Sussex Named Best Place to Raise Kids in Wisconsin

In its sixth annual ranking, Bloomberg Businessweek has named Sussex the best place to raise kids in Wisconsin.

The weekly magazine evaluated nearly 4,200 places in the United States with crime less than 10 percent above the national average; populations between 1,000 and 50,000; and a median family income within 20 percent of the state median.

Sussex Village President Greg Goetz says the recognition confirms Milwaukee Magazine's recent ranking of the Sussex as third best of 50 suburbs around Milwaukee.

“This just shows Sussex is moving forward, and is a great place to live, work and play, like we’ve always said,” Goetz said. “It’s not just the Village Board who made this happen. It’s every person in Sussex. What could be better? There must be a number higher than number one. How can you beat it?”

Bloomberg based the rankings on a number of criteria, with school performance, expenditures and income pulling the most weight.

Denise Lindberg, the spokeswoman for the , says she’s proud of the ranking, and she thinks the amazing heights the district has reached has something to do with it.

“I think we’ve been telling people all along, ‘Take a look at what’s happening in this district,’ and now it’s great that an outside source has really confirmed it,” Lindberg said.

Each of the places Bloomberg took into consideration were ranked and given a score based on specific criteria:

• Education (such as school scores, number of schools and colleges);
• Economy (including median family income, expenses, job growth and unemployment);
• Crime;
• Amenities (such as day care centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, theaters, recreation centers and green space);
• Air quality; and
• Ethnic diversity.

The business magazine ranked the places nationwide, and then by state. In the U.S., the winner was Blacksburg, VA., followed by Arlington, NE., and then Morton Grove, IL.

Sussex was named the winner because of its population of just more than 9,000, it’s median family income of a little more than $77,000, and its far above average math and reading scores.

Bloomberg also described Sussex in the ranking:

A rural suburb of Milwaukee, the Village of Sussex benefits from proximity to the larger city without losing its close sense of community. The town supports events that are fun for kids, such as Christmas tree lighting, Christmas caroling, and a hunt for a laminated picture of a turkey (the winner gets a gift basket).