Best places to live in the Madison metro area

Written by:
July 8, 2025
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Best places to live in the Madison metro area

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in the Madison metro area using data from the Niche. Niche uses 15 weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on cost of living, higher education rate, housing, public schools, diversity, and crime. You can read more about Niche's methodology here.

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#25. Lodi

- Niche grade: B
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 3,206

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#24. Sauk City

- Niche grade: B
- Public school grade: C+
- Population: 3,500

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#23. Columbus

- Niche grade: B+
- Public school grade: C+
- Population: 5,493

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#22. Stoughton

- Niche grade: B+
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 13,063

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#21. Cambridge

- Niche grade: B+
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 1,507

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#20. Evansville

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 5,771

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#19. Brooklyn

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 1,457

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#18. Edgerton

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 5,924

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#17. McFarland

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 9,230

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#16. DeForest

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 10,853

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#15. Cross Plains

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A+
- Population: 4,059

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#14. Lake Ripley

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 1,972

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#13. Mount Horeb

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 7,719

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#12. Oregon

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 11,384

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#11. Monona

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 8,604

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#10. Lake Mills

- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 6,391

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#9. Sun Prairie

- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 36,455

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#8. Cottage Grove

- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 7,906

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#7. Maple Bluff

- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 1,319

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#6. Fitchburg

- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A
- Population: 31,566

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#5. Waunakee

- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A+
- Population: 14,927

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#4. Madison

- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 275,568

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#3. Verona

- Niche grade: A+
- Public school grade: A
- Population: 14,499

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#2. Middleton

- Niche grade: A+
- Public school grade: A+
- Population: 22,235

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#1. Shorewood Hills

- Niche grade: A+
- Public school grade: A
- Population: 2,067

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