Top Cities in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin at a Glance

It’s called “the land between the lakes” because Wisconsin has shoreline along both Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, and much of its life is centered on the water and around water sports. State boundaries on the West are marked by the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers and by the Eau Claire River to the northeast. Although the slogan "It's the water!" made a beer from another place famous, it is the water that in many ways defines life in Wisconsin. The state also has its share of famous beers! It's known for cheese, for its professional football team, for the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, and for its forests and farms.

America's Dairyland produces more than $3 billion worth of cheese each year, with more than 600 varieties available. It's kind of a "family tradition," begun in a log cabin kitchen in 1841. Cheese even beats out chocolate as a favorite food. The state is also known for its paper products and is a major Midwestern tourist destination, particularly in the summer, because of (you guessed it!) its lakeshore, rivers, streams and nature trails that offer plenty of places to camp, hike, fish, canoe and kayak. In the Wisconsin Dells, wilderness adventures take equal billing with water parks and upscale resorts that include sprawling golf courses.

Milwaukee is the state's largest city, but its capital has a dual claim to fame. Not only is Madison the home of the University of Wisconsin, but it also prohibits buildings taller than the columns that surround the capitol's dome. That distinctive granite dome is the only one of its kind anywhere in the country, and at 265 feet in height, is visible for miles around. It's topped by a gilded bronze figure clothed in a Greek robe and modeled after the goddess Athena. She wears a helmet with a badger on top and holds a globe topped by an eagle, while her outstretched right arm symbolizes the state motto, "Forward."

Top Cities in Wisconsin

Why You'll Love Living in Wisconsin

Wisconsin lifestyle revolves around home, family and the outdoors -- it's a Midwestern thing! But residents are up to date on everything that matters to them, from politics to digital technology to little known facts about their own state. You won't find a braggart in the bunch, but it's good to know that the number of lakes in Wisconsin outnumber Minnesota's 10,000, that Bratwurst and beer festivals are common, and that it is a leading exporter of cranberries and sweet corn! The most important statistic is the number of world championships won by the Green Bay Packers. That may just be something to brag about. You can't live in Wisconsin without being a fan of the green and gold.

There are great places to live in Wisconsin, cities that are big enough to feel like urban centers, but small enough to be friendly: In order after Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay, they include Kenosha, Racine, Appleton, Eau Claire and Oshkosh. Actually, you'll have many more choices in this interesting state -- more than 85 communities count a population of 10,000 or more -- rural has a bit of a different meaning here.