When you think of Wisconsin, you don’t exactly think of thrills. Cheese, absolutely. The Packers, sure. You might even think of some really beautiful scenery. But hardcore adrenaline junkies probably aren’t clamoring to move to this state. Still, there are some sports that are simply more boring than others.
Where were these boring places? The
Movoto Real Estate Blog decided to find out. We looked around, nibbled some cheese, and tried desperately to stay awake as we compiled a sleepy list of some truly boring spots. Those dismally dull places were:
1.
Village of Mount Pleasant
2.
Village of Caledonia
3.
City of Greenfield
4.
City of Sun Prairie
5.
City of Oak Creek
6.
City of Franklin
7.
City of Neenah
8.
City of New Berlin
9.
City of West Allis
10.
City of Watertown
Most of these are admittedly pretty small spots, but we weren’t picking on them unfairly. In fact, we went completely by the numbers with this one.
But what numbers could possibly define boredom? We’ll tell you in the next section, and if you’re curious where your hometown ranked, you can scroll to the end to see the entire list.
How We Created This Ranking
To start, we made a list of the most populated places in the state with over 20,000 people. Then, we collected data from sources including the 2010 U.S. Census (2010) and business listings to measure eight criteria:
- Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
- Live music venues per capita
- Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.)
- Arts and Entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, etc.)
- Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better)
- Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
- Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)
- Population density (the higher the better)
A few places didn’t have all the data we needed, so they were omitted. We then ranked each location in each category and averaged each place’s scores into one
Big Deal Score. The lower a big deal score was, the more exciting it was. Unfortunately, the place with the worst big deal score was little Mount Pleasant.
Before we go further, it should be known that we’re not saying these places are bad by any means or that people there are horrible. We’re not even saying you shouldn’t move there, especially if you love peace, quiet, and relaxation.
What we are saying, in a fun and lighthearted way, is that these places don’t know excitement. So with that said, let’s take a look at our first place spot, where thrills and extreme fun probably go to die.
1. Mount Pleasant
We’re sure this little village is just that: pleasant. It’s pretty, welcoming, homey, and very cute. Unfortunately, all those lovely traits don’t make a place exciting, and it happens to be the least exciting spot in on our list.
For starters, this place had the last-ranked scores in nightlife, arts, and active life amenities per capita. It also ranked poorly across the board in all other areas of excitement. Really, the only thing this place had going for it was a lack of fast food restaurants, but that alone can’t make a place thrilling.
You’ll have a pleasant time in this city, but it will probably be napping and relaxing the day away.
2. Caledonia
We’ll tip our hats to Caledonia for having no real fast food around, which is pretty cool. The population here was also somewhat densely packed, so there are plenty of people to meet and get to know there. However, that’s where the praise for this little 24,705 population place ends.
Caledonia had the worst non-fast food restaurants per capita and the second worst nightlife, arts, and music venue rankings. To top it off, barely over 12 percent of the population here was between the ages of 18 and 34, so the vibe here is a decidedly sleepy and older one.
On the bright side, dull unexciting burgers around, right? Yeah, it’s poor consolation.
3. Greenfield
Surprisingly, this 36,720 person city is one of the larger places in our boring top 10, but it still doesn’t have much to offer thrill-seekers.
Like our top two, there was little fast food here, plus a surprisingly young population of over 20 percent. However, that just makes these next few stats all the more depressing.
For a young city, Greenfield had an appalling lack of active life amenities and arts, as well as poor nightlife scores, and few non-fast food restaurants. Really, there’s just not much there besides some pretty scenery and lovely brick buildings.
4. Sun Prairie
This Madison suburb might have some cool stuff going on nearby, but that doesn’t make the city itself very thrilling.
The non-fast food restaurants ranked poorly, as did the arts and nightlife. You’ll be headed to bed early every night if you’re searching for evening excitement here.
Sun Prairie is kinda perfect for one type of person though: one with a physically active lifestyle. Ranking a shocking third for active life amenities, this city is home to minor league sports, athletic clubs, and even a water park.
Well done on that regard, Sun Prairie. Now, if you could just get the rest of your stats up to snuff.
5. Oak Creek
Let’s start with the good in this little city. There were a few music venues and nightlife options to choose from, and the population density was excitingly high. However, where there’s an up, there’s a down, and this place is pretty much a downer.
For starters, there was not much of a young population here and there were few arts amenities as well. The active life options were lacking, as were a wide selection of non-fast food restaurants.
This place does have a darling and caring little community, but it’s also pretty dull for those in search of excitement.
6. Franklin
Now, this one is a real shocker. Almost a quarter of the population here was between the ages of 18 and 34, and there were a fair number of active life amenities to enjoy.
Money Magazine even ranked this place as one of the better cities to call home. This should be a seriously exciting spot, right?
Wrong. Franklin lacked in so many areas that it pretty decisively ranked the sixth most boring place in the state. There were few non-fast food restaurants to choose from and even fewer nightlife options. The arts were few and far between, and the music venues ranked near the bottom of the list.
What has this place got? Safety, yes. Beauty, yes. Excitement, no.
7. Neenah
If you’re searching for your next big thrill, you should definitely look elsewhere than Neenah.
This place had poor active life options, few non-fast food restaurants, and few refined arts venues. They actually did have a small nightlife scene, so partiers may be able to find a few places to enjoy, but it’s still slim pickings.
Beyond that, you don’t have much here. If you’re really desperate for excitement, you can go take a look at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, where you can see a vast collection of historic paperweights. Hooray?
8. New Berlin
There’s nothing new or thrilling about New Berlin, let’s just get that out of the way.
We’ll admit, there’s a fairly young population here and a few active life options and parks to enjoy, but other than that you don’t have much to do.
The arts ranked near the bottom of our rankings, and the population density was the second worst on our list. The nightlife was downright dismal, and you’d be hard pressed to find any concerts going on, considering the lack of music venues.
This is a safe place, and a caring one, but you might just be bored out of your mind here.
9. West Allis
Easily the biggest city on our list, West Allis should have more going for it. Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case.
This city ranked near the bottom in active life amenities, arts, and density, and had fairly poor scores in both nightlife and music venues as well. If you’re the lively sort, West Allis is not for you.
However, if you’re a foodie, you might be able to find a little fun in this place. There are few fast food restaurants here and a fair number of non-fast food restaurants. However, you can only eat so much before you hunger for something else to do, and West Allis’ buffet of fun is lacking.
10. Watertown
Though it’s certainly not the most boring place in the state, Watertown shows that it knows how to snore it up. There were few non-fast food restaurants, quite a bit of fast food, and no real music venues offering up tunes on a Friday night.
What it did have was a very dense population, ranking No. 5 on our list. Still, a lot of older people, all bored, and packed close together does not an exciting city make.
It does have the first kindergarten ever established, and that could be kind of fun...you know, if you’re a kindergartener.
Wistful In Wisconsin
Wow, is anyone else feeling sleepy after this? We wouldn’t be surprised.
To these little places, we know you’re trying. There are great communities on this list which are warm and friendly, and there’s safety to be found here that you wouldn’t get elsewhere. If that’s what you’re looking for in a home, then any of these might be good options for you.
However, if you’re in search of adrenaline, energy, and constant activity, you might want to stay far far away from these little spots. Maybe opt for places like Superior, Madison, or Milwaukee if you need more excitement in your life.
