Best places to live in the Madison metro area

Written by:
July 8, 2025
Akarawut // Shutterstock

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.

1 / 25
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock

#25. Lodi

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

2 / 25
Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#24. Sauk City

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

3 / 25
F8 studio // Shutterstock

#23. Columbus

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

4 / 25
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#22. Stoughton

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

5 / 25
Stuart Monk // Shutterstock

#21. Cambridge

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

6 / 25
Jacek Chabraszewski // Shutterstock

#20. Evansville

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

7 / 25
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#19. Brooklyn

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

8 / 25
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

#18. Edgerton

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

9 / 25
RossHelen // Shutterstock

#17. McFarland

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

10 / 25
Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko // Shutterstock

#16. DeForest

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

11 / 25
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#15. Cross Plains

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

12 / 25
Robert Kneschke // Shutterstock

#14. Lake Ripley

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

13 / 25
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

#13. Mount Horeb

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

14 / 25
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

#12. Oregon

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

15 / 25
oneinchpunch // Shutterstock

#11. Monona

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

16 / 25
imtmphoto // Shutterstock

#10. Lake Mills

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

17 / 25
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#9. Sun Prairie

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

18 / 25
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#8. Cottage Grove

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

19 / 25
BAZA Production // Shutterstock

#7. Maple Bluff

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

20 / 25
Laura Beach // Shutterstock

#6. Fitchburg

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

21 / 25
Stuart Monk // Shutterstock

#5. Waunakee

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

22 / 25
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

#4. Madison

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

23 / 25
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#3. Verona

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

24 / 25
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#2. Middleton

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

25 / 25
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#1. Shorewood Hills

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

Trending Now