How Buchanan compares across Wisconsin
Buchanan is ranked on 32 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents.
Fewer kids than 86% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Buchanan’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Buchanan out-ranks 0 of its 8 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Buchanan lands in the top half on 9 of 19 lists
Each dot is Buchanan’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Buchanan does best come first.
The lists Buchanan does best on
Each list ranks every WI town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Buchanan marked.
Every WI list, and where Buchanan lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#143
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#143
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#118
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#127
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#115
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#178
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#194 People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#126
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#317
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#55
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#189
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#318 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#152 
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#243
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#242
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#233
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#289
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#233 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#119
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
#237
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#56
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
Climate
Snowiest#1 Minocqua · 99 in
#116
Least snow#1 Williams Bay · 32 in
#240
Mildest winters#1 Racine · 16.5°
#188
Hottest summers#1 Brodhead · 83.8°
#235
Coolest summers#1 Superior · 75.9°
#127
Longest growing season#1 Cudahy · 192 days
#235
Wettest#1 Monroe · 39 in
#283 Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 Monona · 11.6 per resident
Most library borrowing#1 Whitefish Bay · 24.8 per resident
Best libraries for kids#1 Monona · 45.8 per child
Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
The number on the right is Buchanan’s spot. All of Wisconsin’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every WI list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.