Citizens of Madison enjoy a low unemployment rate and plenty of recreation options with nearby lakes and parkland.
City: Madison
State: Wisconsin
Best Cities Overall Rank: 3
About Madison: Outdoor family fun is why kids love Madison, which lies right between two spectacular lakes. There are three additional area lakes, more than 120 miles of shared-use walking and biking trails, and 260-plus parks. Work life affords a bit more peace of mind and less stress than in some other cities, since the unemployment rate is just 7 percent and commuting time averages only 18.7 minutes. Madison also gets an “A” for overall home value, safety, and solid schools.
What moms say: Resident Kim Herlitzka loves that families don’t have to move to the suburbs in order to send their children to a good school. “We live in a city neighborhood where the houses don’t all look the same and where there is a mix of younger families and older people,” says the mom of two.
What’s great for families: There’s never a shortage of fun, affordable activities inside, too: The Henry Vilas Zoo, one of the nation’s few free zoos, has a hands-on learning center, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum hosts many free or low-cost family events.
County: Dane
Population: 230,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Newspaper with the largest circulation: Wisconsin State Journal
Madison blogs:
Madison‘s Facebook page: Follow Madison on Facebook
Education rank: 28
High School graduation rate 2008: 81.3%
Blue Ribbon Schools, 2003-2009: 0
Blue Ribbon Schools per 100,000 people: 0
NEAYC-accredited preschools: 8
NAEYC schools per 100,000 people: 3.45
NAEP State proficiency reading, grade 8: 266
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 14
Total Expenditures Per Student: $13,306
Health rank: 7
Quality children’s hospitals: 1
Hospitals per 100,000 people: 0.43
Quality Pediatricians: 2
Quality Pediatricians per 100,000: 0.86
Average number of Unhealthy Air Quality days between 2006-2008, by county: 0
Safety rank: 24
Violent Crimes, 2008: 891
Violent Crime Rate per 100,000: 384.19
Sex Offenders: 426
Sex Offenders per 100,000: 183.69
Economy rank: 28
Travel time to work, 2006-2008, in minutes: 18.7
Percent of labor force unemployed, January 2010: 6.8
Best Performing Cities Job Index: 799.81
Median Home List Price: $107,000
5-Year Home Value Index: 2%
Recreation Rank: 13
Parkland acreage, 2008 (includes pools and playgrounds): 6,000
Parkland per 100,000: 2,587.14
