Paddock Lake, WI | 2,965 | $88,438 | 2.6% | |
| 74 | Omro, WI | 3,639 | $67,426 | 1.9% | |
| 75 | Tainter Lake, WI | 2,753 | $96,250 | 4.2% | |
| 76 | Browns Lake, WI | 1,766 | $105,662 | 0.0% | |
| 77 | Mazomanie, WI | 1,705 | $86,750 | 0.3% | |
| 78 | Galesville, WI | 1,740 | $69,007 | 0.0% | |
| 79 | Lauderdale Lakes, WI | 1,337 | $83,698 | 2.0% | |
| 80 | Chilton, WI | 3,987 | $77,935 | 0.9% | |
| 81 | Spencer, WI | 1,621 | $74,245 | 0.0% | |
| 82 | Amery, WI | 2,959 | $71,290 | 0.9% | |
| 83 | East Troy, WI | 4,689 | $77,698 | 3.3% | |
| 84 | Brillion, WI | 3,307 | $67,122 | 1.2% | |
| 85 | Powers Lake, WI | 1,378 | $113,875 | 3.6% | |
| 86 | Kiel, WI | 3,919 | $73,914 | 2.3% | |
| 87 | Lake Wazeecha, WI | 2,722 | $90,074 | 3.2% | |
| 88 | Bloomer, WI | 3,691 | $55,595 | 2.0% | |
| 89 | Kewaskum, WI | 4,367 | $103,472 | 5.9% | |
| 90 | Kewaunee, WI | 2,824 | $79,565 | 0.3% | |
| 91 | Seymour, WI | 3,532 | $80,787 | 4.2% | |
| 92 | Belgium, WI | 2,648 | $79,271 | 5.7% | |
| 93 | Poynette, WI | 2,583 | $78,950 | 0.0% | |
| 94 | Medford, WI | 4,331 | $53,173 | 2.1% | |
| 95 | Fontana-On-Geneva Lake, WI | 1,633 | $104,583 | 3.5% | |
| 96 | Delavan Lake, WI | 2,728 | $71,042 | 1.5% | |
| 97 | Washburn, WI | 1,858 | $60,288 | 1.9% | |
| 98 | Fall Creek, WI | 1,502 | $82,250 | 3.0% | |
| 99 | Shell Lake, WI | 1,513 | $56,875 | 1.2% | |
| 100 | Orfordville, WI | 1,567 | $77,500 | 2.7% |