2022 Best Places To Live: This Wisconsin City Made Money's List

WISCONSIN — One city from Wisconsin, Madison, earned a spot on Money's most recent ranking of the 50 Best Places to live in the United States.

The 2022 ranking includes cities that offer the best in what matters most to residents: economic opportunities, quality of life, and diversity, according to Money. This year, researchers also set out to feature a more diverse list of cities than in past years.

“We kept returning to the question, ‘best places to live for whom?’” researchers said on Money’s website. “(Previous cities were) often quaint, affordable — and unintentionally yet overwhelmingly white. We wanted to create a more welcoming list for a broader group of people this year, so we restructured our data gathering and ranking processes to reflect that priority.”

With a population of just over 260,000 people, Madison residents have a median household income of $74,000 while the city’s unemployment rate is 2.5 percent. In its profile of Madison, Money noted that home prices are often below the national average, making it ideal for people coming from more expensive areas.

"The University of Wisconsin sits at the heart of the vibrant, progressive community of Madison, where “Midwest Nice'' meets cultural diversity," Money wrote. "Between the community gardens, lakeside recreation, plentiful parks and museums galore, Madison residents have near-endless entertainment options."

To determine the cities on this year’s list, Money analyzed data in nine different areas: cost of living, diversity, economic opportunity, education, fun and amenities, health and safety, the housing market, income and personal finance, and quality of life.

Data was collected from several sources including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Read more about the methodology for Money’s Best Places To Live.

The top city on this year’s list is Atlanta, Georgia.

“This is no accident,” researchers said. “At a time when people are becoming much more introspective about their role in society, our goal this year was to name a number one where anyone can feel like they belong. And for that, Atlanta is hard to beat.”

Following Atlanta is Tempe, Arizona, at No. 2, and Kirkland, Washington, at No. 3.

See the full list of Best Places To Live.