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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Wisconsin where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Cottage Grove, WI
- Elm Grove, WI
- Suamico, WI
- Waunakee, WI
- Whitefish Bay, WI
- Germa, WI
- Sussex, WI
- Rib Mountain, WI
- Brookfield, WI
- Pewaukee, WI
These are the happiest places in Wisconsin. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Wisconsin?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 144 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Cottage Grove
Population: 6,904
Earners Over $75k: 66.8%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 40.0%
Cottage Grove is the happiest city in all of Wisconsin. What makes Cottage Grove residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Cottage Grove resident only drives 21.2 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Cottage Grove residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Elm Grove
Population: 6,172
Earners Over $75k: 66.6%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 43.0%
In 2nd place we have Elm Grove. Residents of Elm Grove are highly educated, with an impressive 67.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Elm Grove have plenty of them.
3. Suamico
Population: 12,470
Earners Over $75k: 64.3%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 51.0%
Suamico is the third happiest city in Wisconsin. Why so happy? 51.0% of Suamico residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Waunakee
Population: 13,522
Earners Over $75k: 62.6%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 40.0%
Folks in Waunakee have a lot to smile about. An impressive 62.6% of Waunakee households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Waunakee can afford peace of mind.
5. Whitefish Bay
Population: 14,039
Earners Over $75k: 66.2%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 31.0%
Whitefish Bay is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Whitefish Bay residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Wisconsin city is only $373,200), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Germa
Population: 19,997
Earners Over $75k: 54.4%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 44.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Germa a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 54.4% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Germa home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Sussex
Population: 10,791
Earners Over $75k: 56.9%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 43.0%
Sussex is the 7th happiest city. Sussex residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 23.6 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Rib Mountain
Population: 6,033
Earners Over $75k: 49.5%
Average Commute: 15
Marriage Rate: 49.0%
Rib Mountain residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Brookfield
Population: 38,151
Earners Over $75k: 66.7%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 38.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Wisconsin is Brookfield. The average commute in Brookfield is only 22.3 minutes. That means they are only 22.3 minutes away from the loving spouse 38.0% of them have.
10. Pewaukee
Population: 14,299
Earners Over $75k: 67.1%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 45.0%
In 10th place is Pewaukee, Wisconsin. What makes Pewaukee so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Wisconsin
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottage Grove | 66.8% |
| 2 | Elm Grove | 66.6% |
| 3 | Suamico | 64.3% |
| 4 | Waunakee | 62.6% |
| 5 | Whitefish Bay | 66.2% |
| 6 | Germa | 54.4% |
| 7 | Sussex | 56.9% |
| 8 | Rib Mountain | 49.5% |
| 9 | Brookfield | 66.7% |
| 10 | Pewaukee | 67.1% |
| 11 | Tichigan | 64.0% |
| 12 | Verona | 58.5% |
| 13 | Deforest | 54.3% |
| 14 | Mcfarland | 55.3% |
| 15 | Oregon | 54.6% |
| 16 | Holmen | 53.6% |
| 17 | Hartland | 54.9% |
| 18 | Mequon | 66.9% |
| 19 | Muskego | 58.8% |
| 20 | De Pere | 45.9% |
| 21 | Menomonee Falls | 52.5% |
| 22 | West Salem | 38.4% |
| 23 | Cedarburg | 57.8% |
| 24 | Mount Horeb | 48.2% |
| 25 | Fox Point | 69.9% |
| 26 | Grafton | 48.5% |
| 27 | Richfield | 66.5% |
| 28 | Oconomowoc | 52.2% |
| 29 | Kronenwetter | 58.4% |
| 30 | Plover | 41.4% |
| 31 | Wind Lake | 60.3% |
| 32 | Howard | 43.7% |
| 33 | Sun Prairie | 46.4% |
| 34 | Middleton | 49.3% |
| 35 | Wauwatosa | 52.9% |
| 36 | New Berlin | 54.1% |
| 37 | Delafield | 54.2% |
| 38 | Slinger | 50.1% |
| 39 | Hobart | 51.3% |
| 40 | Lake Hallie | 42.6% |
| 41 | Greendale | 47.2% |
| 42 | Mukwonago | 51.9% |
| 43 | Onalaska | 39.8% |
| 44 | Fitchburg | 45.9% |
| 45 | Franklin | 52.2% |
| 46 | Rothschild | 41.9% |
| 47 | Hales Corners | 48.0% |
| 48 | Oak Creek | 48.1% |
| 49 | Caledonia | 53.5% |
| 50 | Jackson | 45.2% |
| 51 | Shorewood | 47.9% |
| 52 | Lake Mills | 36.8% |
| 53 | Waterford | 55.7% |
| 54 | Kimberly | 33.2% |
| 55 | Allouez | 45.3% |
| 56 | Glendale | 49.3% |
| 57 | Kaukauna | 39.1% |
| 58 | Monona | 45.3% |
| 59 | Columbus | 37.9% |
| 60 | Bellevue | 36.3% |
| 61 | Little Chute | 39.8% |
| 62 | Hudson | 48.5% |
| 63 | Waukesha | 41.1% |
| 64 | Stoughton | 42.8% |
| 65 | Neenah | 35.3% |
| 66 | Appleton | 36.8% |
| 67 | Weston | 41.2% |
| 68 | Ashwaubenon | 37.2% |
| 69 | Madison | 41.5% |
| 70 | Pleasant Prairie | 54.3% |
| 71 | Hartford | 36.3% |
| 72 | Mount Pleasant | 45.6% |
| 73 | Elkhorn | 34.0% |
| 74 | Port Washington | 41.8% |
| 75 | Reedsburg | 34.0% |
| 76 | Sturgeon Bay | 28.8% |
| 77 | West Bend | 35.9% |
| 78 | Fort Atkinson | 32.9% |
| 79 | River Falls | 38.0% |
| 80 | Plymouth | 31.4% |
| 81 | Sheboygan Falls | 29.4% |
| 82 | Edgerton | 38.8% |
| 83 | Altoona | 36.3% |
| 84 | Marshfield | 33.6% |
| 85 | Milton | 38.5% |
| 86 | Burlington | 38.1% |
| 87 | Sturtevant | 43.8% |
| 88 | Brown Deer | 36.2% |
| 89 | Menasha | 32.5% |
| 90 | Eau Claire | 32.0% |
| 91 | Evansville | 38.4% |
| 92 | Pewaukee | 38.4% |
| 93 | New Richmond | 39.8% |
| 94 | Tomah | 31.4% |
| 95 | Green Bay | 27.9% |
| 96 | Jefferson | 33.7% |
| 97 | Waupun | 35.2% |
| 98 | Janesville | 34.8% |
| 99 | Ripon | 31.7% |
| 100 | Monroe | 29.7% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
