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.
#25. Lodi
- Niche grade: B
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 3,206
#24. Sauk City
- Niche grade: B
- Public school grade: C+
- Population: 3,500
#23. Columbus
- Niche grade: B+
- Public school grade: C+
- Population: 5,493
#22. Stoughton
- Niche grade: B+
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 13,063
#21. Cambridge
- Niche grade: B+
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 1,507
#20. Evansville
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 5,771
#19. Brooklyn
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 1,457
#18. Edgerton
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 5,924
#17. McFarland
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 9,230
#16. DeForest
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 10,853
#15. Cross Plains
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A+
- Population: 4,059
#14. Lake Ripley
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 1,972
#13. Mount Horeb
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 7,719
#12. Oregon
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 11,384
#11. Monona
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 8,604
#10. Lake Mills
- Niche grade: A-
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 6,391
#9. Sun Prairie
- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 36,455
#8. Cottage Grove
- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: B+
- Population: 7,906
#7. Maple Bluff
- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: B
- Population: 1,319
#6. Fitchburg
- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A
- Population: 31,566
#5. Waunakee
- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A+
- Population: 14,927
#4. Madison
- Niche grade: A
- Public school grade: A-
- Population: 275,568
#3. Verona
- Niche grade: A+
- Public school grade: A
- Population: 14,499
#2. Middleton
- Niche grade: A+
- Public school grade: A+
- Population: 22,235
#1. Shorewood Hills
- Niche grade: A+
- Public school grade: A
- Population: 2,067